Defeating Dispel Magic?

[roguemetal]

There are times when being dispelled can be a complete shutdown for a character. An optimized wizard focused on dispelling can generally remove every ongoing effect on a single target without fail. So what ways can we combat these nasty spells?


There's the feat Reactive Counterspell, allowing for immediate counterspelling, but uses an action, and is feat intensive.

The Contingency spell is a great way to protect yourself, accessible to anyone with UMD. (possible need for CL to function) Doesn't function well against high CL opponents.

For 1st - 6th lvl spells, there's Ring of Counterspells for just 4,000 g.

Antimagic Field works well if you take Initiate of Mystra, giving only 1% chance of failure against Disjunction.



What other means exist?

[Dusk Eclipse]

Cranking up CL (not that difficult all said) is one of the best defenses against dispelling, other options include armor and shield spikes enchanted as Spellblades keyed to dispel magic and variations.

[kardar233]

Covering yourself in an Antimagic Field (with Selective or Initiate of Mystra) is my favourite way. Add Contingent Antimagic Fields just in case they manage to take one down with Disjunction.

[Uncle Pine]

Covering yourself in an Antimagic Field (with Selective or Initiate of Mystra) is my favourite way. Add Contingent Antimagic Fields just in case they manage to take one down with Disjunction.

This. Or, if you're not a caster, take Leadership and an AMF tibbit cohort.

[roguemetal]

Cranking up CL (not that difficult all said) is one of the best defenses against dispelling, other options include armor and shield spikes enchanted as Spellblades keyed to dispel magic and variations.

Spellblades are good, but they don't help against area dispels.


This. Or, if you're not a caster, take Leadership and an AMF tibbit cohort.

Good point. In fact, even without AMF, cohorts are a great way to deal with this issue.

[heavyfuel]

Ring of Counterspell: Greater Dispell Magic is a popular one. Only works if you're a caster though.

[GoodbyeSoberDay]

Curmudgeon made a mini-guide (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=69571) on this very topic. Beware thread necromancy. My favorite methods include:

Ring of Spell Battle makes him dispel himself as an immediate, but you have to be pretty close.

Divine Defiance is like Reactive Counterspell but better in almost every way. Requires TUs and some Cleric caster levels.

As far as raising caster level goes, there's a compiled list (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19872350/Raising_Caster_Level) of the stuff, but there are also a couple of ways to raise the dispel DC directly.

Ring of Enduring Arcana ups the dispel DC by 4 against your stuff. Dispelling Buffer (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/dispellingBuffer.htm) adds 5 to the DC.

Of course, like Curmudgeon pointed out, the simplest way to avoid being dispelled is to avoid being targeted at all. IMO the only reliable way to do that is to be really good at hiding, since the illusions all have counters... or cast Invisibility and then plop an Invisible Fog Cloud on yourself.

One counter against area dispels is just to pay some higher CL caster to put a bunch of Magic Mouths or other useless spells on you to "catch" any area dispels, but you have to be pretty sure a dispelomancer isn't going to be able to target you lest they all go away in one blow.

[roguemetal]

Curmudgeon made a mini-guide (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=69571) on this very topic. Beware thread necromancy.

Ah, many thanks.

I initially did a search and didn't discover anything.
This is exactly what I was looking for.

[Slipperychicken]

You can have your beatsticks ready actions to interrupt enemy casters when they try to cast spells.

[Rubik]

The easiest and cheapest way to do so without ruining your (or others') action economy is the spellblade + massive matrix of Magic Mouths.

If you're a psion, you could always take the Supernatural Transformation (Psionics) feat, from Savage Species. It shuts down dispelling entirely, though you still have to worry about Disjunction.

Craft Device, from Ravenloft's Legacy of the Blood, allows you to create nonmagical versions of magical items, though they're unwieldy and require some fiddling to make continuous items work properly. They can be useful, but overall, I'd prefer the magical versions for most things.

A tinfoil hat and a raven familiar readying actions to call out the command word could work, since line of effect is totally blocked.

Psionic/Minor Creation to create an amber hamster ball with 1' diameter sliding doors to cast out of could work, if your psicrystal or familiar uses its actions to open and close the doors between castings. It'd last for one successful Dispel before being used up, though.

[pwykersotz]

If you're a psion, you could always take the Supernatural Transformation (Psionics) feat, from Savage Species. It shuts down dispelling entirely, though you still have to worry about Disjunction.


I find myself curious...this seems strictly TO to me. Have you ever had a DM (or allowed as a DM) this to fly?

[Rubik]

I find myself curious...this seems strictly TO to me. Have you ever had a DM (or allowed as a DM) this to fly?Alas, Savage Species content is generally banned wholesale.