Countering Ice Assassin

[Pippin]

Is there a way to prevent others from making an Ice Assassin of yourself?

[Kelb_Panthera]

Is there a way to prevent others from making an Ice Assassin of yourself?

Unless the DM decides to ignore common sense in regards to the material component of the spell, an enemy has to get a piece of you to make an ice assassin. A constant pass without a trace effect should suffice. That and don't get captured or let anyone you don't know within arm's-reach.

He could go dumb on you though. By strictest RAW, a spell component pouch contains any spell component that doesn't have a listed GP cost and eschew materials negates that requirement altogether. Neither of these is reasonable for ice assassin but the rules of the game are often silly in corner cases like this. Same goes for simulacrum, BTW.

[Âmesang]

Ready an action and counterspell with ice assassin or (greater) dispel magic. :smalltongue:

[Pippin]

Wait, it's true that IA is an Illusion spell, not a spell from Conjuration (Creation). So it can be dispelled, and it can't enter an Antimagic Field, right?

[noob]

Have a body which is made of a costly material(like gold)(Simply be an animated object for that)
Or find a way to die instantly when you have the cold subtype(so that ice assassins of you die instantly)

[Cosi]

Unless the DM decides to ignore common sense in regards to the material component of the spell, an enemy has to get a piece of you to make an ice assassin. A constant pass without a trace effect should suffice. That and don't get captured or let anyone you don't know within arm's-reach.

Or cast it as an SLA or Su ability, via Dweomerkeeper or Archmage + Supernatural Transformation.

[Arcanist]

Deplete the entire Earth of it's supply of Diamonds and make sure your opponent cannot just plane shift on over to the Elemental Plane of Earth to pick up some more.

... Thats all I got :smallannoyed:

[Kelb_Panthera]

Or cast it as an SLA or Su ability, via Dweomerkeeper or Archmage + Supernatural Transformation.

You'll notice I did address such details. Making an ice assassin without a piece of the target creature is just nonsensical, regardless of how you get around material components, RAW be damned.

[AnachroNinja]

Someone using ice assassin on a player is likely to come down to a story thing. I feel like whether it's pixie rogues stealing your blood at night, or a horde of trained stirges, your DM is gonna get the component one way or the other. In a PvP situation it gets messier. Then your primary concern becomes esoteric effects like wishing for one of your toenails or even more oddball.

[noob]

It is near impossible to prevent opponents from casting the spell but you might find shenanigans with truename dispel for removing the possibility for you to live when you have the cold subtype and other esoteric tricks.

[Pippin]

The best way to counter ice assassin is to have an ability making you die when you have the cold subtype(like a powerful fire aura and fire immunity which you loose when you gain the cold subtype)
I like the idea but I'm not sure if it's really feasible. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that fire aura has to be gained through a spell, and Ice Assassin doesn't copy the spells that are currently applied on you, it just copies you.

[Necroticplague]

Sharn have the Archetypal Shape ability that says "no other creature can assume the form of a sharn (or anything approximating it)". This should stop all attempts at creating Ice Assassins, Simulacra, and similar from you,since that would require a construct of ice to assume the form of a sharn, or at least an approximate one.

[Tiri]

Sharn have the Archetypal Shape ability that says "no other creature can assume the form of a sharn (or anything approximating it)". This should stop all attempts at creating Ice Assassins, Simulacra, and similar from you,since that would require a construct of ice to assume the form of a sharn, or at least an approximate one.

Well, it might be argued that the construct isn't assuming the form of a sharn; it starts life in the form of a sharn. Which is technically different.

[Pippin]

Wait, it's true that IA is an Illusion spell, not a spell from Conjuration (Creation). So it can be dispelled, and it can't enter an Antimagic Field, right?
Could someone confirm this please?

[Mehangel]

Could someone confirm this please?

Ice Assassin is an Illusion (Shadow) spell.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Could someone confirm this please?

Denied. The duration of IA is instantaneous and the effect is a created creature. There's no active magic to dispel. On the bright side, it also has no supernatural ability to find you and is limited to whatever means its creator gives it plus whatever you're capable of, sans items, to locate you. Unless you're a skilled tracker, a diviner, or your enemy is a skilled diviner and you've taken no precautions against such things, you can basically just outmaneuver it until you level a bit.

[eggynack]

He could go dumb on you though. By strictest RAW, a spell component pouch contains any spell component that doesn't have a listed GP cost and eschew materials negates that requirement altogether. Neither of these is reasonable for ice assassin but the rules of the game are often silly in corner cases like this. Same goes for simulacrum, BTW.
Actually, pouches specify that they
have components with specific, rather than listed, cost. So, what ya really wanna do is put your body parts on the market at some ridiculously prohibitively cost. Could cause problems if someone meets your price, but one problem at a time.

[GrayDeath]

I like that.
Superpowered Spell beaten by Arcane Capitalism! ;)

[Jack_Simth]

Let's see...

It's got the cold subtype and your HD, so if you have the cold domain, you can Rebuke it into submission if it comes within range.
It's an Illusion(Shadow) effect, and there's a way to enchant things so that any such critter touching the item must make a Will save or be destroyed... don't quite remember the name of the effect, though. Put it on your weapon, and each hit is save-or-die.
If you're Incorporeal, then it's extremely difficult to manipulate a piece of you.

Logic aside, while there's ways to get the Fire Subtype, nothing technically stops someone from making an Ice Assassin from a Fire Elemental, as far as I'm aware.

[Arcanist]

Denied. The duration of IA is instantaneous and the effect is a created creature. There's no active magic to dispel. On the bright side, it also has no supernatural ability to find you and is limited to whatever means its creator gives it plus whatever you're capable of, sans items, to locate you. Unless you're a skilled tracker, a diviner, or your enemy is a skilled diviner and you've taken no precautions against such things, you can basically just outmaneuver it until you level a bit.


The effects of instantaneous conjurations are not affected by an antimagic field because the conjuration itself is no longer in effect, only its result.

Only instantaneous conjurations are explicitly allowed to function in an antimagic field so other instantaneous effects (such as a fireball spell for example) do not work because they are not conjuration spells, unless of course this was updated in the Rule Compendium on the section on Antimagic.

[Jack_Simth]

It's an Illusion(Shadow) effect, and there's a way to enchant things so that any such critter touching the item must make a Will save or be destroyed... don't quite remember the name of the effect, though. Put it on your weapon, and each hit is save-or-die.Found it: Vanishing Weapon, Sor/Wiz 5, Book of Exalted Deeds page 111... works on Summoned critters too, and it's an uncapped dispel check rather than a Will save. Still. Yay!

[Mehangel]

Only instantaneous conjurations are explicitly allowed to function in an antimagic field so other instantaneous effects (such as a fireball spell for example) do not work because they are not conjuration spells, unless of course this was updated in the Rule Compendium on the section on Antimagic.


If an instantaneous spell is entirely suppressed, that spell is effectively canceled. (It’s suppressed, and its duration instantaneously expires.) An instantaneous area spell is only entirely suppressed and effectively canceled if its point of origin is within the antimagic area. Otherwise it works like any other area spell that has a point of origin outside the antimagic area—only where its area overlaps the antimagic area is its effect is suppressed (and effectively canceled).

It looks like the Ice Assassin cannot enter an antimagic field, but that is just my interpretation of RAW.

[Crake]

It looks like the Ice Assassin cannot enter an antimagic field, but that is just my interpretation of RAW.

All those things are talking about at the time of casting. So if the ice sculpture was inside an anti-magic field when you cast the spell, the spell would fail, yes. But once the spell is cast, there is nothing stopping it from entering. Compare this to say, a fireball, who, if you shot it into an AMF would just fizzle, or if you exploded it outside of the AMF, would have it's area sculpted by the AMF, this is what it's referring to. Then you have instantaneous conjurations, like orb of fire that you can conjure and shoot into an AMF with no problem. These are all talking about instantaneous spells being cast into or in an area that have an AMF. Once the effect is in existence, that's it, it's over, the magic has been invoked and the spell completed, so as someone else already said, there's no magic to suppress. It's the same reason that golems and undead do not cease functioning in an AMF. By your logic, animate dead is also not a conjuration spell, and the undead should just drop limp to the ground.

[Mehangel]

It's the same reason that golems and undead do not cease functioning in an AMF. By your logic, animate dead is also not a conjuration spell, and the undead should just drop limp to the ground.

Except that undead and constructs are explicitly mentioned as continuing to function.

[Arcanist]

All those things are talking about at the time of casting.

I'm going to need a citation for this. Otherwise you can apply the same argument to any instantaneous duration spell, when AMF explicitly and ONLY calls out Instantaneous Conjuration spells as specific spells that function inside an AMF.

[eggynack]

I'm going to need a citation for this. Otherwise you can apply the same argument to any instantaneous duration spell, when AMF explicitly and ONLY calls out Instantaneous Conjuration spells as specific spells that function inside an AMF.
AMF specifies that it works on spells. The ice assassin, once it's running around, is no longer a spell, or even a magical effect. It's a creature, one that's only the product of a spell rather than a spell itself. At that point, AMF has to state it works on that kinda thing, and I'm pretty sure it doesn't.

[Mehangel]

AMF specifies that it works on spells. The ice assassin, once it's running around, is no longer a spell, or even a magical effect. It's a creature, one that's only the product of a spell rather than a spell itself. At that point, AMF has to state it works on that kinda thing, and I'm pretty sure it doesn't.

Thing is, because the said creature doesn't have a listed creature type, I feel it is safe to assume that it doesn't have one. If the Ice Assassin does not have a creature type, then it is not an undead, outsider, construct or elemental. Because it is none of these creatures and also NOT an instantaneous conjuration, it would RAW cease to function while in an antimagic field. If the Ice Assassin spell were to explicitely state that it IS a construct, or that it continues to function IN an antimagic field, I would not have an issue. But because the Rules Compendium explicitly lists specific spells and creature types that continue function and neither Ice Assassin or Simulacrum (which ice assassin is based on) is mentioned, I feel that it is safe to say that not only does the Ice Assassin cease to function in an AMF RAW, but also RAI.

[eggynack]

Thing is, because the said creature doesn't have a listed creature type, I feel it is safe to assume that it doesn't have one. If the Ice Assassin does not have a creature type, then it is not an undead, outsider, construct or elemental. Because it is none of these creatures and also NOT an instantaneous conjuration, it would RAW cease to function while in an antimagic field. If the Ice Assassin spell were to explicitely state that it IS a construct, or that it continues to function IN an antimagic field, I would not have an issue. But because the Rules Compendium explicitly lists specific spells and creature types that continue function and neither Ice Assassin or Simulacrum (which ice assassin is based on) is mentioned, I feel that it is safe to say that not only does the Ice Assassin cease to function in an AMF RAW, but also RAI.
I disagree with the notion that a lack of listed type means no type. In particular I strongly suspect that it implies the same type as the copied creature. Moreover, those creature types you listed are not the only ones that survive an AMF. In particular, any creature of any type that is not a spell will continue to exist. And the creature produced is not a spell, because the spell, being instantaneous, ceases to exist immediately after casting.

[Arcanist]

AMF specifies that it works on spells. The ice assassin, once it's running around, is no longer a spell, or even a magical effect. It's a creature, one that's only the product of a spell rather than a spell itself. At that point, AMF has to state it works on that kinda thing, and I'm pretty sure it doesn't.

This is a massive leap in logic as the same argument can be applied to the resulting flames from a fireball spell or any instantaneous effect for that matter. If this was the underlying goal of AMF as a spell, it would have simply stated "instantaneous spells" or something along that line, however instead it specifies "Instantaneous conjurations". The declaration that, in addition to no longer being a spell, it is not even a magical effect is suspect, however I am trying to find "magical effect" as a game term.

AMF is rather specific (or at least more specific than similar spells) in what it disallows and what it allows. Sadly Illusion (Shadow) spells, including those with a duration of instantaneous, are not on the list of allowed spells/effects.

Also, to add to the Creature type of an Ice Assassin discussion, Ice Assassin references Simulacrum in it's spell description and even Simulacrum doesn't explicitly declare that you duplicate the target creatures type. However assuming it does (a logical assumption I might add), it still winks out unless the duplicated creature is an Incorporeal Undead or a Construct. Stuff like this reminds me of why they have a "???" type in Pokemon.

[Mehangel]

I disagree with the notion that a lack of listed type means no type. In particular I strongly suspect that it implies the same type as the copied creature. Moreover, those creature types you listed are not the only ones that survive an AMF. In particular, any creature of any type that is not a spell will continue to exist. And the creature produced is not a spell, because the spell, being instantaneous, ceases to exist immediately after casting.


The spell has no effect on golems and other constructs that are imbued with magic during their creation process and are thereafter self-supporting (unless they have been summoned, in which case they are treated like any other summoned creatures). Elementals, corporeal undead, and outsiders are likewise unaffected unless summoned.

Because the Ice Assassin is a creature formed through magic, but is NOT explicitly a construct, elemental, corporeal undead, or outsider, it IS affected by the Antimagic Field. In addition, antimagic fields in regards to instantaneous durations only fail to stop instantaneous conjurations as previously mentioned.

[eggynack]

Do you mean the flames immediately produced by fireball, the xd6 ones, or the ones that burn on after? The former is a spell, one that suits the definition of instantaneous because it stops immediately. The flames after are not a spell, because they don't fit said definition. Ice assassin is in the latter group.

[Arcanist]

Do you mean the flames immediately produced by fireball, the xd6 ones, or the ones that burn on after? The former is a spell, one that suits the definition of instantaneous because it stops immediately. The flames after are not a spell, because they don't fit said definition. Ice assassin is in the latter group.

The flames immediately produced (1st damage) and the flames immediately after that set fire to combustible and flammable objects are the same flames (2nd damage, same as 1st damage). Are you implying that you cannot douse the effects of a piece of paper set ablaze by a Fireball spell by placing the burning paper in an AMF because the resulting fire is somehow less magical than the fireball that was used to kill the guy making said paper?

Again, I requote the spell in question:


The effects of instantaneous conjurations are not affected by an antimagic field because the conjuration itself is no longer in effect, only its result.

While I understand your logic here (correct me if I am wrong), the fact that Ice Assassin is an Illusion (Shadow) has no changed therefore not making it an exception to the general rule of AMF.

[Pippin]

So the bottom line is, Ice Assassins disappear inside AMFs?

Anyway, I wonder if someone has found a way to actually die whenever you get the cold subtype D:

[Necroticplague]

So the bottom line is, Ice Assassins disappear inside AMFs?

No, they don't. AMFs only cause creatures to wink out if they specifically say so.

A normal creature can enter the area, as can normal missiles.
Additionally, the rule for instantaneous conjurations can actually apply here as well, due to the fact the reason is stated

The effects of instantaneous conjurations are not affected by an antimagic field because the conjuration itself is no longer in effect, only its result.
Similarly, for an Ice Assassin, the illusion itself is no longer in effect (having been done with when the spell was finished casting). Only the result (a creature) is there.

[Pippin]

-post-
I think I prefer this ruling, thanks.

[eggynack]

The flames immediately produced (1st damage) and the flames immediately after that set fire to combustible and flammable objects are the same flames (2nd damage, same as 1st damage). Are you implying that you cannot douse the effects of a piece of paper set ablaze by a Fireball spell by placing the burning paper in an AMF because the resulting fire is somehow less magical than the fireball that was used to kill the guy making said paper?
Yes. Any magic vanishes a moment after casting. It's just normal fire at that point.




While I understand your logic here (correct me if I am wrong), the fact that Ice Assassin is an Illusion (Shadow) has no changed therefore not making it an exception to the general rule of AMF.
The spell that produced the assassin was an illusion. The creature produced is not one. The spell school is talking about the same game object as the instantaneous. For the illusion to continue existing would imply some real duration, and said duration doesn't exist.

[Anthrowhale]

Just to reinforce others: This is not one of the difficult questions about AMF. The creature is created by a spell but it is not spell since the creature exists after the spell (instantaneously) ends. AMF does have an effect on a small subset of creatures: summoned creatures of any type, incorporeal(rules compendium) creatures or incorporeal undead (player's handbook) creatures.

[Mehangel]

I do find it strange however that when the Rules Compendium came out it did not include Similacrum as one of the spells not affected by Antimagic Field. I also find it strange that the Rules Compendium did not simply state "creatures instantaneously created by magic", but rather explicitely stated constructs, outsiders, undead, and elementals. These two things alone are enough for me to form the opinion that RAW an Ice Assassin cannot walk into an antimagic field.

[Anthrowhale]

I do find it strange however that when the Rules Compendium came out it did not include Similacrum as one of the spells not affected by Antimagic Field.

That's because Simulacrum is fully affected by an Antimagic Field, if it happens to be in effect at the place and instant it is cast.



I also find it strange that the Rules Compendium did not simply state "creatures instantaneously created by magic", but rather explicitely stated constructs, outsiders, undead, and elementals.

The Rules Compendium did not simply state "Humanoids", but rather explicitly stated constructs, outsiders, undead, and elementals. This does not mean that Humanoids wink out in an Antimagic Field. RAW is not an opinion for a negation of what is stated---it is just what is stated.

[Crake]

I do find it strange however that when the Rules Compendium came out it did not include Similacrum as one of the spells not affected by Antimagic Field. I also find it strange that the Rules Compendium did not simply state "creatures instantaneously created by magic", but rather explicitely stated constructs, outsiders, undead, and elementals. These two things alone are enough for me to form the opinion that RAW an Ice Assassin cannot walk into an antimagic field.

I suppose you agree with arcanist then that objects set alight by fireball would be doused by an antimagic field? Since those flames were the product of an instantaneous evocation, not an isntantaneous conjuration?

[Arcanist]

Alright, I do believe I've found out how to counter an Ice Assassin.

A sense convoluted, but the first step involves becoming an Incorporeal Undead (Necropolitan + Ritual of Transfiguration) and then using Extraordinary Aim or Sculpt Spell or Archmage to force the now Incorporeal Undead Ice Assassin to wink out of existence. While it doesn't outright prevent someone from using it on you, it gives you an out when it happens. The downside is that you can be winked out of existence by an Antimagic Field and get no save or SR against it because only summoned creatures get that, or rather, the spell makes no mention of it applying to Incorporeal Undead, but the upside is that you can be assassinated by a frozen version of yourself.


If you cast antimagic field in an area occupied by a summoned creature that has spell resistance, you must make a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) against the creature’s spell resistance to make it wink out.

Jokes aside, are we in agreement that this text is presumed to also include Incorporeal Undead as being entitled to SR?


I suppose you agree with arcanist then that objects set alight by fireball would be doused by an antimagic field? Since those flames were the product of an instantaneous evocation, not an instantaneous conjuration?

I'd like to expand this example to include the other Illusion (Shadow) spells as well as they are more accurate to our current case. Namely, Shadow Evocation mimicking a Fireball spell or Evocations with durationless lingering effects.

[Inevitability]

All Ice Assassins have the cold subtype. If you are a cleric of a deity that abhors such creatures, any ice assassin that comes into being will presumably have its powers removed instantaneously.

I have an idea for expanding on this, but I'm not sure how to implement it. The basic idea is taking levels in a prestige class that requires spellcasting and grants a bonus to constitution, then lowering your constitution to 2 by killing yourself and getting resurrected. Ice Assassins of you will lose their cleric powers upon creation, then the benefits of the prestige class, and finally the points of constitution, and at that moment will no longer be able to live.

[Pippin]

All Ice Assassins have the cold subtype. If you are a cleric of a deity that abhors such creatures, any ice assassin that comes into being will presumably have its powers removed instantaneously.

I have an idea for expanding on this, but I'm not sure how to implement it. The basic idea is taking levels in a prestige class that requires spellcasting and grants a bonus to constitution, then lowering your constitution to 2 by killing yourself and getting resurrected. Ice Assassins of you will lose their cleric powers upon creation, then the benefits of the prestige class, and finally the points of constitution, and at that moment will no longer be able to live.
Isn't this assuming that such Prestige Class would fall under Complete Arcane's caveat regarding unmet requirements, though?

[Inevitability]

Isn't this assuming that such Prestige Class would fall under Complete Arcane's caveat regarding unmet requirements, though?

It can actually be done with a Complete Arcane PrC. A cleric 15/Acolyte of the Skin 5 can cast 9th-level spells and has a bonus to constitution that is removed when he loses his spellcasting.

[InvisibleBison]

All Ice Assassins have the cold subtype. If you are a cleric of a deity that abhors such creatures, any ice assassin that comes into being will presumably have its powers removed instantaneously.

I have an idea for expanding on this, but I'm not sure how to implement it. The basic idea is taking levels in a prestige class that requires spellcasting and grants a bonus to constitution, then lowering your constitution to 2 by killing yourself and getting resurrected. Ice Assassins of you will lose their cleric powers upon creation, then the benefits of the prestige class, and finally the points of constitution, and at that moment will no longer be able to live.

Of course, this requires having a Constitution score of 2, so it's highly situational.

[Inevitability]

Of course, this requires having a Constitution score of 2, so it's highly situational.

It requires having a constitution score of 2 before buffs. You have the spellcasting ability of a 17th-level cleric and the WBL of a 20th-level character: raising your constitution to the point that it's no longer a liability should be trivial.

[Jack_Simth]

It requires having a constitution score of 2 before buffs. You have the spellcasting ability of a 17th-level cleric and the WBL of a 20th-level character: raising your constitution to the point that it's no longer a liability should be trivial.
Note, however, that most of those techniques could also be used without first seriously gimping your Con score. So if you're taking your Con down to the point where you MUST qualify for your PrC to be alive (so... down to a base of 0 by some means, then +2 from the PrC), and add 15 points via spells & items such that it's no longer a liability... you could have simply had a Con of 13 and added 15 points to that, getting you an "extra" 160-ish HP at the level 20 listed in the build. That's non-trivial, especially as it comes with +8 to Fort saves.

Oh yes, and there's the question of "How'd you get your Con that low in the first place?" and the follow-up of "Does that method get copied to the Ice Assasin?"

[Inevitability]

Oh yes, and there's the question of "How'd you get your Con that low in the first place?" and the follow-up of "Does that method get copied to the Ice Assasin?"

I already explained that: It's by killing yourself and getting resurrected as often as necessary.

[Jack_Simth]

I already explained that: It's by killing yourself and getting resurrected as often as necessary.Raise Dead, Resurrection, and Reincarnate, however, only do the Con loss if you're level 1. If you're level 1, you're not a 5th level Acrolyte of the Skin for that +2 Con.

[Necroticplague]

Raise Dead, Resurrection, and Reincarnate, however, only do the Con loss if you're level 1. If you're level 1, you're not a 5th level Acrolyte of the Skin for that +2 Con.

1. Start with an odd con score and a race without a penalty to constitution.
2. Die and get raised until your con is one.
3. Go trough your adventures, including leveling up as an acolyte o the skin.
3. Use either the savge species ritual, wish spell, or polymorph any object to become a race with a con penalty. Ideally, it should be barely enough to put you at zero without accolyte if the skin.

[Inevitability]

Raise Dead, Resurrection, and Reincarnate, however, only do the Con loss if you're level 1. If you're level 1, you're not a 5th level Acrolyte of the Skin for that +2 Con.

You are absolutely correct. Allow me to show another way of doing this.

1. When you're a first level character, get killed and resurrected enough times to drop your constitution to 3.
2. Gain levels and enter Acolyte of the Skin, raising your constitution to 5.
3. Reach Old age. A fast time plane might be useful for this purpose (when isn't it?). As a result of aging penalties, your constitution drops to 2.
4. ????
5. Profit!

As you see, this is a 100% reliable way to make your continued survival depend on a single class feature that is lost if you ever gain the cold subtype.

[Pippin]

So there's no solution that wouldn't impact on the character's class progression? =(

Because I don't want others to make Ice Assassins, right, but if that means wasting class levels to achieve this goal, I don't know. I'd rather spend those 5 levels in Shadowcraft Mage for example ^^,

[Doctor Despair]

Going off of the earlier idea of setting a price for your body parts, I had an idea. Offer to sell any one body part to someone who is either a known cannibal or who needs it as a spell component that will consume it -- but set the price at a non-zero price. You may lose a finger if that is what the buyer selects, but you can regenerate anything that is taken. Your body parts are now set at a non-zero price in the world as there is a precedent of them being sold at that, so should not appear in a spell component pouch.

As for wishing for a body part... If we are assuming equal resources, if the enemy is using wish, then you should *also* have access to wish if not via class features then via items or plot fiat, yet? Couldn't you wish that any time a body part of yours is not directly connected to your original body, it is destroyed as of a disintegration effect? More amusingly, could you use multiple wishes (to achieve greater effects) to wish that any time a body part is not directly connected to you, or some text to that effect, it is surrounded by a sphere of annihilation for an instantaneous duration, destroying the body part and forcing a fort save on the hand reaching for it in the spell component pouch to keep the pouch and the hand?

I'm not sure if there's any cheap way to avoid the eschew components clause. Possibly the only thing I can think of to prevent that (and prevent wishing for your body parts and other things of that nature) is to take the God Blooded of Vecna template. If you reapply it every time you do something notable, at a minimum of once a day, there should be no knowledge of you in the world to prompt a mage to make an ice assassin of you. This has the consequences of making it very difficult to be a member in a party and makes plot progression for this character difficult, but has the added benefit of also stopping Metacognition in that no psion will remember having seen this character to prompt it to use the ability.

[Mehangel]

As for wishing for a body part... If we are assuming equal resources, if the enemy is using wish, then you should *also* have access to wish if not via class features then via items or plot fiat, yet? Couldn't you wish that any time a body part of yours is not directly connected to your original body, it is destroyed as of a disintegration effect? More amusingly, could you use multiple wishes (to achieve greater effects) to wish that any time a body part is not directly connected to you, or some text to that effect, it is surrounded by a sphere of annihilation for an instantaneous duration, destroying the body part and forcing a fort save on the hand reaching for it in the spell component pouch to keep the pouch and the hand?

Yeah, but if anyone would ever get wind of it, you had better hope someone doesn't sunder a limb or cut your hair lest you yourself become a target of the sphere of annihilation.

[Jack_Simth]

You are absolutely correct. Allow me to show another way of doing this.

1. When you're a first level character, get killed and resurrected enough times to drop your constitution to 3.
2. Gain levels and enter Acolyte of the Skin, raising your constitution to 5.
3. Reach Old age. A fast time plane might be useful for this purpose (when isn't it?). As a result of aging penalties, your constitution drops to 2.
4. ????
5. Profit!

As you see, this is a 100% reliable way to make your continued survival depend on a single class feature that is lost if you ever gain the cold subtype.

Mostly works, but comes with a side order of order of operations fuzziness: Aging penalties can't reduce an ability score below 1, and it's unclear what order things apply in. If aging penalties "go last", then an Ice Assasin of you might end up with a Con of 1, rather than 0.

I'm not seeing any pitfalls (other than the heavily reduced Con score) on Necroticplague's option, though.