Is there any way to counter the lack of Weave in Anauroch ?

[Condé]

Hi,

No expert in FR lore here. But our party (level 14-15) is going to Anauroch pretty soon. I play a Druid and I'm going to be pretty useless there since there is basically no usage of magic allowed.
We have some Shadow Weave items that could potentially work because they do not use the Mystra Weave... BUT...

I was wondering if a bypass could be existing...

Since I have aberration Wildshape, I first was looking for an aberration who could be using the shadow weave... But, I don't think that'll work, right ? I'm going to loose my wildshape once I enter the desert, right ?

Spells are not an option either since they're going to stop working the same way...

So. Is there any way to do something or should I just pray and let my Animal Companion do stuff while I will be behind and be useless ?

[Arcanist]

Without knowing what resources you have access to, this might very well be a waste of everyone's time. That said, I suggest stuff only in the PHB and stuff you've already mentioned as being kosher (such as the module in question).

That said, wild Shaping wouldn't help you because it is a Supernatural ability. That out of the way, the module in question you are going through is a pain because of the following circumstances:


You CAN spend the healthy majority of the adventure without access to magic and magic items.
The previous is not true for your enemy who use Psionics (Psionics are different in Faerun) or use the Shadow Weave and Shadow Weave items.
Despite potentially being able to spend a portion of the adventure without access to magic and magic items, you are incentivized to just completely avoid or work around the primary threat of the adventuring site (again, aforementioned dead magic zone).


All of this in mind? I wouldn't worry about it because of the last point. The adventure either strings you along to just the boarder of the dead magic zones of the Anauroch, and only rarely forcing you to just straight up march your way through them and penalizing you (with rather crappy random encounters; if your DM uses those) with encounters where the same penalties do not apply to the party. This forced slog through the desert is especially prevalent towards the end of the adventure.

In your predicament, I'd start looking at alchemical items to provide support (healing salves from Lords of Darkness as well as any of the various buffing drugs from that book). Pick up a sickle, some leather armor, and in melee try to trip and use your Megaraptor to do as much damage as possible.

[Jack_Simth]

Got your 15th level feat yet? You could take Shadow Weave Magic ( Player's Guide to Faerûn, p. 43) yourself.

[Fizban]

Having read the module in question, but without spoilers:

1: Tell your DM to make sure they've read it very carefully and made their decisions on what and where this effect actually covers- because the writers of that series have at least three different ideas on how their "damaged weave" thing should work, and none of them actually line up with how it *should* work (based on the descriptions given in, ya know, the relevant PHB/DMG/relevant FR books). It's also vague about where the effect is in this one, so it could be over nearly the entire campaign, or it could be over only a small number of actual encounters. If they can't find the needed details either, they're going to have to make the decision based on what your party will be able to do under the AMF- which they should be evaluating anyway

2: Other than that, take your lumps and deal with it. This is the only campaign I've ever heard of that *actually* uses a wide-area magic lockdown, and unless your party is entirely magic users, that makes this the only time (under conventional caster supremacy mindsets) that your non-magical characters will get to be important at these character levels. Being a pre-written module sold without giant disclaimers, it should be meant to be playable with a standard party, and thus the fact that you have a standard class which is actually subject to the effect is 100% intentional, should be accounted for by the module, and should have been double-checked by the DM. Trying to cheese your way around it ruins the whole point.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

I'd use some divination magic to find a mercenary who can be trusted to act in your stead. Purchase the services of a ToB initiator who will go on the adventure for you (ie, you play the other character while your original one stays at home). You may consider crafting some Devices (nonmagical versions of magic items, from Ravenloft: Legacy of the Blood) to keep in communication with the group (preferably a two-way portal of some sort), as well as to act as surrogate magic items for your new character.

Meanwhile, your druid can take care of downtime stuff, as well as getting in some solo adventuring here and there, both to keep your level up with the rest of the party, as well as to fund the expedition from the sidelines. (If any class could solo adventures on its own, it's druid.)

[Condé]

Got your 15th level feat yet? You could take Shadow Weave Magic ( Player's Guide to Faerûn, p. 43) yourself.

Interesting. The problem is, if you do that, you'll have to use the Shadow Weave for the rest of your life, as it is implied in the feat "From now on, your spells tap the Shadow Weave instead of the Weave."
I don't know where the Shadow Weave stops, but I expect it to not be usable anywhere. Isn't it ?


Having read the module in question, but without spoilers:

1: Tell your DM to make sure they've read it very carefully and made their decisions on what and where this effect actually covers- because the writers of that series have at least three different ideas on how their "damaged weave" thing should work, and none of them actually line up with how it *should* work (based on the descriptions given in, ya know, the relevant PHB/DMG/relevant FR books). It's also vague about where the effect is in this one, so it could be over nearly the entire campaign, or it could be over only a small number of actual encounters. If they can't find the needed details either, they're going to have to make the decision based on what your party will be able to do under the AMF- which they should be evaluating anyway

2: Other than that, take your lumps and deal with it. This is the only campaign I've ever heard of that *actually* uses a wide-area magic lockdown, and unless your party is entirely magic users, that makes this the only time (under conventional caster supremacy mindsets) that your non-magical characters will get to be important at these character levels. Being a pre-written module sold without giant disclaimers, it should be meant to be playable with a standard party, and thus the fact that you have a standard class which is actually subject to the effect is 100% intentional, should be accounted for by the module, and should have been double-checked by the DM. Trying to cheese your way around it ruins the whole point.

(I really think it's fun how some people understood what we were playing without me even mentioning it on purpose to avoid spoil/etc...)

1. It's not the first time my DM run this module. So I believe he knows. Plus, as far as I know, we had some places were the weave was more fragile but this time, on Anauroch, it appears it is completely gone and only the shadow weave works here.

2. Yeah... You're probably right. I just wanted to know if I'm not missing something completely obvious that could make my druid not useless for the most part. But I believe the module is well-made enough to not throw an impossible encounter without having he posibility to use your spells.


I'd use some divination magic to find a mercenary who can be trusted to act in your stead. Purchase the services of a ToB initiator who will go on the adventure for you (ie, you play the other character while your original one stays at home). You may consider crafting some Devices (nonmagical versions of magic items, from Ravenloft: Legacy of the Blood) to keep in communication with the group (preferably a two-way portal of some sort), as well as to act as surrogate magic items for your new character.

Meanwhile, your druid can take care of downtime stuff, as well as getting in some solo adventuring here and there, both to keep your level up with the rest of the party, as well as to fund the expedition from the sidelines. (If any class could solo adventures on its own, it's druid.)

That's an interesting idea.

We do not plan to make solo adventures so I guess it's not going to happen. And I happen to be the same level as other and it's not really my concern here, but thanks for your input.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

You could retrain and take the Loyalty's Reward feat (Kingdoms of Kalamar) to craft an equivalent to the Initiate of Mystra feat that allows you to cast in dead magic zones.

Or take the Create Device feat (Ravenloft: Legacy of the Blood) to craft a bunch of at-will items that let you "cast spells" that aren't magic.

Maybe get yourself a psychoactive skin of proteus for at-will metamorphosis? It's a very handy item that could let you contribute just by itself.

[Tzardok]

Interesting. The problem is, if you do that, you'll have to use the Shadow Weave for the rest of your life, as it is implied in the feat "From now on, your spells tap the Shadow Weave instead of the Weave."
I don't know where the Shadow Weave stops, but I expect it to not be usable anywhere. Isn't it ?


The Shadow Weave is everywhere, at least on the Material Plane in Faerûn. Wether it reaches beyond Faerûn's borders to for example Kara-Tur is unclear, but on the other hand we don't know wether the Weave covers those.
The main difference is that, unlike Mystra, Shar can at any time cut you off without any drawbacks to herself.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Boost your Handle Animal skill and recruit a whole bunch of animal friends to act as your mini-army while you direct them from the back?

[noob]

Hi,

No expert in FR lore here. But our party (level 14-15) is going to Anauroch pretty soon. I play a Druid and I'm going to be pretty useless there since there is basically no usage of magic allowed.
We have some Shadow Weave items that could potentially work because they do not use the Mystra Weave... BUT...

I was wondering if a bypass could be existing...

Since I have aberration Wildshape, I first was looking for an aberration who could be using the shadow weave... But, I don't think that'll work, right ? I'm going to loose my wildshape once I enter the desert, right ?

Spells are not an option either since they're going to stop working the same way...

So. Is there any way to do something or should I just pray and let my Animal Companion do stuff while I will be behind and be useless ?
The trick is to travel through another universe in which the weave definitively does not exists such as dark sun, learn defiling/preserving(tapping in the surrounding life to cast spells) then come to Anauroch and use that new casting style (there is a lot of major disadvantages such as the spells being weaker or you needing to move to new locations between two spells cast or else kill the surrounding plant life)
Unless it is not merely a lack of weave but also a dead magic zone but it seems unlikely according to your comment about the shadow weave.

You can also pick the shadow weave feat and have scrolls to dark chaos shuffle that feat back in a normal feat should you ever want to return back to using the regular weave.

[Fizban]

I don't know where the Shadow Weave stops, but I expect it to not be usable anywhere. Isn't it ?

The Shadow Weave is everywhere, at least on the Material Plane in Faerûn. Wether it reaches beyond Faerûn's borders to for example Kara-Tur is unclear, but on the other hand we don't know wether the Weave covers those.
The main difference is that, unlike Mystra, Shar can at any time cut you off without any drawbacks to herself.
The Shadow Weave is also easier to destroy (create localized dead magic zones), IIRC, since there's a published spell that lets you just do that. But yeah the main problem is that your magic is now tied to the whims of an Evil deity.

How much do you know about your goals/enemies/etc?


(I really think it's fun how some people understood what we were playing without me even mentioning it on purpose to avoid spoil/etc...)

1. It's not the first time my DM run this module. So I believe he knows. Plus, as far as I know, we had some places were the weave was more fragile but this time, on Anauroch, it appears it is completely gone and only the shadow weave works here.

2. Yeah... You're probably right. I just wanted to know if I'm not missing something completely obvious that could make my druid not useless for the most part. But I believe the module is well-made enough to not throw an impossible encounter without having he posibility to use your spells.
The damage to the weave escalates through the series, yes. I'm not sure what/how much is in the first module, the second has a section of dungeon, and the third has potentially an entire region. I don't recall what Shadow Weave items are available, but you've got 3/4 BAB and some decent weapon options, in addition to your Animal Companion. The entire party focusing fire with basic attacks is stronger than people give it credit for. You could go through the various non-magical items- anywhere from Alchemist's Fire to Aboleth Mucous, standard Tanglefoot Bags or nets, etc.

Come to think of it, if Psionics are Different (the default for FR lore but not necessarily items or your DM), you could go buy some arbitrary Psionic items instead. There are several MiC items which are actually Psionic items as well, if you trace them back to XPH and CPsi. Of course losing gobs of gp value isn't great, but the point being that if you can choose your items (or even have custom items made), you can leverage as much magic-item-op as you have.

Or for a very specific FR response, you could find yourself a Gnomish Artificer (PrC from Magic of Faerun) and buy some non-magical wands. From a very specific list of spells with some weird omissions, heavy, and taking up multiple item slots, but they exist.

A general bit of advice, since I can't know how much your DM is running under dead magic, would be to obtain a usable escape clause if at all possible. One or more Shadow Weave scrolls (or Power Stones if you've got a reliable UMD) of Teleport or Plane Shift or Word of Recall or something, just in case. That way if you do find a worrisome enough situation to require shenanigans, you can leave and then get the shenanigans.

[Batcathat]

Boost your Handle Animal skill and recruit a whole bunch of animal friends to act as your mini-army while you direct them from the back?

This is clearly the best idea. In fact, the OP should abandon magic completely and solve all problems with their animal army. Encounter a problem it can't solve? Add more animals.

Any Antagonists? Always Add Additional Animals. (It alliterates because it's true).

On a completely unrelated note that I absolutely didn't spend ten minutes on, does anyone know any word for "problem" that starts with an "a"?

[mattie_p]

On a completely unrelated note that I absolutely didn't spend ten minutes on, does anyone know any word for "problem" that starts with an "a"?

Any problem that a PC encounters is, by definition, an Adventure.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Hmm. How about crafting a Device (see above, Ravenloft etc) of acorn of far travel (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fw/20040710a), so you have a link to a tree in an area with magic, so you count as standing in an area that still has magic? Since the spell effect is coming from an (Ex) Device, it can't be suppressed in a dead magic zone. Bonus points if it's in an area with magic but no Weave -- such as literally anywhere in the multiverse that isn't Faerûn -- so lack-of-Weave doesn't mean anything.

Also, Loyalty's Reward (KoK, see above) so your spellcasting counts as psionic manifesting the same way Southern Magician would make it count as arcane casting. Much easier than an Initiate of Mystra emulation.

[Fouredged Sword]

You can straight up get some perfectly natural animal helpers to help you out. You are a druid. Go to a perfectly normal forest without it's magic all ****ed up and talk some bears into helping. Yeah, you won't be able to use magic to talk to them in the areas with damaged weave, but you can use animal handling to get them to do things. Magic like talk to animals just means it's easy to get them on side so to speak. Once convinced using diplomacy and animal handling they are perfectly natural creatures helping in non-magical ways.

Or if you don't want to mess with all that just buy some elephants. They are RAW like 200gp. Ride into battle on a whole herd of elephants.

If you are a druid and can't solve your problem by throwing enough animals at it then you are not druiding hard enough.