Quote Originally Posted by King of Nowhere View Post
Please don't insult our DM. he's never played above level 3 before our campaign, so he's inexperienced in dealing with high levels. And he's got a job and a busy life, like the rest of us, and can't be expected to spend days preparing this game.
That said, he DOES put in the time to create encounters. unique monsters, unique situations, unique npcs. he still lacks the skill to use them to their full potential. it's easier when you are a player, you have to know well your character. when you have to know a dozen npcs that you will use once or twice, it's different. I've been there. I've DMed a party of 20th level casters as main opponents, and never managed it well.
Speaking of stepping up, I did specifically say that I wasn't looking for defences for the dragons, and wasn't looking for spells to neutralize orbs. So if you want to throw dismissive comments on my friends, you should at least make sure to have read and understood the issue.
There is no insult intended. If he is unable to handle the situation well due to whatever reasons (and several reasons are listed by you), then isn't it fair to him to play a game in territory he is more familiar with and has the time to handle? Because 220 damage at level 16 shouldn't be giving the DM issues, nor should the rest of the party be overshadowed by it.

I've DMed well past epic and it can be challenging to run appropriate encounters, but everyone at my table understands I am able to do it well. We have another DM who was having trouble once we entered the mid-teens, so we retired and rerolled, no biggie.

All you want is to nerf a single spell as being the only issue? Will you be back next week too when the next spell is found? Then the next, and the next, and the next...etc. I see alot of good suggestions, which does include playing legendary monsters as being the super-intelligent magic wielding power houses that have lived for centuries without being slain. I also see a number of other spells that are mentioned here that are just as troublesome, if not significantly more game breaking than super metamagiked orbs. There is one common cause for these problems -- the Incantatrix. In your games, how many times has it come up that a tripping monk was too powerful for the boss encounter (like say, a Great Wyrm Dragon...)