3.5: Detect Magic, Dispel Magic and constructs
SeaHen
Arcane Sight, Identify, Analyze Dweomer, Dispel Magic, Greater Dispel
Magic and Mordenkainen's Disjunction? Differently from constructs made
by spells (e.g. Animate Object)?
Harold Groot
wrote:
My 2 cents -
In general they don't interact with those spells at all. They are
considered to have been animated by an instantaneous effect, not an
on-going magical effect. In other words they have become a creature,
not an animated object. So there is nothing magical left there to
suppress, detect, analyze, dispel or disjoin. They work just fine in
an ANTI-MAGIC zone, for example.
It's similar to how Undead are animated - you can't get rid of the
magic by dispel or disjoin effects, they keep going in anti-magic
zones, etc. ANIMATE DEAD has a duration of "Instantaneous", not
"Permanent". They are self-powered after creation.
Using the AWAKEN spell would be similar - it's an instantaneous effect
and is not subject to dispel, disjoin, etc. It's turned a tree into a
creature.
It's also somewhat similar to how a Wizard's Familiar is joined. It
takes a magical ceremony to call the Familiar, but once the bond has
been formed you can't do anything to it with dispel, disjoin, etc.
Now I'll grant you, some constructs have ANIMATE OBJECTS as part of
the spells needed to make them and that has a set duration - but
usually there is some additional spell that can be considered to
override or go beyond that. For example, if you want to make a Clay
Golem you not only use ANIMATE OBJECTS, you also use RESURRECTION. The
latter seems to be the source of "This is now a creature".
The Stone and Iron Golems are a bit less clear (using both POLYMORPH
OBJECTS and LIMITED WISH) while the Flesh Golem uses ANIMATE DEAD
along with the LIMITED WISH. It appears that they may use those first
spells for the general ability to move (i.e. what they can do) and the
LIMITED WISH spell for the property of becoming a creature (i.e. what
they are).
tussock
> How do constructs made as items [...]
They're creatures, not items. They're also immune to magic, for the
most part. There's no special property of constucts that makes them
affected as if magical, as they're not a spell or magic item.
> Differently from constructs made by spells (e.g. Animate Object)?
Yes. Where there's an ongoing spell, you can target the spell as
appropriate.
--
tussock
U'm iuel p jyx yn chycyipwlaf kyd blvlr ebyg ghpw kyd'rl sdbbp slw.
Ubiquitous
I'd have to look it up, but targetting Dispel Magic still works. IIRC, the
general rule is that they're immune to spells which allow spell resistance.
--
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JOanna Rowland-Stuart
> *From:* Ubiquitous <web...@polaris.net>
> *Date:* Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:49:46 -0500
> I'd have to look it up, but targetting Dispel Magic still works.
> IIRC, the
> general rule is that they're immune to spells which allow spell
> resistance.
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/dispelMagic.htm
"If the object that you target is a magic item, you make a dispel check against the
item’s caster level. If you succeed, all the item’s magical properties are
suppressed for 1d4 rounds, after which the item recovers on its own. A suppressed
item becomes nonmagical for the duration of the effect."
If a construct is made as a magic item, all one can achieve with a dispel magic is
to deactivate it (and knock down its immunities and damage reduction) for 1d4
rounds. So for that period of time one can either try to smash it (by removing all
its remaining hit points) or run away...
Cheers
JOanna
Arandor
wrote:
Except, of course, for the fact that a construct is not a magic
item. :) It's a creature.
So /Dispel Magic/ still doesn't do diddly squat on a construct.
(Unless that construct happens to have spells active on it.)
Just because magic has in the past had something to do with a creature
(in the case of constructs or undead) does not make them "magical" and/
or in any way susceptible to /Dispel Magic/, or the greater version
thereof.
--
Cheers,
Arandor
Ubiquitous
>http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/dispelMagic.htm
>
> [...]
>
>If a construct is made as a magic item, all one can achieve with a dispel
>magic is to deactivate it (and knock down its immunities and damage
>reduction) for 1d4 rounds. So for that period of time one can either try to
>smash it (by removing all its remaining hit points) or run away...
We don't activiate them in the first place.
JOanna Rowland-Stuart
> item. :) It's a creature.
>
> So /Dispel Magic/ still doesn't do diddly squat on a construct.
> (Unless that construct happens to have spells active on it.)
Thanks :-) much becomes clearer.
Cheers
JOanna