Cold Iron Manacles

[Kayden Prynn]

I feel like I've seen somewhere rules for Cold Iron manacles that prevent a spellcaster from casting spells. Am I just thinking of the trope and assuming it applies to DnD, cause I can't find them anywhere. Can anyone help?

[Calthropstu]

I remember seeing rules for antimagic and antipsionic manacles, but not just simple cold iron.

[jmax]

I feel like I've seen somewhere rules for Cold Iron manacles that prevent a spellcaster from casting spells. Am I just thinking of the trope and assuming it applies to DnD, cause I can't find them anywhere. Can anyone help?

Are you perhaps thinking of thorn manacles (http://dresdenfiles.wikia.com/wiki/Thorn_manacles) from the Dresden Files books?

I've never seen any rules for them, but it sounds like the previously-mentioned antimagic manacles might have the same effect.

I like baleful polymorph (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/balefulPolymorph.htm) for disabling and transporting prisoners. The subject loses all special abilities including class features. A three-toed sloth (real life, not in any 3.5 book I know of) moves at about 10 feet per minute on land (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sloth#Physiology), so there's no way it's escaping on its own. Unless it's under a shapechange spell... I'll have to add that to my handbook.

[Inevitability]

There's antimagic shackles in the Book of Exalted Deeds, which continuously generate a 5 ft-radius Antimagic Field around the creature they are shackled to. They're quite pricy though.

[frogglesmash]

There's the Magebane Manacles from the arms and equipment guide, but they are also quite pricey.

[Thurbane]

As already mentioned:

Magebane Manacles (A&EG p.134): antimagic field around anyone locked in them; 132,000gp.
Antimagic Shackles (BoED p.116): antimagic field around anyone locked in them; 132,000gp. Described as being adamantine.
Shackles of Silence (BoED p.116): silence around the creature shackled; 12,000gp. Described as being wrought-iron.
Shackles of Silence (MIC p.184): silence around the creature shackled, and sound an alarm if broken; 6,000gp. Described as being iron.
Adamantine Shackles (Dng p.32): non-magical adamantine shackles; 2,000gp.
...I suspect the MIC version of Shackles of Silence is the current version, and the BoED version of Antimagic Shackles is the current version of Magebane Shackles.

[Calthropstu]

Isn't there one for psions as well?

[Zaq]

Isn't there one for psions as well?

Standard transparency rules mean that the AMF ones would affect a Psion the same way as they a Wizard. Naturally, nonmagical ones don't interfere with psionics unless they're uncomfortable enough to force Concentration checks, which is in contrast to nonmagical manacles interfering with the somatic components of spells that happen to have somatic components.

That said, yes, there's the Psionic Restraints on pg. 175 of the XPH. They come in grades and limit how many PP a restrained creature can spend per round; the best ones, which allow no PP at all to be spent, cost 24k gp. They don't say if they're true manacles that prevent the free use of the fettered limbs or if they're basically just magical psionic bracelets that you can't remove easily and that interfere with manifesting. Though now that I say it that way, because they prevent PP expenditure rather than manifesting, they technically allow the use of PPless PLAs and similar abilities.

Update: Here's the SRD link (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/items/universalItems.htm#psionicRestraints).

[Nifft]

Though now that I say it that way, because they prevent PP expenditure rather than manifesting, they technically allow the use of PPless PLAs and similar abilities.

Update: Here's the SRD link (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/items/universalItems.htm#psionicRestraints).

I think this line would prohibit PPless PLAs:



All types of psionic restraints prevent the free manifesting of powers.


... or is that supposed to refer to something else?

[Crake]

I like baleful polymorph (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/balefulPolymorph.htm) for disabling and transporting prisoners. The subject loses all special abilities including class features. A three-toed sloth (real life, not in any 3.5 book I know of) moves at about 10 feet per minute on land (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sloth#Physiology), so there's no way it's escaping on its own. Unless it's under a shapechange spell... I'll have to add that to my handbook.

Better hope that they don't have the shapechanger subtype.

[Venger]

witchborn binder's mage cuffs ability will also do something like this.

[jmax]

Better hope that they don't have the shapechanger subtype.

True. It's not completely perfect. It probably doesn't work against an enemy with an active shapechange effect either (they probably still lose their class features and inherent abilities, but the spell is still active and they can access stuff like an archon's teleport even though the new BAB will be +0).

Flesh to stone works well on shapechangers, but it doesn't guarantee survival (DC 15 Fort save) and doesn't let you collect the target's equipment while its incapacitated.

EDIT: Polymorph any object into a pebble works beautifully, but it's very high-level and has narrow access.

[Fouredged Sword]

For arcane casters it is posible to simply fully restrain their hands so they cannot move their fingers. Without a hand free you cannot use somatic components.

[Telonius]

Removing their hands entirely is also an option. Better safe than sorry. :thog:

[noob]

That sadly does not works against one of the best evasion spells: teleport.(due to teleport lacking somatic components and material components:it only have vocal components and it can be altered by the silent spell metamagic)
But it is a high level spell so most of the time it will not matter.
So you should also deafen the prisoner and try to break his ability to speak(cut his jaw and stuff like that)

[jmax]

For arcane casters it is posible to simply fully restrain their hands so they cannot move their fingers. Without a hand free you cannot use somatic components.


Removing their hands entirely is also an option. Better safe than sorry. :thog:


That sadly does not works against one of the best evasion spells: teleport.(due to teleport lacking somatic components and material components:it only have vocal components and it can be altered by the silent spell metamagic)
But it is a high level spell so most of the time it will not matter.
So you should also deafen the prisoner and try to break his ability to speak(cut his jaw and stuff like that)

It also doesn't work against spells prepared or cast with Still Spell metamagic. Adding a gag helps, though, limiting to spells that are both Still and Silent. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any spell that has neither verbal nor somatic components.

[icefractal]

If you're going to keep them unable to speak, why not just keep them in stasis? A Sepia Snake Sigil only costs 500 gp to keep someone on ice for 6+ days, and it prevents /any/ kind of casting/manifesting/whatever.

An Eternal Wand of said spell can keep 12 people in stasis forever, for a one-time crafting cost, or more with a higher CL.

[Fouredged Sword]

That also raises the solid idea of ability damage. Someone with int/wis/cha of 9 or lower cannot cast cantrips. I could see spellcaster restraints that apply a -10 penalty to int/wis/cha with a floor of 9 as solid custom item and could be argued to a reasonable price. This would prevent casting for most targets. More powerful versions with higher penalties would be more expensive.

Torture can RAW be used to inflict ability damage. An evil jailor could use this to keep a prisoner unable to cast.

[jmax]

If you're going to keep them unable to speak, why not just keep them in stasis? A Sepia Snake Sigil only costs 500 gp to keep someone on ice for 6+ days, and it prevents /any/ kind of casting/manifesting/whatever.

An Eternal Wand of said spell can keep 12 people in stasis forever, for a one-time crafting cost.

Interesting - I hadn't considered that one. It does require that the target actively and willingly read the text, though, and an Eternal Wand is going to have an abysmal save DC.


That also raises the solid idea of ability damage. Someone with int/wis/cha of 9 or lower cannot cast cantrips.

This I like. A lot. Repeated ray of stupidity until they're down to 0 is better than leaving them at 9 or below because it eliminates the possibility of physical escape as well. It's also very long-term. Nice.

Not so keen on the torture piece - I've never played a character into that sort of thing. Maybe for the villain NPCs.

[icefractal]

Interesting - I hadn't considered that one. It does require that the target actively and willingly read the text, though, and an Eternal Wand is going to have an abysmal save DC."Read this and let the snake bite you, or else we'll have to beat you unconscious repeatedly."

I'm assuming this is for situations where you've already taken them prisoner.

[Fouredged Sword]

Ability damage heals at a rate of 1 or more per day. It will not replace physical restraints due to your target waking up randomly and staggering away with a bestial 1 int, unable to talk or think straight, but smart enough to run.

[icefractal]

If you have a Ghost on staff though, you could use Draining Touch; that won't heal without magic.

[jmax]

Ability damage heals at a rate of 1 or more per day. It will not replace physical restraints due to your target waking up randomly and staggering away with a bestial 1 int, unable to talk or think straight, but smart enough to run.

Hmm, true. Combine with manacles? I guess, technically, using Escape Artist doesn't require decent intelligence, nor does a Strength check.

Of course, ability damage only heals if you rest, right? Sleep deprivation would work. But then you're back to torture. So far it sounds like polymorph any object is truly the best bet, although sepia snake sigil definitely has promise if you don't mind the price.

Edit: Of course, it's hard to deprive someone of sleep if they're unconscious. Although unconsciousness, medically speaking, is not the same thing as sleep.

[Calthropstu]

Bound hands, gagged, blindfolded, naked with access to nothing. Then send in a psion to question him telepathically. Or just mindrape his memories.