Dispelling & Counterspelling Compilation
Changelog
- 28/05/09: added picture for the Dispelling Screen
- 21/05/09: added Mysterious Magic to Resisting Dispels
- 15/05/09: removed wrong assertion about Choose Destiny. Added remark/warning about builds, and anecdote.
- 11/05/09: added Shadow Weave feats. Reorganized Resisting Dispels.
- 02/05/09: long overdue update. Added Devour Magic (baaad), Kiss of Draconic Defiance (ok), Caster's Lament (meh). Added small corrections/precisions here and there, including a note about the possible illegality of using Practiced Spellcaster to qualify for Divine Defiance. Added Out of Scope section. Changed layout: added sblocks.
- 14/04/08: initial version
Master Specialist 7 (Moderate school esoterica - Conjuration): Attempts to dispel your Conjuration spells treat your CL as 5 higher than normal.
For Class Features that affect dispel magic:
Five levels of Abjurant Champion mean that you can cast Dispel Magic as a Swift Action.
Cheers,
Pryor
As a note to your section on Metamagic Feats, the dispel check (d20+Caster Level) is a variable, numeric effect, and thus a maximized Greater Dispel Magic will be a 20+Caster Level, etc etc. So not only will it mean you take their item out for longer, but it means that unless they're a much higher caster than you, you're going to beat them.
how about no.
Reread dispel magic and similar spells, it says make a caster level check against the spell.
Reread Maximize spell, one thing that it says it doesn't maximize is opposed checks for a spell.
how about no.
Reread dispel magic and similar spells, it says make a caster level check against the spell.
Reread Maximize spell, one thing that it says it doesn't maximize is opposed checks for a spell.
Targeted Dispel
One object, creature, or spell is the target of the dispel magic spell. You make a dispel check (1d20 + your caster level, maximum +10) against the spell or against each ongoing spell currently in effect on the object or creature. The DC for this dispel check is 11 + the spell’s caster level. If you succeed on a particular check, that spell is dispelled; if you fail, that spell remains in effect.
That's not an opposed check, as it's a set target. If they were rolling a dice, it'd be opposed. The enemy isn't making a check, so it's not opposed.
Opposed Checks
An opposed check is a check whose success or failure is determined by comparing the check result to another character’s check result. In an opposed check, the higher result succeeds, while the lower result fails. In case of a tie, the higher skill modifier wins. If these scores are the same, roll again to break the tie.
That's not an opposed check, as it's a set target. If they were rolling a dice, it'd be opposed. The enemy isn't making a check, so it's not opposed.
you are right, my logic was incorrect.
regardless though you are still wrong in your result for your logic is also off
Q)Do Empower Spell and Maximize Spell affect d20 rolls
made as part of a spell’s effect (such as an attack roll or
dispel check)?
A)No. Any attack roll, saving throw, skill check, dispel check,
or any other d20 roll required to adjudicate a spell’s success or
failure is not considered a “variable, numeric effect” of the
spell and thus is unaffected by feats such as Empower Spell or
Maximize Spell.
regardless though you are still wrong in your result for your logic is also off
Well, that certainly clarifies it. Pity.
Dampen spell might deserve a mention too, not the world's best but sometimes all you need is to kill the DC for a save or suck spell.
please list the level of spells and what classes get them. It makes it a lot simpler for readers to plan in their hand without consorting 10 books first.
The level is already there ? (it's the first thing on each line) I'll think about adding the classes.
The Dampen Spell I remember sucks, but I'll take another look. It kicks in when you fail to dispel IIRC: well, that should never happen. :P
Kaleiscopic Doom is there already.
If you could empower Dispels, this handbook would probably not exist - dispelling would be too easy. Still, I'll add a note about that.
I'll mention Conceal Spellcasting (and False Theurgy) - good point - but Battlemagic Perception bypasses it. Editing is pretty boring so I may not work any longer on it today.
.In Summation:
Lose a round and spend 2 spells (1 4th level and whatever your other is) to counter 1 spell (there by taking yourself out of the fight for a round and making sure that next spell has less to worry about)
OR
Spend 1 spell and render that save or suck spell's DC down to where everyone can make it. (getting rid of a spell you might not have needed anyways especially if you play wizard and had a just in case spell you won't need, and still being able to act on your next action.)
Yup I have to say that sucks loads. I mean I can do with any 1 spell what you spend 2 spells and an extra action doing.
yes yes yes omen of peace it's not the greatest, but if you render a spell useless you have countered it as it has no real effect. Yes you could go celerity and waste a spell and be dazed until the end of your next turn. Your option. Or you could blow a low level spell that drops the DC into range for everyone around to make their save. Drop a third level spell kill the DC and not be dazed and used two spells for counterspelling one, or immediately drop a low level spell to render the save low enough the target can pass it and not be affected. Pointing out that if you are Dazed you can't take actions. Celerity does that to you until the end of your next turn.
In Summation:
Lose a round and spend 2 spells (1 4th level and whatever your other is) to counter 1 spell (there by taking yourself out of the fight for a round and making sure that next spell has less to worry about)
OR
Spend 1 spell and render that save or suck spell's DC down to where everyone can make it. (getting rid of a spell you might not have needed anyways especially if you play wizard and had a just in case spell you won't need, and still being able to act on your next action.)
Yup I have to say that sucks loads. I mean I can do with any 1 spell what you spend 2 spells and an extra action doing.
'cept that it's not guaranteed that everyone will save. I mean, a level n spell for an effective +n to saves? That's pathetic. Why not just cast Superior Resistance every morning and have a +6 to saves all day long and not just vs a single spell?
yes yes yes omen of peace it's not the greatest, but if you render a spell useless you have countered it as it has no real effect. Yes you could go celerity and waste a spell and be dazed until the end of your next turn. Your option. Or you could blow a low level spell that drops the DC into range for everyone around to make their save. Drop a third level spell kill the DC and not be dazed and used two spells for counterspelling one, or immediately drop a low level spell to render the save low enough the target can pass it and not be affected. Pointing out that if you are Dazed you can't take actions. Celerity does that to you until the end of your next turn.
In Summation:
Lose a round and spend 2 spells (1 4th level and whatever your other is) to counter 1 spell (there by taking yourself out of the fight for a round and making sure that next spell has less to worry about)
OR
Spend 1 spell and render that save or suck spell's DC down to where everyone can make it. (getting rid of a spell you might not have needed anyways especially if you play wizard and had a just in case spell you won't need, and still being able to act on your next action.)
Yup I have to say that sucks loads. I mean I can do with any 1 spell what you spend 2 spells and an extra action doing.
I know. You should nova if you're going to use Celerity, so you shouldn't use it if you're not confident that you'll incapacitate the enemy.
If your allies are close and you're dragonblooded, Wings of Cover (2nd level) protects them completely from one spell. Which would you rather invest : 2 feats or 1 spell known ? (The spell also works against weapon attacks)
I thought we were talking about a sorcerer, who has a small chance of finding Improved Counterspell useful. It's even more of a waste on a wizard.
Now, what this whole handbook is about: consider a Cloistered Cleric 1/Wizard X with the Inquisition and Undeath domains. Assuming a Cha of 8, she gets 6 turn attempts per day (she can get a Nightstick at higher levels for 4 more) : 6/day she can counterspell as an immediate action. Instead of your 2 feats, she takes Divine Defiance and Arcane Mastery. Without even going into Master Specialist or Io7V, she gets 24 (at CL 11) with Dispel Magic : perhaps not enough for the BBEG, but definitely enough for all the other spellcasters she'll encounter. If she specializes a bit more, she'll roll over spellcasters of a much higher level.
Plus, what CubeKnight said. Please don't mistake my bluntness for rudeness/a complex of superiority/... : this feat really isn't the optimized choice. If you find it fun, more power to you.
I thought the book was about all counterspelling/dispel/spell killer methods. However having re-read the disclaimer I see it's more about narrow focus (albeit with wonderful results) instead of a more through broader essay on the different forms of killing spells, which certainly makes your points much clearer to me.
Discussions like that are helpful : they let me shape the contour of the handbook, and force me to be more explicit about my gut feelings.I wrote a class section, plus the boosting spells and the items. I added the spell levels for Clerics - it's definitely a good idea. I'd like some help to evaluate Warlocks as dispellers/counterspellers, as well as the Soultouched Spellcasting feat from MoI - they are outside my area of interest/expertise.
Also, if you find a good picture to put at the top of the page, you'll get a cookie.
Cheers,
Pryor
With a slightly different build (better for dispels, worse otherwise), I reach a dispel check of 50 with Chain Dispel - I don't think I can go higher, but feel free to point me to other tricks. (I hear there's a +2 bonus somewhere in the Dragonlance books but I don't have them)
Incandescant Champion 4, with Psycarnum Infusion, gets CHA mod to whatever feat you can find, like ...
Soultouched Spellcasting feat, which gives invested essentia # as a bonus to SR piercing and dispelling checks.
Stick the two together and +CHA mod to SR and Dispel checks.
This is no where near as powerful as Psycarnum + Metamagic, which got it's own super thread back in the day.
Bloodline 3 would get a second IncChamp + PI check, so you could do both, concentrating on Dispelling.
You'd be losing 9th levels spells, regardless of which way you do this.
Psycarnum Metamagic Mega Dispeller - without 9th level spells seems a reasonable trade off.
Get 1 level of Tattooed Monk, otherwise useless, and the mod # can go to (1.5*CHA mod).
Do you have any build that would use this trick and be playable ? It needs a PP reserve for the focus (psionic race ?), a Cha emphasis to make the trick interesting... Since you mention an associated metamagic trick, I imagine Sorcerer would be decent. But you need BAB +6 for Incandescent Champion.
Bloodlines are pretty bad for casters in general.
Dromite Paladin 2/Sorcerer 4/Spellsword 1/AbjCh 5/IncChampion 4/X 4 seems weak for a 1/day crazy dispelling.
[*] Wizard: As often, the king of the roost. Getting turn undead early will force you to lose a caster level, but Master Abjurer flows naturally into Io7V and Archmage - you end up with incredible synergies !
Not sure what you define as "early" but Wizard's can qualify for Sacred Exorcist at level 7. That means turn undead at level 8 with no lost caster levels.
Very easy qualifier too - no feats, needs only 1 spell in spellbook and 2 knowledges which are both class skills.
@Pryor: thanks for the additions.
I'll mention Conceal Spellcasting (and False Theurgy) - good point - but Battlemagic Perception bypasses it. Editing is pretty boring so I may not work any longer on it today.
The description of Battlemagic Perception states, regarding sensing a spell, states:
"With a Spellcraft check (DC 15 + spell level) you can even ascertain the spell being cast."
The description of False Theurgy states:
"Any creature using Spellcraft or any other means to identify the spell you're casting believes it to be the other spell instead.
Therefore, Battlemagic Perception does not beat False Theurgy.
Though not all mages will have that skill trick (it's perfect for Beguilers), it does mean a counterspeller should not always trust the spell identification. Disguise Spell is even worse in that regard since it can be used repeatedly.
I'll pony up that Pierce Magical Protection is probably one of the best buff dispelling tools in the game, since it's auto success, ignores the AC benefit of those buffs, and works against any spell that grants an AC benefit.
However, the -8 caster level from this and Mage Slayer probably means you won't be using it in a dispel build.
====Aelryinth
@aelrynth: I had initially decided not to mention PMP because it requires a completely different focus, but I guess it can't hurt.
The redirecting ability is not as good as the one granted by Reaving Dispel, but it has a duration so that you can use it with several lower-level dispels.
The spell should also work with Divine Defiance, which may not even require spelling spell slots. Between that and battlemagic perception, I could see it being worth using a standard action to cast.
And the text of Divine Defiance does say "Jozan can [...] counter [...] if he had prepared the spell." 'If', not 'as if'.
Now, don't worry about Spell Shift: I just gave it a raving review. It's great and yet it does not obsolete Reaving Dispel (think about a buffed BBEG wading into melee...) - a Divine Magician cleric will have to choose one (an Archivist will have both !).
As a side note, I don't think the ring of spell-battle from the MIC allows you redirect disjunction. It's not a targeted spell.
Excellent point ! My DM has an irrational (ok, not completely irrational) dislike of Illumians, so I've never played one and I always forget about the b*ggers. I will definitely add them as alternate race.
There is a little snatch with the Practised Spellcaster and the illumian trick.
Does a 1st-level wizard/4th-level rogue with Practiced
Spellcaster qualify for a prestige class that requires
“Spellcaster level 5th”?
No. This prestige class requirement doesn’t refer to your
caster level (a value which can be modified by many feats,
class features, and even temporary effects) but to your actual
level in a spellcasting class. (If it helps, you can think of this
requirement as “Spellcaster, 5th level.”)
The same applies for characters whose caster level is less
than their class level. A 5th-level paladin meets the “Spellcaster
level 5th) requirement, even though her actual caster level is
only 2nd.
I need to think more on this, but I'll definitely add a note in the Q&A section. Thanks !
Few questions:
-@ epic lvls (lvl 27 to be exactly) what build work better ?
-A dispeller/counterspeller is really good on epic lvls ?
-Hows gonna be the progression of the build ?
-Can i dispell (Su) on epic ?
Thanks.
Abj 3/MS 10/Io7V 7/Archmage 1/Epic MS 6
- you can drop Archmage if you can reliably use the Spell Shift spell
- you can dip Cloistered Cleric if you want, for the Inquisition & Time domains - otherwise use the Planar Touchstone feat to get Inquisition
- you can add 2 levels of wizard to get Spontaneous Divination
At level 27 this will work very well if you can fit Epic Counterspell in there. The main problem at higher levels (30+) is that the CL caps on the spells (max 20 for Greater Dispel) kick in, so that you have to rely on Epic Dispels which you only have 3 or 4 of per day. (Also, Epic Spellcasters can make their spells more resilient to dispels.)
You could try asking your DM to raise the cap for Reaving Dispel to 30, and/or make a low-cost metamagic that allows to raise this cap (somewhat like Enhance Spell). Even better to make the dispels uncapped from Greater Dispel on.
Do take Epic Spellcasting to be able to dispel (Su) effects (but don't waste them on effects the foe can start again at will). You will probably need a lot of backlash to be able to afford a decent bonus on the dispel check - so have someone nearby who can heal you (Archivist cohort, perhaps). If you think you'll face many epic spellcasters, also pack a spell based on the Destroy seed to take down your foe's Wards (which may protect from dispels).
Feats (these are only suggestions) :
21 Epic Spellcasting
24 Epic Counterspell
Bonus MS Improved Spell Capacity ?
27 Improved Metamagic ?
Bonus MS Spell Stowaway (Time Stop) ?
Finally, don't specialize too much !
I have just started to play an epic Archivist-based counterspeller so some of the advice above may not be optimal - but none of it is bad.
[The saves of the veils in the epic PrC start out ridiculously low : class level/2 !?]
Also watch out for Spell Turning and Greater Reflection shields, because you target the spellcaster and not the spell when you counterspell (which I find dumb personally).
I still have some stuff to add/change - I'll get around to it sometimes.
Targeted Greater Dispel Magic at touch range. Also gains you temp hitpoints.
Try devour magic on your own items (targeted dispel), which will negate the item for 1d4 rounds and gives you temp hit points for 1 minute.
Doesn't counterspell so well as a touch ability, but if you had something that made your touch abilities into ranged... Or made your touch a range greater than 5'.
Seem like it should... but that also seems to powerful
I would be glad if I were proven wrong
btw Effulgent Epuration is in spell companion and in players guide to faerun
Sure, with so much investment to it you're worse than other wizards who delved into PRCs like Ultimate Magus and took other feats, but c'mon, you shut down all enemy spellcasting. Sure, readying a disintegrate is more effective and easier...if you ready the frickin' thing. You won't.
Why don't people like counterspelling more? Am I the only person whose Magic the Gathering deck is monoblue with over 16 counterspell type spells in it?
Sure, with so much investment to it you're worse than other wizards who delved into PRCs like Ultimate Magus and took other feats, but c'mon, you shut down all enemy spellcasting. Sure, readying a disintegrate is more effective and easier...if you ready the frickin' thing. You won't.
I love the idea of counterspells (and MUC decks ;) ) as much as you do, but the comparison isn't really effective here. In Magic your only real limitation is mana, but in D&D actions and spell slots limit you far more. Whereas in Magic you can make a deck with 1-2 beatsticks and massive amounts of countermagic support, filling your slots with dispels here isn't going to be very useful unless you're a gish, and perhaps not even then.
Stifle Spell (PHB2 p.126):
Not bad as a 4th level spell when you are level 7. Gives you about a 50% chance to counter a spell from an equivalent bad guy. Quickly gets outstripped as the opponent's levels (and Concentration checks) rise faster than spell levels and caster attributes. Immediate action, meaning no feat or PrC investment.
Would you prefer to be casting your 4th level spells as active rather than reactive at those levels? More than likely. Still, might find use somewhere if someone could find a way to disrupt Concentration effects as well.
The transferred spell(s) are limited to "One or two 1st-level spells and one 2nd-level spell". What spells are you giving them to dispel with?
The only thing I can think of is a damaging spell that allows them to disrupt spellcasting. In that case, what would be the best spells to apply damage in the "Best Damage", "No SR", "No Reflex Save" or "No Touch AC" categories?
Edit:
Noted that this is a Cleric-only spell, so you have to have significant levels of cleric (or access to the magic domain as an arcane caster) to cast as well. There is also the limitation of "Only cleric spells from the schools of abjuration, divination, and conjuration (healing) can be transferred."
No mention so far for Devour Magic (Greater Invocation) for the Warlock.
Targeted Greater Dispel Magic at touch range. Also gains you temp hitpoints.
Try devour magic on your own items (targeted dispel), which will negate the item for 1d4 rounds and gives you temp hit points for 1 minute.
Doesn't counterspell so well as a touch ability, but if you had something that made your touch abilities into ranged... Or made your touch a range greater than 5'.
Thanks for the suggestion, but wasting a Greater Invocation on something that only works at touch range is a bad choice.
And when you temporarily suppress the magic in an item, you haven't actually dispelled a spell. There's a possibility a lenient DM would allow it, but I'm not convinced.
- Effulgent Epuration does protect against targeted dispels and against counterspells. It's a 9th level spell that lasts 1 round/level... it should have powerful effects.
- Stifle Spell is indeed good at first, but it doesn't belong in this guide (when I get around to updating the guide I may add an "unrelated tips" section...).
- The spell is actually Imbue Familiar with Spell Ability (SC) - it is higher-level and much more powerful than the Cleric's Imbue wSA.
Maximum spell level allowed is 5th, which means you are limited to Dispel Magic, which has the maximum bonus of +10. Dispel Magic, Greater is a 6th level spell.
Dispelling Screen might work, but it would be merely a wall put up to block effects... a wall of stone might be better at that point.
Edit:
Agree that the Devour Magic invocation doesn't belong in the counterspell discussion (didn't realize the wording excluded the use as a counterspell), but it is still something to consider for a warlock who wants to have only one form of dispel magic in his list. There are ways of extending your reach (Inhuman Reach comes to mind), and using it as part of a flyby attack might be fun (what, you don't take Fell Flight?).
Luckily, Spelltheft (CS) still works for dispelling ; as for counterspelling that's up to the DM.
Arcane Thesis: When casting chosen spell (using dispel or greater dispel), you do so at +2 cl. Does this bonus apply to the cap on cl or is it applied after?
Mystic Backlash and Magic Disrupion both give a +1 competence bonus to cl for abjuration spells. I'm fairly certain that these bonuses would stack on top of the the level cap for dispel magic.
Also with Master Specialist the minor school esoterica adds a competence bonus, and at 6th and 9th level caster level increases.
Just curious as to whether you can effectively raise the cap on a dispel (greater dispel) magic
As for raising the cap, I think maybe there's a feat somewhere in a Dragon Magazine, but nothing in the books.
I added a Changelog in the 2nd post.
*bump* because I finally got around to updating it. I'm sure I'm still missing a few things but oh well.
I added a Changelog in the 2nd post.
Very nice updates. Thanks. --ShriekingDrake
You're welcome, SD ! This is a very niche handbook, but I'm glad people are finding it useful.
"Coming from you that's..."
*begins to cry, hides behind a handkerchief*
"Too much emotion, sorry."
;)
I actually have a few more updates in mind: spells with dispels as rider effect (Thunderlance !) and a NPC build, the Mystery Mage... But the core of the handbook should be solid now - I just wish I had more actual experience of the various builds and tactics. I suspect they may not work in all D&D groups.
Here's a first draft of the Mysterious Mage NPC. I'm sure I've forgotten countless things but there's enough to draw comments/criticism.
The Mystery Mage
Flavour: you revel in mystery. You have plundered the secrets of your god, the Shadow, patron of the dark arts (and more importantly the grey arts), of the ancient ruins of Xen'drik and of your own people. You are adept at manipulating magic itself (metamagics).
Note 1: I'd call this the "reflavored Eberron build". The Mage worships the Shadow, and through long studies has come to understand the art of "masking" his spells like he masks his self.
The point here is to reuse the Shadow Weave feats - both mechanically and flavour-wise they belong squarely to the Forgotten Realms, but if you are flexible with your players you're allowed to be flexible with your NPCs !
Drop the Shadow Weave feat and the Shadow Adept level otherwise - it will diminish the power of the build, but only slightly.
Note 2: I'm a big believer in not focusing exclusively on the abilities of level 20 builds, but I only have so much time so I'm just tossing you the big, messy spaghetti bowl. The levels can be moved around fairly easily, so adapting the feats & tactics to the actual level you use him at should be easy. Complain loudly if you find that's not the case. ;)
CN Changeling
Wizard 5/Mindbender 1/Recaster 5/Shadow Adept 1/Escalation Mage 6/Primal Scholar 2
Mindbender is from Complete Arcane (CA), Recaster from Races of Eberron (RoE), Shadow Adept from the Player's Guide to Faerun (PGtF), Escalation Mage from Faiths of Eberron (FoE) and Primal Scholar from Secrets of Xen'drik (SoX).
1 Shadow Weave (PGtF)
3 Extend Spell
5 Invisible Spell (City)
6 Maximize Spell
9 Residual Magic
12 Mindsight (LoM)
15 Mysterious Magic (SoX)
18 Heroic Spirit (ECS)
Bolded feats are PrC prerequisites. Feats in italics are ones I deem useful to exploit class abilities well or better.
Other feats:
- Spell Thematics (PGtF) for the increase in Spellcraft DC and the tiny CL increase,
- Surrogate Spellcasting (SS) : depending on how you interpret it the verbal & somatic components of your spells my become unrecognizable,
- Empower Spell, to replace Extend Spell for Sudden Metamagic and pack more punch.
Flaws are recommended if you introduce this NPC at intermediate levels: that way he can have a sampling of his signatures abilities.
Take the first Changeling Wizard racial substitution level to get extra skill points and class skills (Bluff and Sleight of Hand will give you access to important skill tricks) but don't specialize.
Recaster Expanded Knowledge:
- Wings of Cover/Flurry ? Arcane Fusion ? (move Recaster to higher levels if needed)
- Murderous Mist (SC)
Recaster Sudden Metamagic:
- Extend
- Maximize
Primal Scholar Ancient Secrets:
- Mystery of the Quori: it will let you cast a 1st or 2nd level spell as an immediate action... for the cost of 2 action points (you'll have 3 to start with and 1/round extra with Unfettered Heroism (RoE) so you won't use it more than 3 times). I'm sure you'll find a use for it (say with Dimensional Leap (MoE) for a longer-range Abrupt Jaunt, or an auto-maximized-via-Recaster Lesser Orb to disrupt spellcasting).
- Secret of Defiance: +1 to saves vs spells and SLAs (yes, you don't care much)
Be mysterious !
- Interact with players under various guises (duh, you're a Changeling),
- Use Invisible Spell liberally with spells that create obstacles (from Blockade (CS) to Wall of Stone),
- Use Metamorphic Spell: Space to make your spells look different (I believe you can make Antimagic Field a cone !),
- Use Metamorphic Spell: Components and a Rod of Silent Spells or the Sleight of Hand skill use in RoS to make your casting unnoticeable,
- Use the False Theurgy skill trick or just enjoy the higher-than-normal Spellcraft DCs that make your spells harder to identify.
Don't overdo it !
You're a wizard, and your mastery of metamagics is close indeed to that of an Incantatrix or an Ultimate Magus.
- This reflects a personal taste, but I'm not favour of using too many long-duration save-or-suck against players, because sitting out half the fight... sucks. Metamorphic Spell: Time is nice for that, since you get to make them suck for 1 round at a time for the low cost of a slot and a swift action ; possibly 2 rounds if you allow Extend to work after Metamorphic Spell (and why not ? Metamagics are supposed to be applied in the order most beneficial to the caster in almost all cases IIRC). Use it liberally with Glitterdust, Solid Fog, Mazes - whatever level-appropriate spell you want.
- Use Sudden Metamagic: Extend as described above and/or for buffing early in the day.
Use Sudden Metamagic: Maximize carefully: combined with a free Empower from an Escalation and applied to a blasting spell (even a crappy fireball) it can destroy the party perhaps too easily. Look for other uses, like maximizing the number of lower-level summoned creatures you get with a SM spell... You'll need allies to compensate the unbalance in actions after all.
With Residual Magic you'll get to apply Maximize a 2nd time for free !
- the various PrCs can easily be moved around depending on which abilities you want him to acquire first
- you can take a few more levels of Primal Scholar to be able to cast higher-level spells as an immediate action and/or pick up a signature spell.
- if the Shadow Weave reflavoring is a no-go... drop it. ;)
You have a +2 or +6 to resist dispels (depending on the school) before items come into play, and a +5 or +9 (if taking Spell Thematics) to the Spellcraft DC to identify your spells.
You produce odd effects that dispellers won't know how to counter (invisible walls ! short-lived fogs !).
Grell alchemy! Lords of Madness
Screws up incoming dispels.
I'd add another spell which supports counterspelling:
Khelbens Dweomerdoom (City of Splendors: Waterdeep).
Sure, it's level 9, but you can counterspell in the first place - which means, you dont have to wait for the other casters move and can act with a preemptive strike. It's cast as swift action and the target loses on of his highest spell or SLA.
VERY nice imho.
• Antimage (Kingdoms of Kalamar PHB) Prereq: Spellcaster level 1+
+4 competence bonus for counterspelling and dispelling spells cast by others.
As it's not a feat unique to any particular group/region most DMs shouldn't have a hard time accepting this feat... and i've not seen anything that offers a competence bonus yet to dispelling thats so easy to access.
I haven't added the latest suggestions yet.
The benefit says "You can take 10 on caster level checks (as if the caster level was a skill check)"
However, SRD says - I have bolded
Taking 10
When your character is not being threatened or distracted, you may choose to take 10. Instead of rolling 1d20 for the skill check, calculate your result as if you had rolled a 10. For many routine tasks, taking 10 makes them automatically successful. Distractions or threats (such as combat) make it impossible for a character to take 10. In most cases, taking 10 is purely a safety measure —you know (or expect) that an average roll will succeed but fear that a poor roll might fail, so you elect to settle for the average roll (a 10). Taking 10 is especially useful in situations where a particularly high roll wouldn’t help.
The important thing here is that the arcane mastery feat does not give you the ability to take 10 in stressful situations, only to take 10 as per the basic skill rules.
Has this been discussed before?
Human
Beguiler1 Cleric1 (Inquis and undeath) Human Paragon3 Chameleon10 x5 (perhaps Archmage, perhaps Wonderworker)
Important Feats: Arcane Mastery, Chain Spell, Easy MM (Dragon325) (Chain Spell), Divine Defiance, Invisible Spell and Arcane Thesis (as Chameleon feat, initially Dispel Magic, then Greater). You'll need another MM feat (Sudden Widen is normally a good choice) and Able Learner. With 2 flaws you can get this by 7th, without by 12th.
The important thing is that the Trapsmith (Dungeonscape) gets DM as a 1st lvl spell (and so do you), and GDM as 3rd. So you can chain a GDM as a 3rd level spell by 8th level (and chain DM as a 1st lvl spell until then (did someone say pearls of power!)). You'll also get CL20 by 15th level without trying.
If you can disjunct reliably (and are not afraid of the consequences), then all other dispelling becomes meaningless (counterspelling is still there though).
Also, there's nothing to optimize there.
It doesn't have a dispel check, which is this guide's main optimization target.
I'll have to update at some point, it's been quite a while.
Because it's a nuke.
If you can disjunct reliably (and are not afraid of the consequences), then all other dispelling becomes meaningless (counterspelling is still there though).
Also, there's nothing to optimize there.
It doesn't have a dispel check, which is this guide's main optimization target.
I'll have to update at some point, it's been quite a while.
Oh... Ok, I thought that your idea was to show all the ways to dispell.
No worries, though.
Not much new to look at, but I modified the layout slightly as well.
I thought there was something else, too, but if there was I can't remember. I guess getting SLAs (e.g. either version of Innate Spell, or some PrCs) would count as "resisting counterspells" (not dispels) since SLAs can't be countered (but they can be dispelled).
SLAs can actually be counterspelled with Divine Defiance! I suspect it was a mistake, but the RAW is crystal clear.
I thought also Soultouched Spellcasting, though you do have that after all. Could be good with one of those "fill with essentia" tricks (e.g. Psycarnum Infusion)?
Old thread, but for completeness I figured I'd mention Spiritual Counter [CChamp]. It's basically a worse version of Divine Countermagic (costs 2+spell level turns, not 1+spell level) but doesn't require the Magic or Spell domain. Also the wording might mean you're less likely to get your DM to let it work with Divine Defiance (Countermagic says it works like a normal counterspell, but this doesn't). Still, the advantage of either of these feats is that you don't actually need to make a dispel check for them to work, they just burn loads of turn attempts.
The_Fred wrote:
Archivist/Sacred Exorcist could make some use of it.
Late - but just stumbled across the Antimage feat. It's from Kingdoms of Kalamar, which isn't a usual source (and does it even count as an "official" source?) but if you can get it, it's a flat +4 to dispelling and counterspelling, with the only prereq being a L1 spellcaster.
The_Fred wrote:
(splitting hairs) ... PLZ has KoK listed slightly differerently from strictly 3rd party, but later it was.
http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=h4lsj5vdaps3o0p89b9auo3fe0&topic=12220.msg213307#msg213307
I have no idea what a License turned into a Lapsed License, does to previously licensed material.
My kitty avatar has an idea, but you don't wanna hear it.
Not Legal:
Lapsed Licenses and Campaign Specific
Quote
Tempest_Stormwind wrote:
Tempest_Stormwind wrote:
Wow, this is still active. ^^
I think I saw Truename Dispel but it was a niche inside a niche so I let it sleep...
A +4 to dispels/counterspells as a feat sounds pretty balanced (less convoluted than Planar Touchstone: Catalogues of Enlightenment: Inquisition domain). That Irresistible Spell, on the other hand... *snickers*
Omen_of_Peace wrote:
Hmm... "checks" seems a bit general. Still, there are plenty of buffs out there. I'm sure there are some long-duration ones which might apply to dispels, and that could make a hell of a lot of difference.