Post/Author/DateTime	Post
mvincent 09-20-05, 07:22 PM	Buff spells used to be a hassle for me because remembering all those modifiers during the heat of battle was difficult, especially if you had any new players at the table. However I found a way around that. I’ve been handling my party’s character sheets in excel, and I decided to print an additional copy of each (of the front side at least) but with all of our favorite buffs already calculated in. It helped immensely. Our new tactic is to operate as a swift strike team and: 1) Buff up 2) Teleport in 3) Do as much damage as possible to the dungeon before the buffs run out in about 10-12 minutes (i.e. 1/min per level… plenty of rounds of combat). 4) Recover any loot in the rooms we cleared. 5) Teleport out Currently, my party’s preferred buff routine (at 12th level, without a cleric) is: a) Greater Heroism (all fighter-types) b) Barkskin (all PC’s) c) Bear’s endurance (all fighter-types): since most PC’s already have a +4 stat adder to their main stat, additional stat adders would be superfluous. d) Shield (spellcasters) c) Protection from evil (half the PC’s): mostly to avoid being dominated/possessed d) Haste (we have several of these prepped, and with a rod of extend they last almost as long as the other spells) c) If desired (depending on the anticipated foe): Resist energy from a wand (which can be made by a ranger and sold for only 1500 gp, correct?) Also, these buffs are cast daily (and are part of the main sheet rather than the buff sheet) - Mage armor (arcane casters and other armor-less character types). - Greater magic weapon (all fighter types): this way they can spend their money giving their weapons abilities rather than enhancement bonuses. Care to suggest other buffs, or give us your own favorite buff routines?
tarkin 09-21-05, 11:10 AM	False Life. Lasts hours. 1d10+x/level hitpoints. Enlarge Person on reach people Did I mention False Life? Mirror Image And don't forget False Life. ----- Oh, and I am surprised your DM lets you use Teleport so easily. There are lots of problems with it/ways to restrict it's use, from the simple (Monsters prepring ambushes against you centered on the spot you left) to the extreme (Adventuring on other planes).
mvincent 09-21-05, 12:03 PM	I am surprised your DM lets you use Teleport so easily. There are lots of problems with it/ways to restrict it's use, from the simple (Monsters prepring ambushes against you centered on the spot you left)My DM does this, but we usually scry beforehand, plus we generally don't appear in the same location we left. Even so, we'll often t-port into an area we know is an ambush. We still have surprise, and it saves time finding all the opposition. to the extreme (Adventuring on other planes).How would that stop Teleporting? I'm also interested in other methods for hindering teleporting strike teams (other than Forbiddance).
Planar Wanderer 09-21-05, 12:23 PM	My DM does this, but we usually scry beforehand, plus we generally don't appear in the same location we left. Even so, we'll often t-port into an area we know is an ambush. We still have surprise, and it saves time finding all the opposition. How would that stop Teleporting? I'm also interested in other methods for hindering teleporting strike teams (other than Forbiddance). Well you can't teleport from one plane to another so unless you have a base on the plane you are a bit stuck as to where to teleport to. BTW why would you get surprise teleporting into an ambush, if there is an ambush I'd say the other group are just as likely to get surprise, in fact I'd probably rule neither gets a surprise round, you know they're there, they are waiting for someone to show up there, hence no surprise. Thats all just my opinion though and if anyone can show I'm wrong (see sig) I'd be interested.
Iver Gearsham 09-21-05, 12:25 PM	Anticiapate Teleport and the greater version In Complet Arcane would realy mess with your pop in and out fighting style. There is a psy power that redirects teleport travel to a designated location. Can be very deadly.
mvincent 09-21-05, 01:14 PM	Well you can't teleport from one plane to another so unless you have a base on the plane you are a bit stuck as to where to teleport to.You don't need a base so much as just somewhere to Teleport that isn't full of enemies. A demiplane (or a place that you can't see out of or leave without gating) might work initially, but a party can always just teleport back to a previously cleared/safe area (and you only need the smallest corner to cast rope trick in). We had to do this before teleporting anyway (when we were using dimension door). Not that T-porting is needed for buff strategies to work. why would you get surprise teleporting into an ambush, if there is an ambush I'd say the other group are just as likely to get surpriseSince their activity was scryed beforehand, it wasn't effectively an ambush anyways. But still, it's hard to stand ready for two+ days (the average time until the party's next re-entry). Also, the teleporting party knows exactly when the battle is going to start, while the defenders do not. If the 'ready' action were allowed out of combat the attackers would have taken it while the defenders really could not have. This is my normal standard for determining surprise. Even if the defenders are using Augury or even Divinations, they'd be unlikely to nail down the exact second of the teleport in order to have a 'readied action' (so to speak) when it occured. However, the defenders might be able to pinpoint the exact teleport destination, and have their troops take turns being hyper-vigilant during a short window that a divination could provide. That might be too much effort for chaotic enemies, though.
mvincent 09-21-05, 01:20 PM	Anticiapate Teleport and the greater version In Complet Arcane would realy mess with your pop in and out fighting style. There is a psy power that redirects teleport travel to a designated location. Can be very deadly.Excellent counter-teleport advice. Unfortunately my groups are only using core-rules (i.e. PHB, MM & DMG). (note: I'm interested in counter-teleport strategies both as a player and a DM.)
Iver Gearsham 09-21-05, 01:43 PM	Have your chaotic npc foes be in a Dead/Wild Magic area if they have no magic users of their own. Or as you depend on Scrying in before Teleporting There are a number of spells to block that or present a false image of the Sich. Or you can go low tech and just coat the walls in lead.
Puca 09-21-05, 02:50 PM	In addition to Private Sanctum, which anyone concerned about this would probably try to use, you can trick them with False Vision. Its PHB. It has no save. Your false vision could be as innocent as creating the image of some powerful entity guarding you while you sleep or as deadly as a sleeping BBEG in a room that really has a mage with a readied Widened Antimagic Field spell and a dozen monks to beat you into pancakes.
mvincent 09-21-05, 03:14 PM	In addition to Private Sanctum, which anyone concerned about this would probably try to use, you can trick them with False Vision. Its PHB. It has no save. Your false vision could be as innocent as creating the image of some powerful entity guarding you while you sleep or as deadly as a sleeping BBEG in a room that really has a mage with a readied Widened Antimagic Field spell and a dozen monks to beat you into pancakes.Created new thread (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?p=7311881) to address anti-teleport strategies
Phrennzy 09-21-05, 03:43 PM	I love the teleport Redirect. That pwns. "Okay guys, we'll appear directly behind the Evil Lord's throne. Ready? Here we go!" POP-Zzzzzing! "A silenced, poison-gas filled room? WTF?" The same trick rarely works twice against an intelligent opponent.
smrtgmp 09-22-05, 07:03 PM	My DM does this, but we usually scry beforehand, plus we generally don't appear in the same location we left. Even so, we'll often t-port into an area we know is an ambush. We still have surprise, and it saves time finding all the opposition.You can only scry on a creature, not a location. And since you can only scry on a creature you are aware of, how can you use this tactic with any sort of regularity? Or do you somehow know of every creature in every given dungeon? And if you do, how?
mvincent 09-22-05, 07:31 PM	You can only scry on a creature, not a location. And since you can only scry on a creature you are aware of, how can you use this tactic with any sort of regularity?It's usually a good idea to do some sort of reconnaissance of a target (i.e. dungeon, BBEG, etc.) before going in, even if you’re not using teleportation. There are a lot of easy ways to do this: bardic lore, gather information, the arcane eye spell, etc. This will usually give you a good idea of someone to scry on. Once you’ve penetrated the area it’s even easier. There’ll often be a few enemies that you didn’t completely kill, or you can even just hide some familiar bugs or rats at the scene to scry on later. With a little imagination, one can come up with all sorts of other methods.
valvorik 09-22-05, 10:31 PM	Note the spell indicates areas of strong physical or magical energy hinder. You have to expect that powerful creatures and characters will seek protection from unexpected visits be it pc, npc, demon etc. IMC, and with input from Monte Cook product (see Complete Book of Eldritch Might): An overwhelming magical aura may cause difficulties for a teleportation effect (literally “strong” magics do not), meaning any spell effect that is 10th level (Epic) or magic item that is 21st CL or higher (an artifact). In the case of items, this is usually only a problem for one holding the item and then often only if the item is not “friendly” or “attuned” to the holder. A teleportation magic user must make a SR check to avoid their spell failing. Strong physical energies include areas of extreme heat (140 degrees F, boiling water, lava) or continuous electrical discharges. A natural earthquake of serious intensity also evokes such energy (an Earthquake spell does not); explaining why even powerful magic users can die in natural disasters. A creature with an innate teleportation power that is native to an area of such energies is not hindered using its innate power (e.g., a Pyre native with an innate teleportation power). Strong physical energies have a 25% chance to negate a spell outright and on a 01 result “scramble” those subjected to it (1d10 damage). My other, less core variations: A moving space, if it meets other requirements, may be a destination for a teleportation magic (e.g., a ship's hold). For familiarity, a space is considered one grade less familiar if it has moved from when it was familiarized. Thus, a moving space is never “very familiar” (e.g., cannot be used for a Word of Recall); with the exception that a cleric who has the Travel Domain or a spellcaster with Ship’s Mage feat may be “very familiar” with a moving space. The sorts of areas of strong magical or physical energy that make teleportation hazardous or impossible and which are discussed elsewhere in L&S include underearth faerzress, fae-fluxes, lead sheathing, maelstroms and the saltward. The particular effects of these areas are SR checks or negation due to antimagic or lead. The sorts of areas of strong magical or physical energy that make teleportation hazardous or impossible include underearth faerzress [see FR products], fae-fluxes [magical storms in my campaign], lead sheathing [a generic measure used to proof areas vs divination and teleportation], maelstroms [see FR products] and the saltward [open ocean, an aspect of my campaign that keeps sea travel lively and important and stops people just teleporting precious cargo around]. The particular effects of these areas are SR checks or negation due to antimagic or lead. Note - per Stronghold Builders Guidbook lead sheathing is expensive and so not used profligately. A better fix overall is to use the Teleport spell from Monte Cook's Unearthed Arcana. His spell lists and variations eliminate or make sensible every spell I've found subject to abuse.
Mind-Affecting_Plants 09-22-05, 10:47 PM	Doesn't lead block scrying? Teleporting blind would probably make characters a lot less confident...
smrtgmp 09-22-05, 11:20 PM	yes, it does. I like your username, BTW.
mr.unknown 09-23-05, 12:45 AM	& if its not conflicting alignment wise, i would say cast sadism (book of vile darkness page 103?) on everyone who plans to do any kind of damage. it helps a little bit with future attacks, but a few points added to all your saving throws could make quite a bit of difference. & the bonuses from sadism are considered luck bonuses, thus its very rare & will most likely stack with everything else. since its a rounds/LV duration, you may want more than one prepared (or have pearls of power available). in any case, this 2nd level spell can be a very powerful buff, espeically to your saving throws & skill checks.