Dirty Spellcaster Tricks

Willie wrote:
> <Lorenz.Lang.RemoveThis@gmx.de> wrote in message
<snip>

> Why not take it 1 step further and place an obvious
> illusionary wall of fire (one that's VERY easy to see)
> in front of a REAL wall of fire.

Wouldn't the adventurers feel the heat from the real one
through the illusion? Unless it's an illusion which
produces illusionary heat...Major Image perhaps?

LL
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<Lorenz.Lang DeleteThis @gmx.de> wrote in message
news:1151404086.450296.319530@p79g2000cwp.googlegroups.com...
>
> decalod85 wrote:
> <snip>
>> Any other dirty tricks along these lines....?
>
> I always wanted to use a Wall of Force to
> thwart overeager Fireball-users:
>
> A dark broad corridor lighted further ahead by
> torches. It leads to a room full of monsters
> (perfect FB targets), maybe even illusionary.
>
> If the group would choose to go any further,
> they become visible to the monsters...
> ...so Fireball from afar!
> But there's a Wall of Force (or natural glass?)
> 10 ft. before the PCs.
> *BOOM*
>
> A contrived setup unless the PCs are well-known
> for the "FB from afar tactic" and the whole thing is
> a cunning trap.
>
> LL
Why not take it 1 step further and place an obvious
illusionary wall of fire (one that's VERY easy to see)
in front of a REAL wall of fire.
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Loren Pechtel wrote:
> On Mon, 26 Jun 2006 22:33:53 -0500, Erol K. Bayburt
> <ErolB1.RemoveThis@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>
>>One trick I used back in the 1e days were big glass bulbs full of
>>knockout-gas potion. On each bulb I cast a *magic mouth*, programmed
>>to sing a glass-shattering high note when an appropriate triggering
>>condition was met.
>>
>>I actually created and used this one *as a player* rather than as a
>>DM.
>
>
> As a DM I wouldn't allow this. You're going to have to sing that note
> when you cast the spell--and there goes your bulb!

Simple solution, hold the bulb in your hand. The vibrations have to
build up sufficiently to get the glass to break, your fingers will
dampen those vibrations. When the glass is set up as a trap though,
you'll make sure to set it up where its not in contact with anything soft.

The real rub of your requirement is that few casters are going to be
capable of hitting the correct note (which varies from glass to glass,
but is the resonant frequence of that glass) and fewer still are going
to be able to get loud enough (in excess of 135 decibles) to do the job,
in fact there's some question as to whether any unamplified human has
actually been able to do this. Can the magic mouth amplify, or does it
just produce the same volume that the original voice was at?

I'm also not convinced the architecture of the glass bulbs is going to
work for this; the films you see are of open topped glasses, and the
notes I've read say it works best on ones with practically straight
sides. An enclosed bulb, particularly one under pressure, doesn't seem
to fit that description.

However, something you're overlooking; why bother breaking the glass,
when a big mouth is opening on its surface? If the contents are under
pressure, won't they spew out when the mouth opens?

Lance
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"Lance Berg" <emporer RemoveThis @dejazzd.com> wrote in message
news:qqSdneLcpsMe-T_ZnZ2dnUVZ_sOdnZ2d@dejazzd.com...

> in fact there's some question as to whether any unamplified human has
> actually been able to do this.


It turns out- yes. But it takes a professional vocalist and practice. Saw
it on Mythbusters. Better have some ranks in Perform (sing).
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Shawn Wilson wrote:

> "Lance Berg" <emporer RemoveThis @dejazzd.com> wrote in message
> news:qqSdneLcpsMe-T_ZnZ2dnUVZ_sOdnZ2d@dejazzd.com...
>
>
>>in fact there's some question as to whether any unamplified human has
>>actually been able to do this.
>
>
>
> It turns out- yes. But it takes a professional vocalist and practice. Saw
> it on Mythbusters. Better have some ranks in Perform (sing).
>
>
I love that show!

But good idea, tying this to an in game mechanic. I don't like rulings
by fiat like "you just can't sing that well, you're only a mage", but
one where you say "OK, do a sing with a DC of 20 to set the correct
note" has almost the same effect. Particularly if you don't reveal the
result; after all, they aren't going to know if it worked until its
triggered, and if they trigger it to test, then they've lost the device!
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Combos for two casters or one with quickened spells:

Want to remove a pesky magic item from the PC's?
Targetted Greater Dispel Magic/Mordenkainens Disjunction
Shatter

or

Slow them down:
Evards Black Tentacles
Acid Fog

or

Prismatic Wall (horizontal over the PC's)
Reverse Gravity (dismiss the reverse gravity for a double whammy)

or

as above but with Gate instead of Prismatic Wall
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earthpig wrote:
> Combos for two casters or one with quickened spells:
>
> Want to remove a pesky magic item from the PC's?
> Targetted Greater Dispel Magic/Mordenkainens Disjunction
> Shatter
>
> or
>
> Slow them down:
> Evards Black Tentacles
> Acid Fog
>
> or
>
> Prismatic Wall (horizontal over the PC's)
> Reverse Gravity (dismiss the reverse gravity for a double whammy)
>
> or
>
> as above but with Gate instead of Prismatic Wall

That's not possible by the RAW:
"Prismatic wall creates a vertical, opaque wall..."
Pushing a victim into it with Forceful Hand would work IMO.

LL
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Lance Berg wrote:
> Loren Pechtel wrote:

> > As a DM I wouldn't allow this. You're going to have to sing that note
> > when you cast the spell--and there goes your bulb!
>
> Simple solution, hold the bulb in your hand. The vibrations have to
> build up sufficiently to get the glass to break, your fingers will
> dampen those vibrations. When the glass is set up as a trap though,
> you'll make sure to set it up where its not in contact with anything soft.

Or cast the Magic Mouth on another object, that will be hung right next
to the glass bulbs.

Pete
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decalod85 wrote:
> A pair of neogi sorcerors were facing my PCs. One was obviously the
> boss, and
> was ordering the other one around.
>
> The boss neogi would say fireball, and they would both cast fireball.
> He would
> say Magic Missle on the wizard, and they would both cast that.
>
> Then, when things started looking bad for them, he shouted "teleport",
> and they
> both vanished.
>
> The PCs assumed (wrongly) that they had teleported. They then all
> gathered
> around a table to look at the interesting treasure that was there.
> That was when
> they were hit by two more fireballs (surprise round)
>
> The neogi had cast invisibility on themselves, being a team that had
> worked
> together for a long time.
>
> You should have seen the look on their faces. The neogi won
> initiative, and
> the boss said, "Hold them off while I go for help" and turned
> invisible, while
> the other one kept tossing fireballs until the party fried him.
>
> Any other dirty tricks along these lines....?

I have a few that I plan on using, but haven't gotten around to.

-The villain should make a hall where the middle part is dug out and
replaced with rows of poisonous spikes, and then cast permanent image
on the spikes so it looks like the hall. The PCs will probably get
caught in it once, but then wisen up.

Later, if the villain is fleeing, he should cast fly on himself
beforehand and "run" across the permanent image. That should be enough
to convince the players it's now safe.

-Tape potions full of alchemist fire to the ceiling. Get somebody under
it and cast shatter.

-You could probably cast summon swarm on and oily area, wait for them
to attack a nearby group of opponents, and then throw a torch at the
swarm. Instant moving fireball!

-If you can balance of a wall of force, create one and another slightly
above and to the front. You can balance on the first and fire arrows
between the slit, but it would be difficult for others to fire back.

Bill
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Bill Wayne wrote:
> decalod85 wrote:
> > A pair of neogi sorcerors were facing my PCs. One was obviously the
> > boss, and
> > was ordering the other one around.
> >
> > The boss neogi would say fireball, and they would both cast fireball.
> > He would
> > say Magic Missle on the wizard, and they would both cast that.
> >
> > Then, when things started looking bad for them, he shouted "teleport",
> > and they
> > both vanished.
> >
> > The PCs assumed (wrongly) that they had teleported. They then all
> > gathered
> > around a table to look at the interesting treasure that was there.
> > That was when
> > they were hit by two more fireballs (surprise round)
> >
> > The neogi had cast invisibility on themselves, being a team that had
> > worked
> > together for a long time.
> >
> > You should have seen the look on their faces. The neogi won
> > initiative, and
> > the boss said, "Hold them off while I go for help" and turned
> > invisible, while
> > the other one kept tossing fireballs until the party fried him.
> >
> > Any other dirty tricks along these lines....?
>
> I have a few that I plan on using, but haven't gotten around to.
>
> -The villain should make a hall where the middle part is dug out and
> replaced with rows of poisonous spikes, and then cast permanent image
> on the spikes so it looks like the hall. The PCs will probably get
> caught in it once, but then wisen up.
>
> Later, if the villain is fleeing, he should cast fly on himself
> beforehand and "run" across the permanent image. That should be enough
> to convince the players it's now safe.
>
> -Tape potions full of alchemist fire to the ceiling. Get somebody under
> it and cast shatter.
>
> -You could probably cast summon swarm on and oily area, wait for them
> to attack a nearby group of opponents, and then throw a torch at the
> swarm. Instant moving fireball!
>

Really nasty combo I used was web, and summon swarm. This was as a PC
though.

- Justisaur
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Peter Meilinger wrote:

> Lance Berg wrote:
>
>>Loren Pechtel wrote:
>
>
>>>As a DM I wouldn't allow this. You're going to have to sing that note
>>>when you cast the spell--and there goes your bulb!
>>
>>Simple solution, hold the bulb in your hand. The vibrations have to
>>build up sufficiently to get the glass to break, your fingers will
>>dampen those vibrations. When the glass is set up as a trap though,
>>you'll make sure to set it up where its not in contact with anything soft.
>
>
> Or cast the Magic Mouth on another object, that will be hung right next
> to the glass bulbs.
>
> Pete
>
Good point, and then you could make the magic mouth permanent and just
replace the glass bulbs as needed.

Except that then, in addition to my other objections, you have to figure
out how to manufacture glass bulbs with sufficiently similar resonances
to make the "generic" mouth do the trick to each.
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Some Guy wrote:

> Two words: Invisble Caltrops.

That's an awful lot of [i]invisibility[/i] spells just for slowing someone
down.

--�
Mark.
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Mark Blunden wrote:
> earthpig wrote:
>
> > Reverse Gravity (dismiss the reverse gravity for a double whammy)
>
> There's the "Infinite Loop Reverse Gravity" trick.
>
> Make a room that's a vertical cylinder with sheer sides and sloping floor
> and roof, both greased, like so:
>
> |\
> | \
> | \
> | \
> | \
> | \
> | |
> | |
> | |
> | |
> | |
> \ |
> \ |
> \ |
> \ |_____
> \ _____
> \ |
> \|
>
> A Reverse Gravity spell is set to trigger when someone steps in from the
> corridor, but it only covers the right-hand side of the room - so they fall
> up to the ceiling taking falling damage, slide up the greased ceiling until
> they exit the Reverse Gravity field, fall down to the floor taking falling
> damage, slide down the greased floor until they enter the Reverse Gravity
> field, fall up to the ceiling taking falling damage...
>

That's really mean, but unless the corridor is sloped and greased for
all to slide into the trap, it will only get the first.
After one full circle the PC will try to catch hold of the corridor
ceiling
or the others throw a rope for him to catch.
What would be the DC for such stunts?

Another idea: the entry point for the vicious circle could be a trap
door
in the left part of the ceiling...

LL
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