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View Full Version : Dimension Door: potential for mayhem?



Isomenes
2007-05-12, 12:15 AM
So I was wondering: could DD be used as an attack spell?

Let us suppose that a psionicist and a bard both have Dimension Door. Let us further suppose that they stand on either side of a foe, both having successfully grappled it (one to each arm, say).

If the two were to simultaneously cast/manifest DD in opposite directions while attempting to carry said grappled foe, would they rip him apart? (The bard would obviously have to cast DD with Still Spell, possibly also involving some method to quicken the casting, for this to even plausibly work.)

How would you rule on this as a DM?

Dhavaer
2007-05-12, 12:17 AM
(The bard would obviously have to cast DD with Still Spell for this to even plausibly work.)

You cannot Still Spell dimension door as it does not have a somatic component.

Isomenes
2007-05-12, 12:18 AM
You cannot Still Spell dimension door as it does not have a somatic component.

See, there we go. Just the quickening then.

The_Snark
2007-05-12, 12:22 AM
Living targets have to be willing. You could Dimension Door their sword out of their hand, I guess, but you have to be pretty close to do that. Or Dimension Door large objects above an enemy's head.

MobiusKlein
2007-05-12, 12:23 AM
Sorry, but DDoor states "You may also bring one additional willing Medium or smaller creature"

Ditto
2007-05-12, 12:23 AM
You'd probably have to decide which player acted first, since D&D isn't so big on simultaneous actions (readying lets you move first, and that's what initiative is for); then, you'd need to invent some sort of rule for ripping limb from limb, which is an incredibly difficult task when you stat it out... so you'd need to figure out the magical equivalent of shearing forces, which is just messy; so then, you might need opposed grapples between the psion and the bard to see who's grappled the guy more and can just take him first and maybe drop him from somewhere up high...

...but DD can only bring willing persons, so the answer is no attack-rending for you.

Wyvern_55
2007-05-12, 12:23 AM
I would make the ruling the same as if there were two people trying to pull a person in opposite directions, they would make strength checks, one would lose and lose hold on the poor sap. the winner would carry the target through the dimensional door and to the destination, provided he does not exceed the weight limit.

Edit: oh, yeah forgot about the whole "willing target" so, no-go on the offence. Even if you tricked the target into being willing (a feat in itself with two casters) I would stick by my ruling above.

Isomenes
2007-05-12, 12:26 AM
Well, shucks. :) It makes a bit of difference, the willingness. But does that mean you can't DD an unconscious individual?

Dhavaer
2007-05-12, 12:30 AM
they would make strength checks

Ignoring the 'willing target' issue, a caster level check would probably be more appropriate.


Well, shucks. :) It makes a bit of difference, the willingness. But does that mean you can't DD an unconscious individual?

They are automatically considered willing.

Yechezkiel
2007-05-12, 12:32 AM
Well, shucks. :) It makes a bit of difference, the willingness. But does that mean you can't DD an unconscious individual?

Or can you use other spells (Ench) to convince your enemies to be willing?

Latronis
2007-05-12, 12:45 AM
Assuming you can trick someone into being willing to go with both at once

lets say strength check of target vs caster level check for both parties

if both casters succeed then gory death

or perhaps 2 trolls to grapple each on opposite sides (It's a trap!)

Annarrkkii
2007-05-12, 05:55 AM
I treat it as a counterspelling attempt...

Closet_Skeleton
2007-05-12, 07:16 AM
Willing only? Looks like Mystra cheated in the Time of Troubles books.

Wait...

PaladinBoy
2007-05-12, 10:13 AM
If you want to use DD as an attack spell, I would just use enlarge person and then teleport about 20 ft. above the enemy's head. You'll take falling damage, sure, but they'll take a lot more damage.

I actually had that used by another player in our game. Of course, the caster using it was a half dragon who had a magic item that allowed him to use DD. And he had enlarge person on him. I think we calculated his weight at about one and a half tons. Needless to say, the wizard he landed on died almost instantly.

Leon
2007-05-12, 01:43 PM
DD as a attack spell:

DD, a Heavy Object + Featherfall

works better on a unawares target

Jothki
2007-05-12, 06:39 PM
Two spells cannot complete at the same time, I think. One will completely resolve before the other starts (unless there's some sort of unusual contingencies or interaction that I'm not aware of, but there wouldn't be in this case).