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View Full Version : Taking a 20 on Dispells



mostlyharmful
2007-08-06, 05:04 PM
Can you combine Maximize with Dispell Magic? I've been reading the PHB and can't see anything wrong with using it, if so it becomes ENORMOUSLY more powerful, esspecially greater dispelling which can break enchantments, so much so that you can break virually any curse or bad mojo cast by anyone your world has ever seen not just level appropriate encounters, I'm talking traps and relics of previous civilisations (ie, plot hooks) with complete reliability:smalleek: anything short of an artifact in fact.:smallfrown:

Fax Celestis
2007-08-06, 05:07 PM
I don't see why not. Heighten + Maximize + Dispel Magic = Insane dispel check.

Jasdoif
2007-08-06, 05:14 PM
You can apply Maximize, but it won't do what you're hoping for.
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)?

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.

A magic item dispelled by a maximized Dispel Magic would be suppressed for the maximum of 4 rounds, however.

Generic PC
2007-08-06, 05:18 PM
damn... it would of been so nice...

Jasdoif
2007-08-06, 05:21 PM
Hmm. If you have 20 spells to expend and 20 rounds to spare, I think it would be fair to allow you to take 20 on the dispel check.

Collin152
2007-08-06, 05:41 PM
Hmm. If you have 20 spells to expend and 20 rounds to spare, I think it would be fair to allow you to take 20 on the dispel check.

I don't get it. Elaborate on this (presumably) sarcasm, if you would.

Closet_Skeleton
2007-08-06, 05:43 PM
I don't get it. Elaborate on this (presumably) sarcasm, if you would.

He's talking about taking 20 in the normal, skill check, use of the phrase.

mostlyharmful
2007-08-06, 05:45 PM
Which might, i suppose, be useful to a caster with a full day to prepare to dispell a powerful Macguffin without useing maximize or rods of maximize. Given a charitable DM, this makes sense for those casters that haven't picked up the feat or spent the cold hard cash.

However, I intended the thread to be concerned with the combination of Dispell and Maximize metamagic, ie, giving a natural twenty for certain, which seems to undermine a whole lot of BBEGs that cast spells or use big scary-ass magic items. Which is most of them and almost all high level ones

blue_fenix
2007-08-06, 05:53 PM
Maximize Spell does not affect caster level checks. It would be like saying "I maximize my scorching ray, so I get a 20 on the roll for the ranged touch attack, right?"

mostlyharmful
2007-08-06, 05:58 PM
Yup, I agree completely, cept, it isn't a level check. You add your level to a d20 roll in trying to determine how effective this particular attempt to dispel is, ie it involves an ellement of randomness, which maximize well maximizes.

the maximize affects the result of the spell, the maximized ray of scorching would have the damage maximized not the to hit roll, for dispels you don't need to roll to hit, you just roll to affect

blue_fenix
2007-08-06, 05:59 PM
All I can do is refer you back to Jasidof's post above in which he quoted the official WoTC response. Note the specific reference to dispel. And if 1d20 + caster level is not a level check, I don't know what is.

mostlyharmful
2007-08-06, 06:00 PM
Bum.. fair enough

namo
2007-08-07, 11:07 PM
There are other ways (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=12991308&postcount=11) to legally optimize dispel checks - you just need more splatbooks.