Ed Dove wrote:Missed Thing #1:
The only way any campaign can even possibly be "ruined" for anybody is if they have in mind some preconceived notion about what must or must not happen in that campaign to satisfy them.
So the problem here isn't that a low-level Magic-User can possibly use Disintegrate to eliminate a powerful being. The problem is the preconceived notion that there's something wrong with that.
I didn't mean it that way, but how I asked the question does kind of sound like that was my intention, to prevent players from "ruining" my plans.
What I meant was that a 1000 hit dice monster has little terror factor when you know you have a guaranteed kill scroll (however expensive it may have been to acquire) sitting in your pack (and, it is entirely possible to acquire more of them). That was my concern -- How does the spell not simply deflate what should be a very big piece of the story? It leads to an unsatisfying and anti-climactic situation.
When Satan himself is summoned from the depths of his infernal prison, hearing "I cast Disintegrate" and that's that... it pulls the rug out from underneath something that should have been epic.
Mr. Raggi's reply didn't quite negate my concern, but it definitely opened new possibilities.
Mr. Dove's second point...
Ed Dove wrote:Missed Thing #2:
And all that adventuring, investment, library building, spell research, and scroll creation not only doesn't "ruin" a campaign, it IS a campaign.
...does put it into greater perspective.
What struck me as odd was that other MU "killing spells" had restrictions to them, while disintegrate does not.
Level 6 Death Spell - Creatures of 8 hit dice or more are immune, also does not work against undead, golems, and other creatures not truly alive.
Level 9 Power Word Kill - Will not affect a creature of 61 or more HP.
But, in the end, I essentially have my answer, so I'll roll with it. Thank you all for your input!
Two final questions on the matter though... Unless otherwise stated, all monster victims of MU spells get a saving throw based on their level and class (modified by int) to completely negate the effects of the spell, yes?
What saving throw number would you use for a 1000 hit dice monster?
Last edited by davidnusse (2015-05-14 11:04:53)