Counter-smackdowns: Countering a mage using Improved Invisibility + Fly

[Dark Jezter]

One tactic I often see mage PCs talk about is casting Improved Invisiblity + Fly and then flying over the battlefield firing attack spells at everything in sight.

So, before one of my players uses this in my campaign, I want to hear what strategies people could employ to counter this method of attacking.

 

[Pax]

Glitterdust.

Robe of Eyes.

See Invisibility.

Invisibility Purge.

Very high Listen and/or Spot skills.

etc.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Improved Invisibility and Fly!

But to make it more interesting, both opponents have to wear little bells on their wrists.

-Hyp.

 

[Ziggy]

It very hard to counter this tactic without magic. Blindsight is your best bet, and scent can occationally be used (but has too short range to be used in most cases).

If you got a cleric, invisibility purge works, but has too short range if you are outdoors. A poor mans substitute is Detect Magic, but then you need three rounds, and it only has a range of 60 ft. Finally, summoning a bat will give you an animal with blindsight scouting for you. But then you need some means of communicating with it.

As a wizard/sorcerer it much easier. See Invisibility has medium range, and my 11th level wizard usually memorizes an enlarged one with an effective range of 420 feet. That will reveal the wizard unless he is at long range. He then uses glitterdust and dispel magic to take him down. If he is somewhat close, cone spells are excellent, as you only need to know the general direction the mage is casting from.

.Ziggy

 

[Al]

How about First Strike-type tactics? Ready an action to fire a big direct-damage spells (Fireball etc.) with a burst area of effect when he tries to cast a spell. The only problem is that if he has Silent Spell (or casts spell without any verbal component) then it starts to get very tricky.

I'd also plug Glitterdust- it's a great 2nd level spell, as not only does it effectively negate invisibility within the radius, but the offending mage has to make a save or get blinded as well.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Dispel Magic. And, if he's above water: Hold Person after that...

 

[bret]

In a battlefield?

Have a group of archers ready to fire at any flying mages. Given about 20 archers, you aren't that worried about miss chances.

Glitterdust and Summoned Dire Bats are your best options for attacking. Only Sorcerers and Wizards get the first, but Dire Bats are on the Summon Nature's Ally and Fiendish Dire Bats are on the Summon Monster list. Check through the other monsters on the Summon Monster list, there might be another that can See Invisible which isn't evil.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Leave the open plane you are on and get indoors (This is a very useful tactic you might even see in movies).

The mage might be able to follow you, but he cannot maneuver as easy as before, so your chances to find and ... eliminate him... are higher.

Well, as the player of a Shifter with BlindSight 120, I wouldn`t consider this tactic as especially dangerous, but that`s just me.
(Speaking of this - burrowing might help you, too)

Mustrum Ridcully

 

[Thain]

And let's not forget the calssic real-world military techinque of flak. Adapted for DnD, you just plaster the sky with area-affect, indiscriminate, and high damage spells.

Fireball is a classic for sooo many reasons; Ice Storm, Flamestike and Blade Barrier will do for clerics, but require much more luck in aiming.

 

[officeronin]

Wizards that can cast improved inviso and fly can also cast protection from arrows, so he wouldn't be all that worried about archers.

Still, that's a trio of spells, so the amount of artillery spells available will be less. And providing artillery is what the wizard on the battlefield does -- just like regular artillery. Howitzers can easily be destroyed by a few well-placed AP machine gun rounds, and, as a result, they are not placed on the front line, but back where they can be protected. In a like manner, the general who sends his wizards flying over the enemy risks an important asset.

Fact is, a wizard on the battlefield is a potent weapon -- few can compete in the ability to kill scrubs. If the enemy army is all scrubs, you don't even need the improved invisibility... If the enemy army has spellcasters or anything that flies, that's a dead wizard.

I was running a wizard when the orc army was coming to attack the kingdom. I found a herd of cattle, hired folks to herd them into the path of the advancing army, and then cast 5 different versions of contagion on the cattle. The army came along, ate the fresh meat, and died soon thereafter. Who needed fireball?

OfficeRonin