Author Topic: How to counter burrowing  (Read 2265 times)

Offline LordBlades

  • Hero Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 914
  • I'm new!
    • View Profile
How to counter burrowing
« on: October 09, 2012, 11:55:54 AM »
How would one go about preventing an intelligent creature with burrow speed from simply making itself scarce underground when it looks like it's losing?

You can try drawing it far enough out from burrowable terrain or you can try incapacitating it/killing it so fast that it's simply unable to do so in the time between 'I'm losing' and 'I'm dead', but other than that? What tactics can one use to prevent a creature from using it's burrow ability?

Offline ariasderros

  • Epic Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2507
  • PM me what you're giving Kudos for please.
    • View Profile
Re: How to counter burrowing
« Reply #1 on: October 09, 2012, 12:03:27 PM »
Speed reduction abilities.
Entangling effects (nets).
Changing the environment works for the same effect as luring. e.g. Vine Growth puts something in their way they can't burrow through without extra effort to punch through first.
My new Sig
Hi, Welcome

Offline skydragonknight

  • DnD Handbook Writer
  • ****
  • Posts: 2660
    • View Profile
Re: How to counter burrowing
« Reply #2 on: October 09, 2012, 12:06:16 PM »
Unless it can 5 ft step into the ground (Earth Glide), the movement will provoke AoOs, allowing you to potentially flat out kill it or prevent it's movement with something like the Stand Still feat.
Hmm.

Offline kitep

  • DnD Handbook Writer
  • ****
  • Posts: 1948
  • Lookout World!
    • View Profile
Re: How to counter burrowing
« Reply #3 on: October 09, 2012, 02:56:37 PM »
Grappling should work most of the time.

Offline Noliar

  • Full Member
  • **
  • Posts: 180
  • Not a very nice elf
    • View Profile
Re: How to counter burrowing
« Reply #4 on: October 09, 2012, 07:03:53 PM »
Reverse Gravity
Harpoons
Find something it absolutely has to defend on the surface
Burrow faster yourself
Spam heightened dazes at it
Have an air elemental pick it up in a whirlwind.
Summon an earth elemental to stay beneath it and block its escape.
Have incorporeal undead chase it down

Offline Captnq

  • DnD Handbook Writer
  • ****
  • Posts: 1602
  • Haters gonna hate. Dragons gonna drag.
    • View Profile
    • Ask the Captain
Re: How to counter burrowing
« Reply #5 on: October 10, 2012, 03:36:12 AM »
EYE OF THE BEHOLDER - hope to roll a 10.

OTILUKE’S TELEKINETIC SPHERE - Float them away.

TELEKINESIS - Throw him into the air.

ILLUSORY PIT - Make him think he's falling so he can't dig.

Many of the Bigby Spells.

Or hell, why screw around, he wants to go down, let him go down...
ABYSSAL RIFT
If you have questions about 3.5 D&D, you might want to look at the:
Encyclopedia Vinculum Draconis

Currently: Podcasting