Author Topic: Can you teleport past an Iot7FV's indigo warding?  (Read 4473 times)

Offline ksbsnowowl

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Can you teleport past an Iot7FV's indigo warding?
« on: March 25, 2014, 01:07:33 AM »
I swear, I think in my next campaign I'm going to ban all Immediate action abilities.  Iot7FV and Greater Mirror Image are the bane of me.

One of my 18th level players is an Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil (all 7 levels).  If any threat comes up, he raises the 15-foot diameter version of the dual-warding indigo and violet veils.  The Indigo veil blocks all spells and spell-like abilities.  While googling around, trying to find ways to challenge such characters, someone mentioned that a foe can just teleport inside the area veil, since the wardings don't extend onto the Astral plane.  As abjurations they WOULD extend onto the ethereal plane, however.

No one seemed to reply to this simple remark, and I think they might actually be right.  Teleportation effects occur through the Astral Plane, not on the Material, so the warding shouldn't be able to stop it.  Another shadow-pouncer seems to be in order, as well as foes with Anklets of Translocation, and whatever the move-action teleport boots are from MIC.

Do you agree?

Offline ketaro

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Re: Can you teleport past an Iot7FV's indigo warding?
« Reply #1 on: March 25, 2014, 02:00:15 AM »
Then use Gate or Plane Shift. That doesn't go through the Astral Plane and it gets you inside the sphere of Veils.
You said they're 18th level, you got these spells to spare no doubt :)

Though at the same time, since it's blocking everything magic, then the Initiate can't throw anything at you until he drops the Veil, no? And if I'm reading it right, all you need to do is cast Daylight to negate the Indigo Veil (apparently without even needing a higher CL than the PC as it is not mentioned thus assuming it'd work like Counterspelling where all you need if to cast the correct spell and you succeed without needing any rolls (except if doing so via dispel magic)).

There's also nothing I can find that declares Abjuration spells as extending into the Astral Plane so I do not believe it can block Teleportation effects.

Offline Summerstorm

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Re: Can you teleport past an Iot7FV's indigo warding?
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2014, 08:23:41 AM »
I thought you could just run through too... just need to make a save and eat some damage *g*.

So maybe some kind of VoP Monk... if that wizard is evil. Or some kind of other "I can fail no save"-npc. Or some kind of frenzied berserker who just doesn't care?

Offline LordBlades

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Re: Can you teleport past an Iot7FV's indigo warding?
« Reply #3 on: March 25, 2014, 10:46:41 AM »
Both veils allow Will saves at a relatively average DC (18+Int) with no means to increase it AFAIK. It's not hard to build opponents that auto-pass that Will save and can just walk through the veils unmolested.

alternatively, it takes relatively low-level spells to bring down the veils. If the enemy knows about this character and his tactics he can just have around a couple of expendable minions with wands of Daylight (or Daylight prepared) and use some kind of multiple actions per round combo to Greater Dispel Magic and attack himself (at the most basic level, a  Rod of Quicken or Celerity). If the enemy doesn't know about this character....let's just say that if an 18th level wizard comes after you and you don't know about it you're already dead.

Offline ksbsnowowl

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Re: Can you teleport past an Iot7FV's indigo warding?
« Reply #4 on: March 25, 2014, 11:35:54 AM »
Then use Gate or Plane Shift.
Why would I use gate or plane shift?  Teleport, etc, works (unless anyone here is saying it does not).

Quote
Though at the same time, since it's blocking everything magic, then the Initiate can't throw anything at you until he drops the Veil, no?
That's not the way we've been running it, and a look around the web seems to indicate most groups play it that all an Initiate's spells can pass outward.

Quote
And if I'm reading it right, all you need to do is cast Daylight to negate the Indigo Veil (apparently without even needing a higher CL than the PC as it is not mentioned thus assuming it'd work like Counterspelling where all you need if to cast the correct spell and you succeed without needing any rolls (except if doing so via dispel magic)).
This is true, however, Daylight wasn't something my foes of late have had prepared.  Last night my giant Wizards did drop some Limited Wishes and Greater Shadow Evocations to get Daylight to drop that veil.... and then he'd just bring it up again as soon as he had another immediate or swift action.

Also, the violet veil isn't an auto-dispel, like the same color is in prismatic wall.  The violet veil specifies it can be taken down by dispel magic, but only if you succeed at a dispel check.  Hard to do with a Dispel Magic that is capped at +10; allowing Greater Dispel Magic helps, but it is a higher level spell, which the BBEG's have fewer of.

I thought you could just run through too... just need to make a save and eat some damage *g*.

So maybe some kind of VoP Monk... if that wizard is evil. Or some kind of other "I can fail no save"-npc. Or some kind of frenzied berserker who just doesn't care?
The Iot7FV is at a DC 25 for all his veils right now.  Sure, I can build a foe to specifically have great saves, but damage isn't the issue, so a frenzied berserker tanking through isn't going to help:
Quote
Indigo Veil: This veil prevents the passage of all spells or spell-like abilities. Any creature crossing an indigo veil must succeed on a Will save or become confused, as if by an insanity spell. ...
Violet Veil:  This barrier destroys all objects and effects that cross it, as if they were disintegrated. Living creatures passing a violet veil must succeed on a Will save or be shifted to a random place on a random plane (as the plane shift spell). ...
Even the CR 19 and 21 wizard foes that were facing the PC's only have Will saves of around +20; they can still fail those saves.  And no matter what, all your equipment was just disintegrated, no save.
Have fun attacking the PC's with your hands.
I guess I need a wildshaped druid...

Both veils allow Will saves at a relatively average DC (18+Int) with no means to increase it AFAIK. It's not hard to build opponents that auto-pass that Will save and can just walk through the veils unmolested.

alternatively, it takes relatively low-level spells to bring down the veils. If the enemy knows about this character and his tactics he can just have around a couple of expendable minions with wands of Daylight (or Daylight prepared) and use some kind of multiple actions per round combo to Greater Dispel Magic and attack himself (at the most basic level, a  Rod of Quicken or Celerity). If the enemy doesn't know about this character....let's just say that if an 18th level wizard comes after you and you don't know about it you're already dead.
Much of the time the foes have never seen the PC's before (they are currently exploring thousands of miles away from their normal stomping grounds), as was the case last night.  The BBEG even had the PC's brought into a trap (the "throne room" was inside a Sudden Widened Dimensional Lock, and the whole level of the complex was under a Halaster's Teleport Cage.  The foes were all Craa'ghoran Giants, so they could use Wall of Stone as an SLA 3/day each, to block the PC's in.)  The PC's had gone exploring into the complex, and were willingly brought before the leader after being discovered (the PC's were looking for information), but the bad guys just had their normal spell allotments (not a special selection for PC's they'd never met), and the veils shut everything they had down.  A spellcraft check recognized the veils for what they were, and I used what spells I could to knock the veils down, but four separate attempts to knock down the violet veil with dispel magic and greater dispel magic all failed (very poor rolls).

The only big gun that worked out well was Mordenkainen's Disjunction (I've altered it to still require CL checks, and items are merely made inert for 1d4 hours, like in Pathfinder).  But the very next attack against them... and the veils come back up.

The bad guys basically spent 70% of their time trying to get around the veils, and once they did, they still had to contend with Greater Mirror Image + Displacement, etc.  And then the veils came back up.

Offline zook1shoe

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Re: Can you teleport past an Iot7FV's indigo warding?
« Reply #5 on: March 25, 2014, 06:46:43 PM »
Both veils allow Will saves at a relatively average DC (18+Int) with no means to increase it AFAIK. It's not hard to build opponents that auto-pass that Will save and can just walk through the veils unmolested.

Ability Focus from MM1 can give it +2
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Offline ketaro

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Re: Can you teleport past an Iot7FV's indigo warding?
« Reply #6 on: March 25, 2014, 07:47:53 PM »
Equipment that is worn or equipped by a creature never does not get a save against any effect that may do something to that equipment and it gets to roll using the saves of the creature that has it equipped. For that violet Veil, it does have a save even if it isn't mentioning that objects get a save, usually only unattended objects don't get to roll saves for anything. At the least you could probably just roll saves for objects instead of going along with that "objects auto-die forever" clause lacking enough explanation. It'd be better than just accepting that Veils are stupid from the other side of the table  :-\
« Last Edit: March 25, 2014, 07:52:16 PM by ketaro »

Offline Summerstorm

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Re: Can you teleport past an Iot7FV's indigo warding?
« Reply #7 on: March 26, 2014, 05:35:50 AM »
Hm... So naked VoP- Monk it is. Flying Kick-Charge into his face *g*

Ah well, also you can doi the same thing with him as with all wizards: Hit-and run tactics. (If you can do that) Send minions/henchmen, followers against him. Make them look more dangerous that they are - have them retreat/hide... make the enemy waste time. The wizard can ward only 4 times a day for a few minutes only, or not?

Make them waste their defenses, slow them down, don't let them rest. If they flee into other planes/teleport away - relocate, rest up, ward against teleporting in etc.

But yeah, it is never that easy. You can't move because your home/ritual/dungeon is there... the enemies just rush down before their buffs go cold... your followers cant'g get them to activate their short-term buff, or can't flee wihtout losing too many people. Ah well.

Offline Sleepyphoenixx

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Re: Can you teleport past an Iot7FV's indigo warding?
« Reply #8 on: March 26, 2014, 07:15:55 AM »
It's not entirely clear by RAW if the veil blocks teleportation. Since teleports don't need LoE i'd say no though. There's other spells to defend against it and the veil is already powerful enough. The cheapest solution for melee humanoids to get past would be Novice Shadow Hands of Jaunt (3000gp). They are usable by anyone 6th level and higher.
Note that it also doesn't block supernatural abilities so a lot of monster abilities get through unimpeded. For humanoids the ToB has some ranged maneuvers that should also get past it without problems. The same applies to Incarnum and (iirc) most ranged Binder abilities.
For unarmed or natural weapon users Blood Wind (SpC) should also allow attacks to bypass the veil since they are neither spells nor objects.

Nowhere in the description of IotSV is it stated that the initiates spells are exempt from the effects of the indigo veil. You already mentioned that you play it that way but you may want to revisit that ruling, if not in this game then certainly in the next. There is very little legitimate concern for the player to cry about unfair nerfing in this case imo.

Offline Kethrian

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Re: Can you teleport past an Iot7FV's indigo warding?
« Reply #9 on: March 26, 2014, 12:03:02 PM »
I just want to add that since the veils are based off the Prismatic Wall/Sphere spells, those spells do block the caster's spells, so there is definitely precedent to rule that the indigo veil blocks the initiate's spells (all does mean ALL spells, after all).
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Offline Unbeliever

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Re: Can you teleport past an Iot7FV's indigo warding?
« Reply #10 on: March 26, 2014, 12:26:56 PM »
As Ketaro points out, objects get saves if they are equipped/worn.  The typical tactic when confronted with prismatic awesomeness is to send/summon/bind a bruiser and have him walk through. 

Or walk through yourself after fortifying your saves, etc. 

Offline Nunkuruji

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Re: Can you teleport past an Iot7FV's indigo warding?
« Reply #11 on: March 26, 2014, 03:35:15 PM »
I strongly agree with your assessment, ksb.

Shadow Cloak is another potential item, might be MIC or DotU.

Some lesser teleport type effects can be hedged out by denying LoS, iirc.

Offline ketaro

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Re: Can you teleport past an Iot7FV's indigo warding?
« Reply #12 on: March 26, 2014, 08:30:38 PM »
Hmm, Eldritch Blast is supernatural. Just harass him with Warlock snipers.  :rolleyes

Offline ksbsnowowl

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Re: Can you teleport past an Iot7FV's indigo warding?
« Reply #13 on: March 26, 2014, 11:13:39 PM »
Hmm, Eldritch Blast is supernatural. Just harass him with Warlock snipers.  :rolleyes
No... it's spell-like.

Acidic splatter on the other hand...

Offline ketaro

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Re: Can you teleport past an Iot7FV's indigo warding?
« Reply #14 on: March 26, 2014, 11:20:48 PM »
It is!?

Well I only ever played it once and had it played against me too much to care just wanna murder all warlocks ever :x