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A constant problem when I try to make any high level fighter build (theory-craft builds, mostly) is being able to bypass the fourth level spell, emergency force sphere.
While there are two notable ways to bypass it, one is questionable, and the other is nearly impossible to get on a fighter.
1) brilliant energy reach weapons. As brilliant energy weapons are stated to ignore "all non-living matter" they could plausibly bypass the sphere without issue. The problem is, all they're stated to do mechanically is bypass armor.
2) get a burrow speed, as the sphere is actually a dome that doesn't go under the ground.
I'd like some advice on how to bypass this horribly broken 4th level spell.
Only options open to fighter, please, "play a barbarian instead" is not what I'm looking for.
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You willing to take a dip into hunter and blow a feat? It has a minimum fifth level but you get a burrow speed.
If it's only a one level dip, that works fine.
So it depends- do you mean a 5 level "dip" into hunter, or a 1 level dip that doesn't work until level 5 overall?
How often are you seeing NPCs using Emergency Force Sphere? Not that it shouldn't come up more often, but I've seen it like once.
Beyond that, the enemy becomes trapped inside unless they teleport out, they can't cast spells through it.
gain the earth elemental infused template
Templates are not meant for pc's.
How often are you seeing NPCs using Emergency Force Sphere? Not that it shouldn't come up more often, but I've seen it like once.
Beyond that, the enemy becomes trapped inside unless they teleport out, they can't cast spells through it.
I never have a chance to play rather then gm, so, never.
And since I hate the spell with a burning passion, as a gm, I don't have it exist.
But I'm more or less trying to ensure that the spellcaster can't escape without contengnecy.
Play abarbarianfighter.
Heh, I do like that archtype sometimes, but not really what I'm looking for.
Like, something that could be put on a dragoon.
-Spellshatter, if your fighter is a dwarf.
- Burrow speed, as Emergency force sphere is actually only half and sphere.
- Gaze attacks?
-Spellshatter, if your fighter is a dwarf.
- Burrow speed, as Emergency force sphere is actually only half and sphere.
- Gaze attacks?
Any advice on how to get a burrow speed?
I'll look into spellshatter, it sounds promising.
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Using the item mastery/weapon mastery feats you can get access to dimension door on a fighter. Dimension door into the emergency force sphere, it'll surprise the crap out of them.
Using the item mastery/weapon mastery feats you can get access to dimension door on a fighter. Dimension door into the emergency force sphere, it'll surprise the crap out of them.
Ooh, that's good, I like it.
Also, spellshatter works too!
Thanks a lot, guys, I think I've got it now.
A 9th+ level steelbound fighter can get a 3rd level SLA, cast by their weapon - burrow would be an option, or if the APG summoner's list is allowed, dimension door. Steelbound wouldn't be compatible with dragoon but it might be a decent substitute for it.
A one-level dip into wizard or arcanist could snag you that conjuration (teleportation) school ability to teleport 5'.
A whole bunch of items could allow a short teleport. Possibly expensive, true.
An eldritch guardian fighter might get a dweomercat cub familiar to deliver cat-in-the-face when the wizard (or whatever) casts some spell which can get thru the sphere. There are a few and presumably if you cast the sphere you have one or more. A dweomercat cub mauler familiar might even be ridable, and if a blink dog can carry a rider when dimension door'ing, the cub should be able to,
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The spell requires an immediate action and you can't use immediate actions when flat footed.
The fighter needs to win initiative, move to melee range and grapple the caster. A grappled caster can't use emergency force sphere because, like wall of force, it needs to be continuous and unbroken when formed.
You let the caster cast a spell? Tsk tsk.
A lot of what was said is very well appreciated, and will be remembered when I have too much time at work and am thinking up builds while i work. Thanks.
You let the caster cast a spell? Tsk tsk.
A bit hard not to when it's an out of turn immidate action that can intterupt yours.
One of the things to consider with EFS is that there are limitations to the spell.
1. It is explicitly a dome, and the dome always faces up (else "bottom edge" is meaningless, but that is part of the rules of the spell). Thus, for a flying wizard, the spell will typically be completely ineffective as anything beneath them will have unobstructed line of effect.
2. Usual verbal caveat - Silence shuts off the ability to cast it and virtually no wizards take Silent Spell.
3. Because of its size, most mounted wizards (phantom steed or similar) will be too large for it.
One little variation on what I suggested above. One of the spells which doesn't need line of effect is possession, which is a 3rd level spell for a medium, and therefore possible for a steelbound fighter. Wizard casts emergency force sphere -> fighter's sword possesses the wizard. Preferably before the wizard does the same to the fighter.
Pump UMD with skills and carry Dispel Magic scrolls.
Pump UMD with skills and carry Dispel Magic scrolls.
Doesn't work on this.
It's hardness 20. Fighter could Power Attack and pulverize the emergency force sphere in good order.
Why is the Fighter going it alone against the sphere again?
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Using the item mastery/weapon mastery feats you can get access to dimension door on a fighter. Dimension door into the emergency force sphere, it'll surprise the crap out of them.
in more detail:
from Weapon Master's Handbook pg. 27
You can coax teleportation from conjuration magic items.
Prerequisites: Use Magic Device 4 ranks, base Fortitude save bonus +6 .
You can cause an item that has a conjuration spell of 3rd level or higher in its construction requirements to cast dimension door. You can use this ability once per day, plus an additional time per day at base Fortitude save bonus +9 and +12.
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Heh - so with a wand of cure serious wounds, said Teleportation Mastery Fighter can *bamf* right on in there with the caster of emergency force sphere with a big ol' grin on its face. Nice.
No, you need a permanent item. Not that that's a big problem, someone compiled a list and I think there was an option under 2K for every item mastery feat.
Edit: it was ZenithTN & Cevah, mainly. This thread.
You don't even need the right magic item as a fighter, an advanced weapon training option lets you bypass that requirement.
Look up the Iron Caster build.
any ways for a fighter to get spell sunder as a feat like how barbarians can get fighter feats as rage powers?
Viking fighters get access to rage powers.
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But...Vikings can Rage tho.
Lady-J, Viking archetype
One level dip into teleportation wizard gives you a swift action short range teleport.
A dwarven fighter can get the shatterspell feat, mentioned by Alexandros Satorum above tho' with the name slightly wrong.
This theory craft would assume no party. Move away and wait it out. Costs 0 resources.
The dimensional door option is potentially suicidal, you are placing yourself right next to the caster and ending your turn. They are forced to cast defensively but those are not good odds when NPC spellcasters do tend to take feats like combat casting.
And reality is, the caster is almost certain to get their own next round to do whatever they want before you can try any of this... Because they triggered Emergency Force Sphere when you were already attacking them, i.e. that action was already committed so you can't switch back to drawing some magic item to use, and even ex-post-facto designating it as an attack vs the force sphere is pushing it, RAW. IMHO, the OP's original instinct to ban it was correct.
Or the GM could have NPCs use the same spell against the PCs. Just a thought. See how the players like having to deal with getting their own medicine.
Do that and you shouldn't need to be banning it.
Edit: take advantage of the opening. Is the entire party under that little thing? No? Good. Waste the other characters outside that hardness 20 bubble while mocking the caster inside. Hardness 20 is annoying, but it can be beaten down by the BSF-type.
Does a villain have access to transmute rock to mud or similar terrain-altering abilities? Bury 'em in muck, stone, lava, a flood, whatever's available. Time to see if the caster's fairly likely-to-not-have-taken-ranks-in Knowledge (engineering), Craft (stonemasonry) or Profession (architecture or engineer) is up to the DC 20 task. Not a guarantee, especially in the 7th-10th level range. How many characters capable of casting this spell select any of these four skills?
At 10 hp per CL, hardness 20 only prolongs its existence a wee bit against 'melee brutes'. A book-standard CR 9 frost giant using Power Attack with its greataxe will hew through a CL 9th emergency force sphere by itself, only having to hit an AC of 2, using purely averaged-dice-roll damage output, with 7.5 hits, or 4 rounds. If the giant has a buddy with haste, that one giant will instead hew down the bubble in 3 rounds, less if the giant has a healthy amount of luck. If the giant actually rolls a critical hit, that bubble's probably going bye-bye as it takes (9d6+66 -20) 77.5 hp on an average greataxe critical hit. Three of 'em will hack it down with nothing but Power Attack in a single round. Gods help the caster if they are facing down an enemy built for chopping up enemy spells!
Lots of monsters have access to multiple-round duration clouds of ever-increasing degrees of nastiness. Stack 'em on top of the bubble. If you've got a fire source, pyrotechnics up a cloud of choking smoke around that bubble and watch 'em squirm.
Chuck a rock bearing deeper darkness at the edge of it to turn the lights off. If they can't see out, you can make their emergence a brutal and painful affair. If they can't see, cover up the map when you've turned off the figurative lights and have 'em stipulate a distance that they dimension door out of the bubble. If they screw it up, depending on the terrain, they put themselves into a world of hurt.
Did you beat the caster on initiative? No immediate action for YOU! Get in there and jack 'em up. An especially fun tactic against that caster is to hit 'em with a dimensional anchor or enervate before they have any chance to 'raise shields'.
"You also cannot use an immediate action if you are flat-footed."
Unless everyone's sporting abilities to permit acting even when flat-footed, you have a shot at 'em at least some of the time.
Have dimension door or abundant step and a spare feat? Dimensional Agility is your friend. Teleport right on in there and gut yourself a wizard. Alternatively, special abilities such as dimensional hop and the like will also do the same trick.
Douse that bubble in something hot and nasty. Kegs of lamp oil. Siege ammunition set atop the bubble so that when it drops the ammo in question simply drops down and detonates.
fire seeds and delayed blast fireballs at higher levels. Enclose it within a wall of ice, then feel free to buff up if you've caught all of the PCs inside their own bubble. Slather it inside of a healthy duration 11th level revelation such as blizzard or especially firestorm.
I just went back and looked at the Emergency Force Sphere description, and realized that if I cast it while standing erect, either my head would be sticking out of the top of it, or it would have a 1' gap under it, and I'm of only average height. You certainly wouldn't be able to fit very many party members in there, and it would be cramped even with Widen Spell (still just barely large enough for a mounted party).
Hrm - that's a smidge odd. Height of a hemisphere is the radius. Talk about duck-and-cover! ;)
Oh, that's funny. That's gotta be a typo.
No, it's always going to be big enough to contain the caster. FAQratta.
No, it's always going to be big enough to contain the caster. FAQratta.
The FAQ doesn't apply as it's not a burst or emanation
Reflex save vs your own spell to not be decapitated? ;)