Batman's Bane: The Joker

[ShneekeyTheLost]

Scrying is a divination spell with a will save, which triggers Persona Immersion. Let the Batman scry on him all he likes, the Joker is never there when things go down and he is perfectly "normal" when the scry hits him. The scry might find a little girl named Susan (Joker in disguise).

The key thing is that the Batman has to know who this Joker is. Yeah, he can power his DCs up to the stars, but if you don't have a reason to suspect random spectator #5, odds are they won't have the resources to go after everyone. I'm serious about punching fog. They don't know who it is, don't know what it looks like, they don't even know its name or even its gender or race. They just know that it fries minds like nobodies business and uses people to do its bidding.

I'd point out that for every point of INT the Batman can muster, the Joker can muster just as much CHA, which would do double duty with Force of Personality. Combine the fact that Disguise Spell makes spells unidentifiable and you can have some real fun in a battle of wits. Combine it with Subsonics and you can use your music abilities without even making identifiable sounds, which can screw people up even more without ever exposing yourself. (Both of these feats are in Complete Adventurer)

One small problem: True Sight will still register Joker as a Changling instead of whatever race he's impersonating. Since the Changling ability is a Polymorph effect, True Sight negates it. Granted, with Disguise, you can still not look like who you really are, however if Batman Wizard sees one Changeling in a whole group of something-elses... guess what their first response is going to be?
Furthermore, when Batman Wizard hits 15, he gets Discern Location which as no save. At that point, Joker had damn well better have a trick up his sleeve to be immune to scrying, or he's dead meat.

The warshaper kinda depends on what kind of Joker you're thinking of. There's something whimsical about someone who can make natural weapons at will and make his limbs stretch five feet more than they rightly should, have high strength and constitution, immunity to crits, and fast healing 2.

Yea, that's really not the direction I'm wanting to go. Not to mention that Warshaper doesn't have any of the social skills necessary to keep up to par. I see what you mean, it can be very nasty with a Changeling, but that's not the kind of nasty I want Joker to be.

OP changed to reflect your contribution to the Joker BBEG Project. Thank you for finding a way around being dependent on high-level Wiz/Sorc spells.

EDIT: Big problem. On page 110 of Races of Eberron, it clearly states it can only fool Divination spells up to 3rd level, which means it cannot fool Scry. The Rogue sub-level may be good enough to take a dip in to be able to take 10 on most social skills

[Yukitsu]

And just how are you supposed to find him?

Legend lore, contact plane with question of "where will he strike next". Combination thereof completely ignores his defenses, and frankly any abjuration of illusion against divinations, because the target is the caster, not the person you want info on.

And the rogue forsaker can be scried, found, located, and eliminated extremely quickly. Joker's immunity to scrying is one of the things he does to negate much of the Batman Wizard's arsenal.

They aren't that easy to scry. One thing a forsaker is expected to carry is a big ol wad of flux slime, which makes them immune to magic. It's a fungus of anti magic field.

The problem I'm trying to circumvent is "Batman Wizard blows him away with x combo"... the counter to which is "Contingency upon Batman Wizard targeting Joker, activating Celerity which Joker uses to DimDoor out of there.

Batman does blow the joker away in almost all instances of combat using x combo. The joker escapes because the batman doesn't kill the joker, not because the joker actually can escape.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

Legend lore, contact plane with question of "where will he strike next". Combination thereof completely ignores his defenses, and frankly any abjuration of illusion against divinations, because the target is the caster, not the person you want info on.

Incorrect. Mind Blank blocks Legend Lore. Contact Plane can only answer 'Yes' or 'No'. It'd take a LOT of playing 20 questions to get anything remotely reliable out of it. And I have no clue what you mean by an 'abjuration of illusion against divinations', because you just contradicted yourself three times by my count.

They aren't that easy to scry. One thing a forsaker is expected to carry is a big ol wad of flux slime, which makes them immune to magic. It's a fungus of anti magic field.

Nah, I'll just stick to being able to diplomance everyone and everything. Plus the Forsaker's abilities don't kick in unless they destroy magic items. If they can't get near a magic item without it becoming not-magic, it severely nerfs the heck out of the class.

Batman does blow the joker away in almost all instances of combat using x combo. The joker escapes because the batman doesn't kill the joker, not because the joker actually can escape.

Which version have you been watching? Old-school Batman tried to kill the Joker umpteen times... just that every time he actually nailed the bastard, it was just a robot. That was what the joke at the end of the '80's movie was about. No, the Joker escapes because the Joker always has an escape route that Batman didn't plan on.

[Human Paragon 3]

You might want to check out the spymaster prestiege class in the complete adventurer. It doesn't boost caster level at all, but it does give you the following:

Big bonuses on disguise (and bluff)
The ability to rapidly change disguises
A bonus on saves vs. scrying
Magic Aura as a SLA to disguise magic items
The ability to fool scrying and detect thoughts with false info
Undetectable Alignment

All useful to the joker.

[Aquillion]

Do you have a Batman wizard abusing Titan Gate Chains? With a Candle of Invocation, the Joker Bard can do exactly the same thing. And we all know just how moral Joker is, he could get one just by knocking over any old temple who happens to have one.

GM: Okay, you summon your titan chain. So do I. Titan chain negates titan chain. Now let's play nice, shall we?

But if you're going to do that, why even pretend to play fair? Just have a Divine Rank 20 deity with Alter Reality attack them, or have a deity with Life And Death will them to die (no save, no non-divine resistances offer any protection at all, and they can't be restored to life except by the deity who killed them or one with a higher rank?)

I just don't agree with the premise, when I think about it. If powergaming is causing a problem for you, you should take the player aside and discuss it out of character. I've nothing against giving a them a challenge to keep the game fun -- but if you want to actually make the powergaming go away, I don't think that that's something you should try to solve in-game.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

You might want to check out the spymaster prestiege class in the complete adventurer. It doesn't boost caster level at all, but it does give you the following:

Big bonuses on disguise (and bluff)
The ability to rapidly change disguises
A bonus on saves vs. scrying
Magic Aura as a SLA to disguise magic items
The ability to fool scrying and detect thoughts with false info
Undetectable Alignment

All useful to the joker.

A +4 is not a 'big bonus' to disguise and bluff. Changing disguises rapidly is, indeed handy. Undetectable Alignment is not as useful to him, particularly not as he's got it as a 1st level Bard spell and can keep it up at all times if he wants to.

The bonus on saves vs scrying is good... until the party gets 8th level spells. That's the power break I'm trying to circumvent with a method other than Mind Blank.
Magic Aura as SLA is almost pointless. Joker doesn't use many magic items. He doesn't need them.
Deep Cover is a very handy ability, though. Just stay in Deep Cover and you'll never be able to be scried.

There's just one problem, and this is one that a Spymaster should have been able to counter: Detect Lies/Compel Truth. I suppose he could have Glibness by 7th, so that takes care of that.

Hmm... this may well be the answer I'm looking for.

[Da'Shain]

The discipline involved in being a Spymaster, though, seems like it would be beyond the Joker, fluff-wise. Then again, just because the class is called a spymaster doesn't mean someone with the class is anything remotely like a spymaster in stuff other than mechanics (thank you, 4e, for changing my perspective on that), so it could work.

I don't really see a problem with fighting cheese with cheese, though. The Joker's never been afraid to get his hands dirty, and the writers have never been afraid to give him a deus ex machina or two.

[Yukitsu]

Incorrect. Mind Blank blocks Legend Lore. Contact Plane can only answer 'Yes' or 'No'. It'd take a LOT of playing 20 questions to get anything remotely reliable out of it. And I have no clue what you mean by an 'abjuration of illusion against divinations', because you just contradicted yourself three times by my count.

No, there are no contradictions. Mindblank doesn't prevent anything that are target-self spells. It prevents spells cast on himself. As for contact other plane, location basing with 20 questions is actually significantly easier than 20 questions for anything else.

Nah, I'll just stick to being able to diplomance everyone and everything. Plus the Forsaker's abilities don't kick in unless they destroy magic items. If they can't get near a magic item without it becoming not-magic, it severely nerfs the heck out of the class.

Rogues can do talking, and forsakers only lose DR without the magic destruction. Since it's DR/magic, that's not really relevant.

Which version have you been watching? Old-school Batman tried to kill the Joker umpteen times... just that every time he actually nailed the bastard, it was just a robot. That was what the joke at the end of the '80's movie was about. No, the Joker escapes because the Joker always has an escape route that Batman didn't plan on.

Several comics, all the movies, one where the joker died, though not through direct action and all the episodes of the very campy Adam West batman. There are more batmans that won't kill the joker than their are batmans that will.

[Telonius]

Late to the punch on this one, but there's another problem with Legend Lore: the casting time.

If the person or thing is at hand, or if you are in the place in question, the casting time is only 1d4×10 minutes. If you have only detailed information on the person, place, or thing, the casting time is 1d10 days, and the resulting lore is less complete and specific (though it often provides enough information to help you find the person, place, or thing, thus allowing a better legend lore result next time). If you know only rumors, the casting time is 2d6 weeks, and the resulting lore is vague and incomplete (though it often directs you to more detailed information, thus allowing a better legend lore result next time).

During the casting, you cannot engage in other than routine activities: eating, sleeping, and so forth.

So we're looking at a casting time of d10 days, at best. If Batman is going to cast this, he's going to need to go to a Timeless plane to do it. No way Joker gives him this much time otherwise.

[KnightDisciple]

I do like the bard Joker, personally. It just seems more right.

That said, I want to play a Batman Wizard, specfically so I could fight a Joker Bard.
Because I'm that big of a Batman fan.

[aazru]

Greenstone Amulet from Magics of Faerun - The wearer of a greenstone amulet is protected as if under a mind blank spell.
The user also gains a +4 resistance bonus against necromancy effects, or any effect that would transport the wearer to another locale or dimension. If such an effect normally does not allow a saving throw (such as the maze spell), the user can attempt a Will save (DC 20) to negate the effect.

[Tomada]

I love the concept and may steal it.

But would go pure bard and use magic itens as needed to fill holes left, like the poster above suggested.

About the scrying without the magic, people should know that there is 2 skills that do that non-magically.

Gather information and Survival. Track him and ask about. The joker probably will try to block this way too, but can't block it magically (unless he kills everyone who meets him).

Now that I'm thinking... Most everything Joker will do will be non-magical. Disguises, diplomacy and bluff, gather information... He can build an army and f*ck batman up without casting a single spell. I love it.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

No, there are no contradictions. Mindblank doesn't prevent anything that are target-self spells. It prevents spells cast on himself. As for contact other plane, location basing with 20 questions is actually significantly easier than 20 questions for anything else.

Again, incorrect. Legend Lore is a Divination spell, can't find a Mind Blanked person. And you'd be spending so much time trying to play 20 questions that by the time you got any kind of useful information, you'd already know where the Joker is, because he just sent you an invitation to his latest Funhouse.

Rogues can do talking, and forsakers only lose DR without the magic destruction. Since it's DR/magic, that's not really relevant.

Rogues don't get access to Glibness which bypasses Detect Lies and Compel Truth (and gives a +30 to Bluff). Without that, any mid-level Cleric will be able to spot and foil him.

Several comics, all the movies, one where the joker died, though not through direct action and all the episodes of the very campy Adam West batman. There are more batmans that won't kill the joker than their are batmans that will.

Yes, and Joker was able to get away from the ones that were trying to kill him. Except once. He gets away more by being that damn clever about escape routes than he does by batman's generosity.

[Yukitsu]

Again, incorrect. Legend Lore is a Divination spell, can't find a Mind Blanked person. And you'd be spending so much time trying to play 20 questions that by the time you got any kind of useful information, you'd already know where the Joker is, because he just sent you an invitation to his latest Funhouse.

Legend lore doesn't find people, it just tells you limited rumors about them. All the wizard needs to gain from it is who's been doing the nefarious schemes.

Rogues don't get access to Glibness which bypasses Detect Lies and Compel Truth (and gives a +30 to Bluff). Without that, any mid-level Cleric will be able to spot and foil him.

Clerics don't get sense motive, and an AMF from flux slime blocks detect lies and compel truth.

Yes, and Joker was able to get away from the ones that were trying to kill him. Except once. He gets away more by being that damn clever about escape routes than he does by batman's generosity.

So have clever escape route. Contingency is not a clever escape route plan, it's a magical cure all button. And I can't recall how many times cartoon joker has wound up in Arkam asylum either.

[NEO|Phyte]

Uh, with this flux slime talk, how exactly does one carry around the extradimensional origin point the slime comes from? The stuff doesn't exactly keep if you separate it from the main mass. Especially since the AMF is merely the byproduct of the slime siphoning magic through said extradimensional origin.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

Legend lore doesn't find people, it just tells you limited rumors about them. All the wizard needs to gain from it is who's been doing the nefarious schemes.

Incorrect. And at any rate, because you only have vague rumors, the casting time is WEEKS, by which time, his next scheme is already in place. It also doesn't tell you where he currently is, which is what Batman Wizard needs, only where he's been.

Clerics don't get sense motive, and an AMF from flux slime blocks detect lies and compel truth.

Paladins get Sense Motive, and see above poster about viability of Flux Slime and lack of attainability.

So have clever escape route. Contingency is not a clever escape route plan, it's a magical cure all button. And I can't recall how many times cartoon joker has wound up in Arkam asylum either.

Contingency is the counter to Batman Wizard's many "You Die, No Save, No SR" buttons (such as Twinned Empowered Maximized Orb of Sound spells). Also, re-read what has been going on. I've found a way to bypass most of the things without resorting to wiz/sorc spells.

At any rate, I've found that mind Blank is not necesary to counter Discern Location. Fool Scry works just as well, because it is a divination spell. It doesn't prevent the scry, but it does fool it. Thus straight Bard 20 will counter every attempt the Batman Wizard has of trying to figure out where he is.

[olentu]

At any rate, I've found that mind Blank is not necesary to counter Discern Location. Fool Scry works just as well, because it is a divination spell. It doesn't prevent the scry, but it does fool it. Thus straight Bard 20 will counter every attempt the Batman Wizard has of trying to figure out where he is.

When you say fool scry do you mean False Vision which says

"Any divination (scrying) spell used to view anything within the area of this spell instead receives a false image (as the major image spell), as defined by you at the time of casting. As long as the duration lasts, you can concentrate to change the image as desired. While you aren’t concentrating, the image remains static."

Since it would seem that since false vision only works on divination (scrying) spells and since Discern Location is not of the scrying sub school then false vision does nothing to prevent it finding its target.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

When you say fool scry do you mean False Vision which says

"Any divination (scrying) spell used to view anything within the area of this spell instead receives a false image (as the major image spell), as defined by you at the time of casting. As long as the duration lasts, you can concentrate to change the image as desired. While you aren’t concentrating, the image remains static."

Since it would seem that since false vision only works on divination (scrying) spells and since Discern Location is not of the scrying sub school then false vision does nothing to prevent it finding its target.

Hmmm.... true. However,

To find a creature with the spell, you must have seen the creature or have some item that once belonged to it.

So they have to have seen the Joker for it to work. Since he's the BBEG working through puppets, they probably haven't seen him yet. Or, just have aforementioned amulet with constant Mind Blank.

[olentu]

Hmmm.... true. However, So they have to have seen the Joker for it to work. Since he's the BBEG working through puppets, they probably haven't seen him yet. Or, just have aforementioned amulet with constant Mind Blank.

However I thought one of the main ideas is to use "Time Pressure. Kidnap someone/steal something dearly important." and it is very likely that the caster has seen the person or has touched the object.

[quiet1mi]

why not something important to people important to him (wrap you mind around that) ... or something deemed too dangerous to exist in mortal hands...

[ShneekeyTheLost]

However I thought one of the main ideas is to use "Time Pressure. Kidnap someone/steal something dearly important." and it is very likely that the caster has seen the person or has touched the object.

Fine. That tells you exactly where the person is. It doesn't tell you anything about the area it's/he/she's in, just the exact location. Now, you can use that to target a scry with... which is then subject to False Vision, letting Batman prepare for the wrong situation, then ports in to a far different situation than the one he prepared for.

In fact, this is playing right into Joker's hands, by rushing in where fools fear to tread.

I just want to keep the party from being able to lock up the Joker. Finding the victim is what the Joker WANTS you to do.

[olentu]

Fine. That tells you exactly where the person is. It doesn't tell you anything about the area it's/he/she's in, just the exact location. Now, you can use that to target a scry with... which is then subject to False Vision, letting Batman prepare for the wrong situation, then ports in to a far different situation than the one he prepared for.

In fact, this is playing right into Joker's hands, by rushing in where fools fear to tread.

I just want to keep the party from being able to lock up the Joker. Finding the victim is what the Joker WANTS you to do.

Well if you want the caster to find where you are then why use false vision. It would be a better idea to take advantage of the fact that scrying only gives vision in approximately 10 feet in all directions of the subject. Just keep your traps and minions at least 10 feet away from where the scrying sensor will appear and hope that the caster does not telport in during a time stop or realizes the limitation in the scrying spell and just teleports into the general vicinity and then walks in.

[quiet1mi]

What is the minimum level would you recommend PCs be to first confront the joker without having their wind pipe stuffed down their esophagus?

I love the concept...But I am just afraid of a character that would wipe the floor with the players and result in a TPK...

Also is there a lower level that the Joker can exist on and still retain his need to be dealt with... (I am starting my players off at level 8)

[Aquillion]

Well if you want the caster to find where you are then why use false vision. It would be a better idea to take advantage of the fact that scrying only gives vision in approximately 10 feet in all directions of the subject. Just keep your traps and minions at least 10 feet away from where the scrying sensor will appear and hope that the caster does not telport in during a time stop or realizes the limitation in the scrying spell and just teleports into the general vicinity and then walks in.

Delay Teleportation (I think that's what it was called?) will handle teleport-in-during-a-time-stop issues.

[olentu]

Delay Teleportation (I think that's what it was called?) will handle teleport-in-during-a-time-stop issues.

I think it is Anticipate Teleport that you are thinking of. However greater scrying allows the use of detect magic through the sensor and it would be quite silly to teleport into an area that is full of an unidentified magical field. That being said less careful casters would probably be caught in said trap. More careful casters would probably either use some other divination to determine what the spell that is all over the place is or would teleport some ways away and walk in.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

Well if you want the caster to find where you are then why use false vision. It would be a better idea to take advantage of the fact that scrying only gives vision in approximately 10 feet in all directions of the subject. Just keep your traps and minions at least 10 feet away from where the scrying sensor will appear and hope that the caster does not telport in during a time stop or realizes the limitation in the scrying spell and just teleports into the general vicinity and then walks in.

I don't want them to be able to find the Joker, I want them to be able to find the VICTIM. And I use False Vision so the Batman Wizard will see the wrong situation and prepare the wrong spells for the encounter.

You see, Batman Wizard will blow away any encounter he can prepare for. So, I present him an encounter he has prepared incorrectly for. That makes it a LOT tougher. And, of course, the clock is still ticking, so they can't just port out, re-prepare, and come right back in.

quiet1mi: Joker Bard can be scaled down considerabally. vs a level 8 party... it would depend on the circumstances and the party build. He was built to be ABLE to counter Batman Wizard with heavy optimization. That doesn't mean he can't still challenge the party without destroying them.

Remember always, Joker never faces the party directly. He always uses pawns, cat's paws, and misdirection to achieve his deeds.

Expect a PM from me shortly quiet1mi for a more detailed treatsie

[olentu]

I don't want them to be able to find the Joker, I want them to be able to find the VICTIM. And I use False Vision so the Batman Wizard will see the wrong situation and prepare the wrong spells for the encounter.

You see, Batman Wizard will blow away any encounter he can prepare for. So, I present him an encounter he has prepared incorrectly for. That makes it a LOT tougher. And, of course, the clock is still ticking, so they can't just port out, re-prepare, and come right back in.

quiet1mi: Joker Bard can be scaled down considerabally. vs a level 8 party... it would depend on the circumstances and the party build. He was built to be ABLE to counter Batman Wizard with heavy optimization. That doesn't mean he can't still challenge the party without destroying them.

Remember always, Joker never faces the party directly. He always uses pawns, cat's paws, and misdirection to achieve his deeds.

Expect a PM from me shortly quiet1mi for a more detailed treatsie

Assuming you will allow a successful scry on the victim there are three things I can think of that would pose a problem. First the fact that detect magic works through a grater scrying sensor and thus would show that there is an emanation of illusion magic in the area. The use of some other divination to confirm the results of the scry if the caster is very paranoid. Finally the possible use of the crystal ball with true seeing.

These problems might be circumvented with by placing your encounter outside of the range of the scrying sensor.

To successfully use anticipate teleport it would probably be best to use detect scrying to determine when the scry attempt comes and then cast anticipate teleport. This would probably catch less paranoid casters who do not regularly use anticipate teleport however there is still the problem of a very paranoid caster using other divinations to determine if they will be effected by any spell ability or effect when they teleport to the location. Also porting to the general vicinity and then walking in.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

Assuming you will allow a successful scry on the victim there are three things I can think of that would pose a problem. First the fact that detect magic works through a grater scrying sensor and thus would show that there is an emanation of illusion magic in the area. The use of some other divination to confirm the results of the scry if the caster is very paranoid. Finally the possible use of the crystal ball with true seeing.

Nope. You won't be able to detect the aura of illusion magic because the scry will be fooled into thinking it isn't there. By the time the party can afford a crystal ball with true seeing, Joker will have ways of countering even this. Also, this is what Magic Aura was designed for. Magic? Nope... no magic here....

Consider, if you will, the humble Disguise skill. No magic involved. He sets up a stage, set for the scryer's viewing pleasure. No magical effects going on at all.

These problems might be circumvented with by placing your encounter outside of the range of the scrying sensor.

To successfully use anticipate teleport it would probably be best to use detect scrying to determine when the scry attempt comes and then cast anticipate teleport. This would probably catch less paranoid casters who do not regularly use anticipate teleport however there is still the problem of a very paranoid caster using other divinations to determine if they will be effected by any spell ability or effect when they teleport to the location. Also porting to the general vicinity and then walking in.

Actually, why bother screwing with their teleport? If you're gonna do that, then just drop down a Dimensional Lock and call it done. Let them port right into your carefully prepared trap and let him shoot his own foot off.

"Will I be affected by any spell ability or effect when I teleport into the location?"
"No." (you're just going to be attacked by everything you're not defending against AFTER you show up).

[olentu]

Nope. You won't be able to detect the aura of illusion magic because the scry will be fooled into thinking it isn't there. By the time the party can afford a crystal ball with true seeing, Joker will have ways of countering even this. Also, this is what Magic Aura was designed for. Magic? Nope... no magic here....

Consider, if you will, the humble Disguise skill. No magic involved. He sets up a stage, set for the scryer's viewing pleasure. No magical effects going on at all.


Actually, why bother screwing with their teleport? If you're gonna do that, then just drop down a Dimensional Lock and call it done. Let them port right into your carefully prepared trap and let him shoot his own foot off.

"Will I be affected by any spell ability or effect when I teleport into the location?"
"No." (you're just going to be attacked by everything you're not defending against AFTER you show up).

The first bit is debatable since false vision says nothing about how detect magic is affected, it only says that the scrying spell receives a false image and major image only includes sight, sound, smell, and thermal illusions. And so the detect magic would seem to work as normal thus detecting the presence of magical auras their strength, location, and possibly school if spellcraft checks are made. However a DM could rule differently if they want.

Magic aura really depends since it can only "alter an item’s aura so that it registers to detect spells (and spells with similar capabilities) as though it were nonmagical, or a magic item of a kind you specify, or the subject of a spell you specify." And since false vision effects an area it would take a ruling on whether a detect magic spell would detect the area of the spell while still registering the item as non magical. I would lean towards detecting the area effect of the spell since I would allow detect magic to detect an area effect of a spell such as a Magic Circle against Evil even if the target of the spell is not in range of the detect magic spell.

However as this is a build for DMs they can just rule the way they like.

And finally as I was saying why not just hide an encounter and hope that the caster does not get lucky and use other divinations to ask something that will reveal the trap.

Edit: or teleport to the general area and mess up the plan by walking in rather then teleporting.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

The first bit is debatable since false vision says nothing about how detect magic is affected, it only says that the scrying spell receives a false image and major image only includes sight, sound, smell, and thermal illusions. And so the detect magic would seem to work as normal thus detecting the presence of magical auras their strength, location, and possibly school if spellcraft checks are made. However a DM could rule differently if they want.

Magic aura really depends since it can only "alter an item’s aura so that it registers to detect spells (and spells with similar capabilities) as though it were nonmagical, or a magic item of a kind you specify, or the subject of a spell you specify." And since false vision effects an area it would take a ruling on whether a detect magic spell would detect the area of the spell while still registering the item as non magical. I would lean towards detecting the area effect of the spell since I would allow detect magic to detect an area effect of a spell such as a Magic Circle against Evil even if the target of the spell is not in range of the detect magic spell.

However as this is a build for DMs they can just rule the way they like.

And finally as I was saying why not just hide an encounter and hope that the caster does not get lucky and use other divinations to ask something that will reveal the trap.

Because I'm wanting the Batman Wizard to mis-prepare. Maybe I'm just getting too elegant, but I'm trying to ram Batman Wizard's tactics right up where the sun don't shine. Also, if you give him an encounter he can plainly see... he likely won't look for others. So he sees a 'puppet show', for which he prepares. Then, when he ports in, he finds his spell list is mostly the wrong one to face the challenge he's looking at, with no way to go back and change it.

This is to make things fair for the rest of the party.

If, for example, the Batman Wizard has been completely and totally dominating everything, make him mis-prepare and find himself faced with a bunch of undead. Finally, the Cleric gets a chance to do something other than make coffee!

Or if they're just big, huge, beefy things with craptons of hit points? The Rogue and the Tank get to shine, chewing threw them because the Wizard mis-prepared, and doesn't have anything that will work well on them.

He'll still be able to contribute some. No Batman Wizard is going to be so completely thrown as he has nothing to do to contribute, after all. However, he's taken down from 'I can eliminate the encounter, 100% guaranteed, the first round' to not more powerful than the rest of the party.