Re: Spelljamming

> Fly up to above the entrance (if you're up there, we're already
assuming
> you have a way to counter the winds). Stick a piton in the rock, and
tie
> on a rope. Cast AMS, and *then* enter the cave.

Except you still have given us a way to counter the winds.

> Not the most efficient way of doing things, but just a demonstration
that
> AMS is a feasible alternative to Dispel Magic in this situation.

Never said it wasn't.

> > You can't cast spells when you get there because you're holding on
to
> > the wall.
>
> Point taken. (Isn't AMS a verbal-only spell?)

No idea.  Or why not just tie it to a contingency and be done with it?

> > You need to negate the repulsion.  And leviation lets you
> > get pushed around by the winds.  Like right into the cliff face for
> > some nice damage.
>
> However, levitation is just a safety belt. Mainly, the idea is to
climb
> the rock face--with levitation as a sort of climbing tool. If you're
> already on the rock face, winds aren't going to bother you much; I
> shouldn't think anything less than hurricane-force winds would be
able to
> blow you _off_ the cliff, to slam you back onto them for damage.

Of course they could.  Even you don't get a good grip they'll blow you
across the rocks until you're no longer attached to anything.

> > > And the simplest one is just
> > > to cast Enlarge on myself, increasing my mass by twentyfold or
more.
> >
> > Now you catch even more wind and get pushed around even easier.
> > Remember a fly spell isn't like real wings, it doesn't help you
fight
> > the wind anymore than its flying movement rate will allow (whereas a
> > dragon massive wings and wing muscles combined with its mass let it
> > ignore the local winds).
>
> 1.) In that case, you can't be sure that winds would be enough to
stop a
> Fly spell. It could be you get the same old MV 18 whether in
> hurricane-force winds or dead calm.

You do.  Only the move 24 winds more than negate it and cross currents
will throw you to the side.

> 2.) If you're using a permanent Gust of Wind--or using the spell
> description as your basis--increased size would indeed help combat the
> spell. I don't have my books with me, but Huge size creatures are
reduced
> to something like half speed, not blown away like man-sized ones are.

Those creatures are standing on the ground, where they have traction.
In the air a dragon has large wings to enable it to hold position.
You have neither.

> 3.) If you're climbing the rock, the increased mass would help
anchor more
> against the winds. Sure, you catch more wind (as the square of the
linear
> size increase, roughly), but your mass increases more than your
surface
> area. (Cube of the linear size increase.)

We were talking about flying.  Now you have to hope the already
treacherous rocks have bigger hand holds and can hold more weight.

> > Why not just dominate the dragon and be done with it?
>
> We're trying to penetrate its lair.

Exactly.

> Admittedly, you *could* just try to
> ambush and dominate the dragon, but its magic resistance makes this
risky.

Like trying to dominate and then hold the domination of a beholder
(while in battle with a dragon no less!) is easy.

> In a SJ context, hiring a beholder would probably be somewhat easier
than
> stealing one--but we can think of plans for that as well. (You'd
likely
> have to hire a rogue, like the bartender on Braal, since the
standard ones
> don't seem too cooperative. Much too wrapped up in racial conflicts.)

And the rogues are too busy running from those same conflicts.

> > > You can cast your Levitate or Fly on the zombie.
> >
> > But it's still no good as a scout or at negating the repulsion.
>
> The use of the zombie was contingent on discovering whether repulsion
> affects unliving tissue. Levitate or Fly was an answer to your
question
> about how to get the zombie up to the entrance.

I had no question about that (especially since the winds are still
going to destroy or sweep away the thing).  A zombie can't use fly as
it has no mind but the caster controls a levitate so that might
work--to get your zombie blown away by the winds you still haven't
countered.

> > >But then you still have the problem of extracting the image of the
> > > interior from its mind so you can teleport inside. I was
thinking of
> > this
> > > in combination with the Magic Jar or Sight Link variant.
> >
> > A zombie wouldn't really have a mind to trade places with with magic
> > jar and sight link is another scrying spell.
>
> It's not the mind you trade places with in Magic Jar, it's the life
force.
> You can definitely possess undead; to say that you can't possess
zombies
> sounds like a house ruling.

Why?  Some undead have life forces but mindless undead like zombies
don't so what is there to trade places with?  And yes, it is trading
places with the mind as yours comes with you and theirs goes into the
gem.  Incidentally you're the one who brought up a zombie having a
mind (which is in error).

> Dragons tend to have a poor spell selection. They have more raw power
> (higher casting level), but they learn spells randomly, and even an
> ancient red only gets 5th level spells.

From what I've seen the oldest reds (great wyrms) get only 4th level
mage spells.  Personally I'd never give a dragon a random spell
selection (it's too easy to kill off a couple low level mages and
steal their spell boks plus most dragons are supposed to have lots of
scrolls in their hoards--in SJ mages and their spellbooks are even
easier to come across than in most campaigns).

> Golds and silvers and their ilk do
> a bit better, but even a gold doesn't attain the spell list of an
> archmage. If he's got spells, it's fair to assume IMHO that the
attacking
> wizard has better ones.

No one said I was sticking to chromatic/metallic dragons but even
those spells he has access to (like magic mouth) he's going to use
intelligently.  Not to mention having his servitors use their magic to
further aid him.

> Also, is this dragon paranoid enough to cast
> Invisibility on himself every time he enters and exits his lair?

Why shouldn't he be?  Aren't YOU trying to get in his lair?

> (Additionally, Invisibility is far from infallible, when you're
trying to
> hide from a high-level wizard. I'm imagining around 14th level here--I
> probably wouldn't try to attack an adult dragon before then. Well, I
> would, but the one setting up this trap is fairly paranoid, which
spells
> danger. And if it's an evil dragon, it can't be anything less than a
red
> dragon and a Wyrm or thereabouts, in order to cast the Repulsion.
Steer
> clear for a while.)

Steer clear of any well played dragon anytime for to quote someones
email:  "Thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."

> > For phase door don't you have to
> > prepare or know your destination or something?
>
> I don't believe so. It's a Passwall variant, with an open duration and
> some amount of camoflage built in. Not a teleport.

Just asking.  I thought you did have to know the destination at least.
 Still, you now have to aim right to find the dragon's true lair.

> That's one reason I wouldn't try this in my own body. I don't think
he'd
> actually kill me, but it doesn't hurt to be paranoid.

I'd kill you.  But then I'm not as merciful as an angry red of 1000+
years (as you were assuming this dragon must be).  Incidentally it's
not hurting the dragon to be paranoid either.

> Anyway, much like an ambush, being hunted is more of a problem if
you're
> not expecting it. If you are, it is sometimes referred to as
"baiting." :)

OK mister worm.  When the big spell using fish with flame breath comes
for you with all the lesser fish that serve him, after he's magically
scouted you out, exactly what hook were you going to use to catch him
and how were you going to reel him in?  Oh, and don't forget he's also
taken the time to tell all your enemies exactly where you are too.

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