PC, Just stranded my party, need help for the inevitable next encounter. 3.5e

[roarinflames]

So, our session tonight just ended in a serious cliffhanger.
I'm currently the party arcane utility caster, providing us with the typical speedy transports (teleport doesn't work for large distances, like across continents).
We had been searching the last few months (in game) for a very important artifact, that happened to also have major importance to my character. Essentially, upon realizing that we would be searching for the artifact, my character realized the level of trust he had gained from the party had become exploitable. After finally acquiring the artifact, I tucked it into our usual party safe (of which i am the keeper), and then vanished to a previously set location via Gemjump.
--End Session--
However, as the sole member of the party with an inkling of where we are geographically, my final action of the session has effectively left them stranded in a treacherous mountainous region. Understandably, both in game and out, they were not pleased. A couple "We're most likely going to kill you now"'s were tossed around, etc.

Anyway, I need my bases covered until I complete my side quest and then they can have at me.
I need to know how best to prepare for the fight that will most likely happen upon them reaching me at my destination, such as:
-spells to learn
-scrolls to acquire/make
-cheap magic items

I intentionally didn't cheese this character. I wanted to stick with being strictly party utility.
Current build is Wizard 6,Geometer 5, MoArcaneOrder 1(just leveled up, was gonna go into this).
I have a crap-load of spell scrolls, and an intelligent item familiar that stores a spell and can fly.
I also have the majority of the party's treasure in our safe (i dont plan on selling this).
I have a few debuffs to work with (kelgores grave mist!) and a lot of money to learn new spells with (Geometer makes this cheap)

We're level 12
The party:
Silver Pyromancer who has an insane nova with scorching ray (like 70 damage a hit)
NecroCleric/Entropomancer of Wee-Jas, loves using poisons, evil-ish but still tends party wounds.
Homebrew Soulknife/Swordsage, insane damage, insane AC, insane spot check, most likely to kill me on sight.
Bard/Druid/Fochlucan Lyrist, the wild card, has never had a go-to battle strategy, second most resourceful character in the party, possibly a major threat, esp due to insane Diplomacy checks.
Knight with 20ft reach, ability to change between medium and large at will, loves tripping with spiked chain (yeah, we know), high-ish AC, high HP.
Both the pyromancer and the knight have an army of clerics behind them, doubt they will bring them along though.

[the_david]

Wow, that's an impressive way to screw over your party. Congratulations!

I know more about Pathfinder than I know about 3.5 so I can't be of much help but I would like to know what your intentions are. And maybe your alignment.

[MisterKaws]

If you don't mind getting a step or two towards Chaotic Evil(and right afterwards taking a Dungeon Master's Guide to the head), you can always call Pazuzu and wish for some obnoxiously strong stuff, heck, he can turn you permanently into a dragon or something if you ask nicely.

[Deophaun]

You're going to want to split the party, of course. Wall of force + greater anticipate teleport will do that nicely. Anyone trying to teleport across the barrier is now removed from combat for 3 rounds, and you have time to greet them with a cloud kill or something nastier. Be invisible. Use alarm and similar spells to give you warning for their approach so you can buff. Clairvoyance for spying. Hit and run. Target their weak saves--you should know their weak saves by now.

Ray deflection will shut down your pyromancer's scorching rays. A scroll will last you long enough. If you want to be real evil, prepare friendly fire.

Planar bind some outsiders to help with your action deficiency. Who cares what the bard's Diplomacy check is; your bound allies are compelled to serve regardless.

[paranoidbox]

So, they know where you are now? Is there a reason for you to stay there? And how much time do you have before they catch up with you?

[Acanous]

Starmantle Cloak (Book of Exalted Deeds pg 116). Rays are weapons (weapon focus, weapon specialization, point blank shot all apply to rays)
Price tag: 132,000 gp
Pair with a Ring of Evasion. Price tag: 25,000 gp
Can you roll over a 15 on reflex saves? Can you do so consistently? You are now immune to any attack they throw at you, short of natural attacks like claws, bites, etc.

Too expensive? Try the combo of Delay Death(Races of Destiny) (Cleric 3) and Beastland Ferocity(Spell Compendium) (Druid 1).
Because of wording, you only get the bonus to STR while between -1 and -9, but you continue to fight as long as Delay Death's duration is active.
Both are potion-able. Beastland Ferocity lasts a minute and costs you 50 GP. Delay Death lasts 5 rounds and costs 750 GP. Not perfect, I know, but it guarantees you 5 rounds wherin you cannot die from hit point damage. Living beyond the duration is another issue.

Not good enough? Well here's What I would Do;

Are you capable of casting Necromancy? Magic Jar is a great little spell (100 GP). Pair with Create Undead, grab a potion of Meld into Stone.(750 gp)
Create a Serpentir (400 GP). Have the arena where you will interact with these people be made of stone. If you are worried that your save DCs are too low, also create some Necrosis Carnex (MM4).
Process:
Alarm the entrance so you're aware of when they are entering. Order your undead to allow you to possess them (fail the will save). Drink your potion and disappear into the Ceiling. Possess a Serpentir using Magic Jar. (You do not need LoS or LoE, but it must be done prior to the engagement, or the party may be within range and your posession is randomly determined.)

You can now cast your spells, and are effectively immune to most damage. Use fogs or other vision-blocking magics so they aren't aware you are actually a Serpentir.
This is amazing because you actually get two spells per round as a Serpentir.

If you can Contact Other Plane to find out exactly when they will attack you, grab a scroll of Mind Blank for the occasion, just so you're completely impossible to find by any means while you're in the ceiling. If scroll of Mind Blank is unavailable, Nondetection will have to do. In fact, Contact Other Plane. You can't ban Div. Go for a Major Diety of an outer plane (usually the God/ess of magic counts) and ask by individual. Two is usually good but three in a pinch. (Will Horathgfer attack me this week? [y/n] Will Gethismane attack me this week? [y/n]) if both answers line up, you've got a really good chance it's accurate. Do not let the other PCs know you are doing this, or what questions you are asking.
Once you've narrowed down the day (Which can basically be Handwaved by the DM. "I asked the questions and got accurate answers, so whatever day they attack me is the day I have Mind Blank up.") you can make other preparations. If you have a means of narrowing down the TIME, (Morning/afternoon/evening/Night) you can have other buffs up. If you can narrow it down to an exact time, you could have things like Solid Fog up. Do make this take place in magical darkness, as you really don't care and it's another thing they have to counter.

At this point I must ask you, how thoroughly would you like to win this encounter?
You're effectively invulnerable, using a spell they have no way of knowing you have access to, bodies which are not your own allow you to launch attacks VIA Blindsense through fog, and given that you actually know the time and place of the attack, you can buff your undead with say, Protection from Energy, Globe of Invulnerability, and if they somehow force you back to your body, the actual Starmantle spell.


If you really want to go scorched earth, you can True Strike up a Dimensional Anchor, then Belt of Battle(12,000gp) for Forcecage (from a scroll, 3,775 gp), with your Contingency being Vortex of Teeth.(Hey look at that, your blindsense was enough to target them, your true strike means you're ignoring the miss chance despite the fog, and now at least one of them is likely to die to force damage). Then Celerity to cast Stinking Cloud.

You literally just won unless your save DCs are crap. Even if they are, the combo of true strike, forcecage, vortex of teeth while also putting them in a cloud means you're effectively untargetable and they need to derp around trying to heal each other while for all intents and purposes you get to sit back and laugh, applying any other spell you like as appropriate.

Cheers.

Edits for clarification: Serpentir is found on pg 158 of MMV. Belt of Battle is Swift activation and Celerity is immediate. You must use them in the correct order or it won't work. You will be Dazed unless you tossed a Third Eye (Clarity) on your Serpentir along with that belt of battle. Do not use Nerveskitter or you cannot belt of battle that round.
This plan does assume you will go first. You're a Wizard. You should be going first. Here's some ways to boost init:
You can take Improved Initiative VIA the spell "Heroics" if you do not already possess it. Your Familiar, if you do not already have one, should be a Hummingbird for the +4 to Initiative. If you already have one, you may perform the ritual again to change it for a hummingbird. This stacks with Improved Init and the Belt of Battle, for a mighty +10 to initiative. If you have an Eager or Warning weapon, (or both) equip them on the Serpentir. Your init is now +22. 24 if you had enough time to Cat's Grace yourself. (Because of Serpentir's ability wording, you can actually do this the same round you possess it.) Honestly Nerveskitter would only take you to +27(29 CG), and your Alarm granting you forewarning and darkness/solid fog/nondetection or Mind Blank should give you surprise.

Further edit for stuff:
The party:
Silver Pyromancer who has an insane nova with scorching ray- cannot target you, probably cannot cast any spells, likely cannot target your serpentir. Biggest issue, may have Disintegrate available. (He got one lv 6 spell this level. Pray he blew it on Teleport or some means of getting to you instead.) He's the main reason you're using Stinking Cloud even though you should already have Deeper Darkness and or Solid Fog up.
NecroCleric/Entropomancer of Wee-Jas, loves using poisons- you are immune to poison. You are not immune to Rebuke Undead. Fog is a must, as is nondetection. If he does not know you are undead, it is unlikely he will blindly attempt a rebuke. Likely, he will instead go incorporeal or otherwise attempt to heal/react to your trap. Consider Stone Shape and making little trenches for your Serpentir to hide in, blocking line of effect.
Homebrew Soulknife/Swordsage, insane damage, insane AC, insane spot check, can't spot through fog, Magical darkness, and the forcecage keeps him from moving even if he makes the fort save V Stinking Cloud. Vortex doesn't care what his AC is.
Bard/Druid/Fochlucan Lyrist, the wild card, has never had a go-to battle strategy, second most resourceful character in the party, possibly a major threat- PCs are immune to diplomacy. Mindless undead are immune to diplomacy. There are no bard spells he can access that will save him from the inevitable death VIA Vortex, even if he's using Ruin Delver's Fortune to make the fort V Stinking Cloud.
Knight with 20ft reach, ability to change between medium and large at will, loves tripping with spiked chain (yeah, we know), high-ish AC, high HP. -Cannot reach you, your Serpentir, or really anything but party members. Maybe prepare a few more vortex of teeth. You really can just keep casting it in the same area, it will stack.

Should they come at you in a manner by which you cannot catch them all in a forcecage, or otherwise manage to deal with this plan, focus on disabling the casters first. The non-casters have no means by which to threaten you for HOURS. You can still cast on yourself while you're melded into stone, and you have access to teleport.

[Deophaun]

Starmantle Cloak (Book of Exalted Deeds pg 116). Rays are weapons (weapon focus, weapon specialization, point blank shot all apply to rays)
No.

Any spell that requires an attack roll and deals damage functions as a weapon in certain respects. As such, several feats that improve weapon performance can be used to enhance weaponlike spells.
Nowhere is "effected by starmantle cloak" listed as a way that weaponlike spells function as a weapon, nor does starmantle cloak determine what it affects based on feat application.

[Acanous]

No.

Nowhere is "effected by starmantle cloak" listed as a way that weaponlike spells function as a weapon, nor does starmantle cloak determine what it affects based on feat application.

Eh, there's an argument for it. Weaponlike spells, are they magic weapons? Clarify it with the DM first. Your character is a wizard, you have the Spellcraft/Know:Arc to figure it out. All the same, it's a highly powerful combo which renders you immune to basically anything that prot from energy won't. Lesser Globe of Invuln counters scorching ray as well.

[slade88green]

Hide the item you wanted. Get a potion of glibness. Go back to the party and tell them you were cursed by said item and forced to leave. +30 bluff skill should let you succeed on that very plausible explanation.

[roarinflames]

I really appreciate all the help, I'll try to tackle these one by one.

Wow, that's an impressive way to screw over your party. Congratulations!

I know more about Pathfinder than I know about 3.5 so I can't be of much help but I would like to know what your intentions are. And maybe your alignment.
Alignment is CN, slightly bent towards CG, and the intentions are irrationally good aligned. The artifact is something the character needs more than any other thing.
For the sake of good story, I can't really go into the details, as some of the group does come on GitP from time to time.

If you don't mind getting a step or two towards Chaotic Evil(and right afterwards taking a Dungeon Master's Guide to the head), you can always call Pazuzu and wish for some obnoxiously strong stuff, heck, he can turn you permanently into a dragon or something if you ask nicely.
This is a flat out no from the dm, and i am totally okay with that. I'm trying to avoid cheese.

You're going to want to split the party, of course. Wall of force + greater anticipate teleport will do that nicely. Anyone trying to teleport across the barrier is now removed from combat for 3 rounds, and you have time to greet them with a cloud kill or something nastier. Be invisible. Use alarm and similar spells to give you warning for their approach so you can buff. Clairvoyance for spying. Hit and run. Target their weak saves--you should know their weak saves by now.

Ray deflection will shut down your pyromancer's scorching rays. A scroll will last you long enough. If you want to be real evil, prepare friendly fire.

Planar bind some outsiders to help with your action deficiency. Who cares what the bard's Diplomacy check is; your bound allies are compelled to serve regardless.
That's a pretty good strategy actually. The pyromancer does use Dimension Step, which could potentially stop the majority of them.
I have a contingent Ray Deflection set up already, so thats covered. Friendly Fire would definitely make them rethink their strategy and cut him down quickly (though not trying to kill him).
Since I have both Glyphs of Warding at my disposal, i can set up much more than alarm, though debuffs would be the likely option. Cloudkill isn't my style and the character would likely not cast it.

So, they know where you are now? Is there a reason for you to stay there? And how much time do you have before they catch up with you?
They seem to be aware I Gemjumped without them, but to which location may be unknown to them since i set up multiple gems.
I'll be arriving in the ship we came with, next to the Captain of the knight and pyromancer's clerical order (Golden Dawn), albeit incredibly injured. I plan on explaining to the clerics that "the others are alive, we acquired the artifact, but I have to leave to *honest location*," so as to avoid writing a bluff check i cant cash.
I have a 2 week head start on them, and since I'm familiar with the western side of the continent, I might be able to squeeze in a couple short range teleports to keep my distance as I prepare.

*Wall of Ideas*
Starmantle cloak has a house ban.
Delay Death is an amazing spell, a potion or contingent would be worth it for sure.
Beastland Ferocity will work even better than described, we use Pathfinder dying rules for this game instead of -10 = death. [DM approved]
The Serpentir idea is cool, but I'd probably get a book thrown at my head for it, also the character isn't really necro style.
Contact Other Plane is also a great idea, and I can definitely take advantage of that since i know which party members want me dead the most.
I don't necessarily need to win, so much as hold them off till I can either complete my mission or have them complete it for me. The purpose of getting ready is in the very likely chance they find me before hand.
The Undead army idea may be a last resort, since again, the character has shown nearly zero interest in necro up to this point.
Solid Fog, Nondetection, and Mind Blank are all great ideas though, will definitely keep those at the ready.
A simple Wall of Stone with a Legion of Sentinels might also work, as well as an Incite Riot, though the cleric is a raptoran (I do have Wingbind).

I effectively need to incapacitate them for the remainder of the encounter, while leaving breadcrumbs to where my side quest lies.

Sorry, im being a bit shifty with the details of the character's quest.
But for a final clarification, I do intend to have the party follow me.
I highly doubt they'll beat me across the continent since I nonchalantly asked and confirmed I was the only PC to have traversed the area. This was without a doubt, one of the biggest plot twists to a game I've ever been a part of (even the DM had assumed I wouldn't follow through), and it's far from over. As it stands, the party suspects I duped them and have been part of the BBEG (Vecnan Conclave) since the beginning.

[roarinflames]

Hide the item you wanted. Get a potion of glibness. Go back to the party and tell them you were cursed by said item and forced to leave. +30 bluff skill should let you succeed on that very plausible explanation.

Glibness is personal, no potions allowed (we only realized this recently).
Plus we're kind of shaky on how bluff works between PC's.
Until this moment, I've narrowly avoided making bluff checks by skirting the line between my PC actually believing in his role for the party and his personal needs.
It was definitely pushing the limits of "Is the PC bluffing or not?"
***Edit: I placed the item in an extradimensional space, then teleported. The ruse that I was cursed by the item will likely not be accepted.

I've had a habit of getting too into character at times (I have a 2 part, 13 page backstory) and RPing with NPC's (my DM has amazing npc interactions) the majority of the session (the others, probably due to character choice, just love hitting stuff), and then getting **** for it because "the story revolves around you."
So I decided to literally make the story revolve around my PC in a way that involves the other PC's personally.

Also, I don't personally enjoy being metagamed against, so im trying to avoid it as best as possible.
Everything ive posted about the characters in ingame knowledge.
I'm banking on the assumption that they are also not metagaming.

[Acanous]

Amending recommendations based on your stated intent:

Instead of Vortex of Teeth, Haboob. (Sandstorm). Much more survivable and still doesn't care about AC.
Given that you don't want to possess a serpentir (Or make one), find yourself a Choker. Dominate it or otherwise ensure it's loyalty in time for the contest, and basically everything still works, but you're no longer riding an undead with blindsense.
It does still have Darkvision, so that helps. Have Anticipate Teleportation instead of Dim anchor.

Symbol of Pain is very effective in lieu of Necrosis Carnex, though honestly expensive as an option. It is ALWAYS a good idea to utilize Planar Binding for any wizard at any time. If what you're wanting is to talk to them, utilize Programmed Image with a prepared speech. Include a safe word they can use to surrender.

The plan otherwise remains unchanged.

[roarinflames]

Amending recommendations based on your stated intent:

Instead of Vortex of Teeth, Haboob. (Sandstorm). Much more survivable and still doesn't care about AC.
Given that you don't want to possess a serpentir (Or make one), find yourself a Choker. Dominate it or otherwise ensure it's loyalty in time for the contest, and basically everything still works, but you're no longer riding an undead with blindsense.
It does still have Darkvision, so that helps. Have Anticipate Teleportation instead of Dim anchor.

Symbol of Pain is very effective in lieu of Necrosis Carnex, though honestly expensive as an option. It is ALWAYS a good idea to utilize Planar Binding for any wizard at any time. If what you're wanting is to talk to them, utilize Programmed Image with a prepared speech. Include a safe word they can use to surrender.

The plan otherwise remains unchanged.

Again, I really appreciate these suggestions.
Haboob coupled with darkness would be a great combo.
Anticipate Teleportation is definitely a fantastic choice, given what my character has seen the party do in recent encounters.
If i can get my hands on a scroll of Symbol of Pain, I may utilize that as well. If not, I've got plenty of wards that can be used as traps.
As for Planar Binding, our group has definitely learned how op that and Planar Ally is in recent games, though I may still use it if I can afford it.

[Telok]

When used as the original writers intended Planar Ally and Planar Binding aren't over powered and are rather risky in their best applications. The OP aspect comes into play when you comb MMs for spellusing outsiders with caster levels equal or greater than their hit dice and/or unlimited use SLAs with powerful effects. That plus fear/intimidate/diplomacy stacking and a DM that doesn't consider possible complications to mass bindings are what get OP and crazy.

Calling up a CG outsider and barganing with it for assistance is fine. Calling ten efreeti on top of resetting Feeblemind traps, getting them to agree to let you cast one spell on them, and Mindraping them into obedient slaves is OP. Well, it would be OP in your game. In some games it might be normal.

[roarinflames]

One final question (i think):
The Knight has the Mage Slayer feat and a 20ft reach with his spiked chain. The only counter i have, in case of not being prepared as Acanous described, is swift action spells. Is there a better method for keeping him from annihilating me if he gets close, or do I just gtfo like a mad man?

[FocusWolf413]

Miss chance, etherealness, invisibility, swift action teleport, and summoned creatures pop to mind as ways to deal with him. See if you can make a wall of stone in a dome.

Target his weak fort save. Knights have poor fort. Hit him with a save or die, disintegrate, etc.

You can always trap him in a solid fog or similar spell.