The burning...it calls

[Korivan]

Ok, heres the breakdown.
Originally this campaign started off in 2nd edition, but since this year we finally converted to 3-3.5. With this, out dm is converting the campaign world too. (were all familier with 3.5 now and agree to this) We ended the campain in 2nd edition with the party around 16-18th level. Anyways, since almost the start of our careers at level 1, this particular group has hounded us relentlessly from a stronghold hidden from us. They've basically been our reacurring villans. Well, we finally found thier lair and we stopped for the conversion, the dm is letting us have access to pretty much any source matierial we can get a hold of, and all we do is take our class, and build a character at the level we left off at.

My character is a human wizard level 18. We know where they are and thanks to a heroic now dead thief, have portal stone within thier base (but can only bring in the party or x amound of wieght before becoming useless). Since the dm is a huge anti-evocation guy, what id like to do is blow the place up from the inside.
Using 3-3.5 rules can it be done? Assume the party as a whole has tremendous amounts of gold, and the stronghold is underground, only about 5-10ft square rooms wide, and about 6 stories. The portal stone is near the bottom.

[Tiki Snakes]

Level 18 wizard? I'm going to go ahead and say that probably yes, it can be done. I fully expect the others to give you half a dozen ways of doing so shortly. :)

I don't know about 2nd ed, but at lvl 18 in 3.5, I'd be very suprised if you COULDN'T find a way to blow the place to smithereens.

[thorgrim29]

Well, you could always conjure up massive (as in ludicrous) amounts of nitroglycerin (otherwise known as oil of impact in game) near the portal stone, cast a few delayed blast fireballs at strategic places and run like hell, probably won't completely destroy the place, but should be fun to watch at the very least

[Doc Roc]

Locate Cities is the most powerful blasting spell in the game. I'll leave it to someone else to explain. :)

[holywhippet]

The best spell in this case is unfortunately not on the wizard spell list - earthquake. However you could use something like Gate to call in somethat that can cast it.

[Bayar]

The best spell in this case is unfortunately not on the wizard spell list - earthquake. However you could use something like Gate to call in somethat that can cast it.

Or you use shapechange...

[LurkerInPlayground]

Maybe somebody should mention that a level 18 third edition wizard is far and away more powerful than a level 18 second edition mage.

One might say the only real way to curb wizard's rapid increase in power is to enact some spell restrictions on the end of the DM. Second edition, as far as I'm aware, doesn't really have this problem.

[Doc Roc]

It does, just to a lesser extent.

[Lycanthromancer]

A quick wish spell could teleport the entire thing to the negative energy plane.

[edit] Though you could just summon (or planar bind) some undead shadows to Strength-drain everything in the complex into deathnessness.

[Korivan]

Maybe somebody should mention that a level 18 third edition wizard is far and away more powerful than a level 18 second edition mage.

One might say the only real way to curb wizard's rapid increase in power is to enact some spell restrictions on the end of the DM. Second edition, as far as I'm aware, doesn't really have this problem.

It doesnt, ive played alot of 2nd edition, dming and playing. Simply putt, mages while very powerfull, didnt have ways of quickening spells, or gaining bonus spells on a more viable scale. Higher damage output wasnt required because after level 10, everything with a class level gained 1-3 hp per level. So, i am looking for why, or exactly how things like Locate City is powerfull, or simply point me to the book its in and i'll work it out.

[Dogmantra]

Locate city uses metamagic abuse to make a 10-mile radius spell do massive amounts of damage to people within said 10 miles.

You could also use the Anti-Osmium Bomb.

[Sinfire Titan]

Locate city uses metamagic abuse to make a 10-mile radius spell do massive amounts of damage to people within said 10 miles.

You could also use the Anti-Osmium Bomb.

Locate City also only affects creatures. Objects just take about 4 or 6 points of damage that gets eaten by their Hardness.

[Myrmex]

Conjuration and metamagic are largely agreed to be the best ways to get large amounts of damage dealt to single targets, as a caster.

You are going to want Arcane Thesis (PHBII), and as much metamagic as you can get. The cool part about Arcane Thesis is how it turns +0 adjustments on spells into -1, so you can stack absurd amounts of metamagic onto something without any change in spell level.

Are you allowed to use prestige classes?
I would recommend the following prestige classes:
Incantatrix (3.5, player's guide to faerun)
Bonus metamagic feats, the ability to make any buff spell last 24 hours with an easy skill check 3+int mod times per day, and -1 to all metamagic costs (cannot reduce below +1).
Metaphysical Spellshaper (Book of Erotic Fantasy)
3 levels of pure cheese. He can take ability damage to reduce the cost of metamagic feats, gets a bonus metamagic feat, and his capstone is a -1 to all metamagic costs (cannot reduce below +1)
Restorer (Kingdoms of Kalamar Player's Guide)
This PrC requires a BAB of +6, your race to be hobgoblin, and the ability to spontaneously cast spells. Two levels of the class reduces all metamagic costs by 1, but with no caveats. It's basically Arcane Thesis for all your spells. The only problem is that it doesn't progress spell casting, so you won't get 9th level spells until 19th level. Five levels of wizards lets you spontaneously cast ALL divination spells if you give up your 5th level bonus feat. It's an alternative class feature in Complete Champion. I recommend it regardless of whether you get to take prestige classes or not. There's a feat in Bastards and Bloodlines called Old Blood that lets you count as another race for ANY PURPOSE. Some fun shenanigans there.

Locate City also only affects creatures. Objects just take about 4 or 6 points of damage that gets eaten by their Hardness.

And most creatures that are any threat at all also only take a small amount of damage, due to the "reflex save negates" part of Explosive Spell.

[ZeroNumerous]

And most creatures that are any threat at all also only take a small amount of damage, due to the "reflex save negates" part of Explosive Spell.

'Cept you can still heighten it up at higher levels to affect stuff. If I recall correctly, the basic Locate City Bomb is merely a 4th level spell when metamagic'd, so you'd be able to Heighten it for +5 to the DC.

[Myrmex]

'Cept you can still heighten it up at higher levels to affect stuff. If I recall correctly, the basic Locate City Bomb is merely a 4th level spell when metamagic'd, so you'd be able to Heighten it for +5 to the DC.

True, but that's +5 levels of metamagic you can't be putting on it (unless you have incantatrix & arcane thesis).