Question about a tsunami

[Belzyk]

So my world that I DM is a island world. Tons of water. The capital city of the mapped world is about to completly disappear in a large magical spell. What I am wondering is what damage would a tsunami made from this wreck? And could a gt I up of spellcaster protect a island with some sort of magic?

[Inevitability]

Depending on tech level, tsunami size, and locations of city and tsunami origin, we're talking either heavy damage to the city or 'what city?'.

As for a way to protect against it... lots of casters spamming Dark Way to create what's essentially a massive unbreakable wall may work.

[Belzyk]

Depending on tech level, tsunami size, and locations of city and tsunami origin, we're talking either heavy damage to the city or 'what city?'.

As for a way to protect against it... lots of casters spamming Dark Way to create what's essentially a massive unbreakable wall may work.

The tsunami is heading south and originates about 4 days boat travel north of the city being attempted to save. The Magical storm that created it caused a massive concussion wave when it made the capital vanish. The tech level is kinda hard to say. There was an ancient race that was technilogicaly advanced but they are long gone. Now it is mid evil tech. Also this is about 70 wizards and clerics on the island that would be attempting to stop this wave. I'm unsure how large a wave it will be.

My thoughts were mabye a wind wall or some such. Mabye even a force wall? I've never heard of Dark Way.

[BowStreetRunner]

There is a spell in Shining South called Tidal Wave that you may want to use as the basis for determining the power of a tsunami.


I've never heard of Dark Way.

Page 58 of the Spell Compendium.

[Belzyk]

There is a spell in Shining South called Tidal Wave that you may want to use as the basis for determining the power of a tsunami.



Page 58 of the Spell Compendium.

I'm sorry I must be thinking of same spell as you. But I could have swore druids had a tsunami spell.

So would a ton of wind walls be enough to reverse the tidal pull of the tsunami?

[Hiro Quester]

Druids do have a tsunami spell. Spell compendium p. 224.

But also useful will be earthquake (drop the sea floor to suck the energy out of the tsunami). Requires good timing, and a heroic Druid in an aquatic wildshape, though.

Control water can lower the water level in an area. Might require a team of Druids.

Control winds can send hurricane force winds at the wave. Limited range so would needs team of Druids, though.

control weather could tamp the wave energy down with a hurricane-force headwinds. A Druid casts the latter with a 3 mile radius, which might be enough to protect the city.

Depending on the season, you could also freeze the water in an area with control weather.

Add in a blizzard (FB). Temp drops below freezing in a 100ft/level spread.

Fimbulwinter (FB)would be a desperate move lasts 4d12 weeks. Freezes water for mile/ level, and you control the winds. Drop it out at sea in the path of the wave. Suck more energy out of the wave before it hits land.

[Belzyk]

Druids do have a tsunami spell. Spell compendium p. 224.

But also useful will be earthquake (drop the sea floor to suck the energy out of the tsunami). Requires good timing, and a heroic Druid in an aquatic wildshape, though.

Control water can lower the water level in an area. Might require a team of Druids.

Control winds can send hurricane force winds at the wave. Limited range so would needs team of Druids, though.

control weather could tamp the wave energy down with a hurricane-force headwinds. A Druid casts the latter with a 3 mile radius, which might be enough to protect the city.

Depending on the season, you could also freeze the water in an area with control weather.

Add in a blizzard (FB). Temp drops below freezing in a 100ft/level spread.

Fimbulwinter (FB)would be a desperate move lasts 4d12 weeks. Freezes water for mile/ level, and you control the winds. Drop it out at sea in the path of the wave. Suck more energy out of the wave before it hits land.

Sadly no druids around. Just clerics and wizards. Also I'm sure if there is a domain that can be used there is a cleric in this city with it.

[Hiro Quester]

Bummer. Druids are what you need here.

The shining south tidal wave spell is a wizard spell. But one tidal wave can't cancel another. They pass through one another. Add their amplitude while passing.

Cleric air domain gets you control weather and control winds. Hurricane force winds pushing against the wave would dampen its energy some.

[Belzyk]

Bummer. Druids are what you need here.

The shining south tidal wave spell is a wizard spell. But one tidal wave can't cancel another. They pass through one another. Add their amplitude while passing.

Cleric air domain gets you control weather and control winds. Hurricane force winds pushing against the wave would dampen its energy some.

I really need a way for wizards and clerics to stop one. Now I'm going to sound nerdy but. I know the Flash is able to produce a wind wall that's able to pull against the tidal pull. Does anyone know how much force of wind would it take to pull against the tidal pull of a Tsunami? Also I gyess I could have some sort of clerics using control weather to attempt it.


EDIT: OHHHH WAIT MIRACLE AND WISH yes I could have clerics or wizards to duplicate earthquakes but....no nvm that would cause more tsunamis.... idk I'm just looking for a non druid way to completly stop it. Could a force wall stop it?

[Calthropstu]

I really need a way for wizards and clerics to stop one. Now I'm going to sound nerdy but. I know the Flash is able to produce a wind wall that's able to pull against the tidal pull. Does anyone know how much force of wind would it take to pull against the tidal pull of a Tsunami? Also I gyess I could have some sort of clerics using control weather to attempt it.


EDIT: OHHHH WAIT MIRACLE AND WISH yes I could have clerics or wizards to duplicate earthquakes but....no nvm that would cause more tsunamis.... idk I'm just looking for a non druid way to completly stop it. Could a force wall stop it?

Lots of walls of force piled high might do it, you would need a huge number of them though.

Clerics and wizards working together could combine wall of stone. A good 1,000 foot high wall could be put up butressed with wall of force and some good engineering.

[Belzyk]

Lots of walls of force piled high might do it, you would need a huge number of them though.

Clerics and wizards working together could combine wall of stone. A good 1,000 foot high wall could be put up butressed with wall of force and some good engineering.

Thanks a ton.

[Zaydos]

I will note that Control Weather is a Wizard spell so that one still works.

[Belzyk]

I will note that Control Weather is a Wizard spell so that one still works.

Thank youuuuu

[DarkSoul]

Alternatively, a cleric can make a very powerful request. Casting such a miracle costs the cleric 5,000 XP because of the powerful divine energies involved. Examples of especially powerful miracles of this sort could include the following.

Swinging the tide of a battle in your favor by raising fallen allies to continue fighting.
Moving you and your allies, with all your and their gear, from one plane to another through planar barriers to a specific locale with no chance of error.
Protecting a city from an earthquake, volcanic eruption, flood, or other major natural disaster.


One 17th-level cleric could do it.

[Kelb_Panthera]

The tsunami is heading south and originates about 4 days boat travel north of the city being attempted to save. The Magical storm that created it caused a massive concussion wave when it made the capital vanish. The tech level is kinda hard to say. There was an ancient race that was technilogicaly advanced but they are long gone. Now it is medieval tech. Also this is about 70 wizards and clerics on the island that would be attempting to stop this wave. I'm unsure how large a wave it will be.

Bold: how big a capital are we talking? 'Cause you might be dealing with a mega-tsunami, in which case we default to "what city?" as the level of damage unless it's stopped.

Wall of force is an obvious and relatively easy to produce spell.

Underlined: couldn't help myself with the spelling correction. :smalltongue:

[Calthropstu]

Thanks a ton.

this would be a risky way to go. You'd need probably at least 5 feet thick of stone. at 1 inch thick per caster level, that's 5 castings... 5 feetx5feet from a 12th level caster. 1k feet you're talking 20 castings from 10th level casters per 5 feet along the coast.

protecting 1 mile of coast would require 20k castings of wall of stone.

[Xar Zarath]

Or alternatively you could gather all the wizards and clerics together and cast some sort of ritual spell? Like an Incantation but fluff it up a bit more to beat the tsunami?

[MesiDoomstalker]

I'd like to point out that Tsunami's travel fast. In open ocean, it'll travel about 500 mph (800 kph). It's very possible it take an hour or 2 to hit the city. How does the Capital and its cadre of spellcaster's know it's coming? The best way to stop a Tusnami is a wave break, though depending on the size of the city, size of the Tsunami, and how much time the spellcaster's have to prepare are all super relevant info.

[Calthropstu]

I'd like to point out that Tsunami's travel fast. In open ocean, it'll travel about 500 mph (800 kph). It's very possible it take an hour or 2 to hit the city. How does the Capital and its cadre of spellcaster's know it's coming? The best way to stop a Tusnami is a wave break, though depending on the size of the city, size of the Tsunami, and how much time the spellcaster's have to prepare are all super relevant info.

yeah the tsunami that smashed southern asia went a really long way in a really short amount of time.

I would say a miracle is needed here.

[Belzyk]

I'd like to point out that Tsunami's travel fast. In open ocean, it'll travel about 500 mph (800 kph). It's very possible it take an hour or 2 to hit the city. How does the Capital and its cadre of spellcaster's know it's coming? The best way to stop a Tusnami is a wave break, though depending on the size of the city, size of the Tsunami, and how much time the spellcaster's have to prepare are all super relevant info.

The capital is what is going to cause the tsunami. A super massive magic storm is going to make the Capital disapear and the Shockwave is what is going to cause it. Also the city that is being hit by the tsunami is the religious seat of power for most the deities so I'm sure a miracle is easily aquired to fix this if need be. I was just wondering what my players could do to rally the citys spellcaster to help.

[Fouredged Sword]

One thing to note, Tsunami actually tend to do more damage to the backside of an island than the front. The wave wraps around the island and actually hits the back twice. Nowhere on the coast is safe.

Your best bet is higher ground or, interestingly enough, getting out into open water. The wave only disrupts the surface as it reaches the shallow water close to the shore. If you are out on open water where the wave is completely submerged you actually can fail to notice it passing under you.

Get as many people onto boats as possible and get the boats as far out in the water as you can. Have everyone else run for the hills and bunker behind walls of stone.

[Belzyk]

One thing to note, Tsunami actually tend to do more damage to the backside of an island than the front. The wave wraps around the island and actually hits the back twice. Nowhere on the coast is safe.

Your best bet is higher ground or, interestingly enough, getting out into open water. The wave only disrupts the surface as it reaches the shallow water close to the shore. If you are out on open water where the wave is completely submerged you actually can fail to notice it passing under you.

Get as many people onto boats as possible and get the boats as far out in the water as you can. Have everyone else run for the hills and bunker behind walls of stone.

Evacuation Is impossible. Question. Would Wee Jas intervene if say a demigod who's her son call upon her?

[Kelb_Panthera]

Evacuation Is impossible. Question. Would Wee Jas intervene if say a demigod who's her son call upon her?

Depends. Is he a seventeenth level cleric (or equivalent) or someone very special to her that she'd regularly keep tabs on? How about the city in the wave's path?

[Belzyk]

Depends. Is he a seventeenth level cleric (or equivalent) or someone very special to her that she'd regularly keep tabs on? How about the city in the wave's path?

He is her only child in my world. And he is very important to her. No he is not a 17th level cleric yet but he is a cleric. And the city is the seat of every deities churches.

[Talwar]

Clear the harbor of ships that could be swept inland. Conceivably burn/destroy docks so they don't get shoved into buildings as big masses.

Depending on the width of your beach front, spam Wall of Stone a few hundred metres out to sea; then, closer to the event itself, backstop it by liberal use of Control Sand to raise a berm behind it. The wall will inhibit the wave from scouring the sand away; the sand will provide the mass to keep the wall in place. Collectively, they absorb some of the energy of the wave, perhaps reducing height and speed of it.

Doesn't mean the tsunami won't overtop the barrier but then you're looking at a slow-moving flood that might submerge rather than destroy.

Meanwhile, use plain' ol Stone Shape and maybe other Walls of Stone to seal off the sides of buildings or compounds. Maybe not all of them, but those that are strong enough to survive the arrival of the wave, tall enough to avoid over-the-top flooding, and are designated for storing survivors and their stuff. The city as a whole will get trashed, but loss of life will be much reduced and rebuilding can begin as soon as casters can create more walls of stone.

Edit: Alternately, focus all spellcasting efforts on creating temporary islands within the city using the techniques above. The rest of the city still gets pulverized, of course, but the city casters might not have the time or quantity of spells necessary to protect the whole place.

Depending on your player's capabilities, the best things they may be able to contribute are advanced warning and ideas for spell use, rather than spell use itself.

[Kelb_Panthera]

He is her only child in my world. And he is very important to her. No he is not a 17th level cleric yet but he is a cleric. And the city is the seat of every deities churches.

Yeah, I could see her granting a miracle under those circumstances. Probably still drain him 5k XP for it after a quick consultation with some kind of sign or vision to confirm he's willing to make the sacrifice. If he doesn't have 5k XP to spare though, she might not have a suitable conduit for her power at hand to perform the miracle unless some sort of ritual is performed by him and perhaps others. (I'm spitballing a little here.)

[Belzyk]

Yeah, I could see her granting a miracle under those circumstances. Probably still drain him 5k XP for it after a quick consultation with some kind of sign or vision to confirm he's willing to make the sacrifice. If he doesn't have 5k XP to spare though, she might not have a suitable conduit for her power at hand to perform the miracle unless some sort of ritual is performed by him and perhaps others. (I'm spitballing a little here.)

Thanks. Yes he has 5k to spare lol very easily 5k to spare. I'd like to thank everyone who gave me ideas. I'm going to see how my players handle it with wee jas and her son being the oh f*ck they can't figure something out plan.

[MesiDoomstalker]

Yeah, I could see her granting a miracle under those circumstances. Probably still drain him 5k XP for it after a quick consultation with some kind of sign or vision to confirm he's willing to make the sacrifice. If he doesn't have 5k XP to spare though, she might not have a suitable conduit for her power at hand to perform the miracle unless some sort of ritual is performed by him and perhaps others. (I'm spitballing a little here.)

The one thing I'd say would throw a hitch in this is if the Diety whose portfolio would include tsunami's (take your pick of Nature and Destruction dieties) getting pissy with Wee Jas stepping in on his/her turf.

[Kelb_Panthera]

The one thing I'd say would throw a hitch in this is if the Diety whose portfolio would include tsunami's (take your pick of Nature and Destruction dieties) getting pissy with Wee Jas stepping in on his/her turf.

If the disaster where a natural one that the deity in question caused, sure. It's not. It's mortals screwing with the weather and magic beyond their ability to control causing a disastrous accident (if I understood correctly) and since it's caused -by- magic, it falls into The Stern Lady's portfolio. Besides, their temples will be destroyed too.

[Bronk]

I agree that if your people have access to a miracle, then they're good to go. I hope you make it suitably flashy! If they have advanced warning about this though, you might want to somehow make sure that they don't just use the miracle to save the capitol in the first place.

Still, 70 wizards and clerics sound like a lot! Are any of them elves? Perhaps with access to Elven High Magic? The lore behind that is that it was basically equivalent to Epic Magic, but usable by mid level elven mages, and also that they could share the magic with regular wizards, like during the creation of Myth Drannor's mythal. I guess what I'm suggesting is that the city can band together in a time of need, pool their knowledge, and whip out a version of the Netherese epic spell 'Proactiv's Move Mountain', lop their island off at sea level, and fly it around until the danger has passed... or for good.

Maybe instead of a straight up miracle granted to a lower level character, the knowledge of high magic could be sent down instead.

[Inevitability]

Still, 70 wizards and clerics sound like a lot! Are any of them elves? Perhaps with access to Elven High Magic? The lore behind that is that it was basically equivalent to Epic Magic, but usable by mid level elven mages, and also that they could share the magic with regular wizards, like during the creation of Myth Drannor's mythal. I guess what I'm suggesting is that the city can band together in a time of need, pool their knowledge, and whip out a version of the Netherese epic spell 'Proactiv's Move Mountain', lop their island off at sea level, and fly it around until the danger has passed... or for good.

An interesting variation: all this has been done before, and the key to making the island fly again can be found deep in an ancient mage's dungeon-home.

[Fouredged Sword]

"Apply old lost magic" sounds like a very Wee Jas way to solve the problem. Perhaps even just sending a single divine messenger holding a very old scroll with step by step instructions.

Remember, this is a magical event. He had something like 90 days warning due to his divine rank.

[Inevitability]

"Apply old lost magic" sounds like a very Wee Jas way to solve the problem. Perhaps even just sending a single divine messenger holding a very old scroll with step by step instructions.

Remember, this is a magical event. He had something like 90 days warning due to his divine rank.

Wee Jas is a she, not a he.