Disjunction and Spell like abilities

[juliaromero]

How would Mord's Disjunction work with always on spell-like abilities? Would you rule it surpresses them for some number of rounds like a Dispel Magic?

 

[NexH]

Would you rule it surpresses them for some number of rounds like a Dispel Magic?

That seems like a good ruling. The other possibility is that the creature loses that spell-like ability permanently, which is not so good.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Can you provide an example of one you're thinking of?

 

[juliaromero]

Well, the one that made me think of it originally was the permanent anti-magic field around an Epic Clossus, which in all other ways (besides being always on, and extending to 100 ft) acts like antimagic field cast by a 25th level wizard. I was thinking of why something like that would even bother have DR 30/epic or whatever it is, when nothing magical can touch it, and what a party could do about it, when I realized that Disjunction has a percent chance of wasting an antimagic field, so that got me thinking about the whole thing.

There are lots of other examples. I believe a number of outsiders have things like permenent magic circle against evil effects or the like, Solar's for example, but there are others. I don't feel like going through all the monster manuals looking for every individual example though. But it is something that can come up in different situations and it's good to have a ruling handy for it.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Gotcha. The thing about "permanent" spell like abilities is that, generally speaking, they're treated as spells with a duration of "forever."

Thus, should you dispel them, the creature can recreate the effect on their next turn - sometimes even for free. Most creature's text says something to this effect, as well. Also, in 3.5, most of these types of abilities were changed to Supernatural, rather than Spell-like.

—Protective Aura (Su): Against attacks made or effects created by evil creatures, this ability provides a +4 deflection bonus to AC and a +4 resistance bonus on saving throws to anyone within 20 feet of the angel. Otherwise, it functions as a magic circle against evil effect and a lesser globe of invulnerability, both with a radius of 20 feet (caster level equals angel’s HD). This aura can be dispelled, but the angel can create it again as a free action on its next turn. (The defensive benefits from the circle are not included in an angel’s statistics block.)

Also, for a particular Angel, the Planetar:

The following abilities are always active on the planetar’s person, as the spells (caster level 17th): detect evil, detect snares and pits, discern lies (DC 20), see invisibility, and true seeing. They can be dispelled, but the planetar can reactivate them as a free action.

EDIT: Furthermore, check out the Colossus you brought up.

Antimagic Field (Ex): A colossus constantly generates an antimagic field in a 100-foot-radius. The field is an invisible barrier that is impervious to most magical effects, including spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities. Likewise, it prevents the functioning of any magic items or spells within its confines, except for the colossus’s own supernatural abilities. This effect is otherwise as an antimagic field cast by a 25th-level caster.

Note how it's an extraordinary ability? You can't dispel EX abilities.

 

[juliaromero]

Missed that on the collossus ... guess it's artifact weapons or die.

 

[saucercrab]

Missed that on the collossus ... guess it's artifact weapons or die.

Nah, there are easier ways of taking out a colossus:

1. Open a gate to the paraelemental (sp?) plane of magma outside of the am field (& preferably on a downward slope) & burn it with magma. It might take a while (& repeat castings) but the thing can't heal so eventually it'll burn to death.

2. Even quicker, have a druid or wizard/sorcerer shapchange into a ghaele eladrin, shift into globe form, & hit it with frickin' lasers from over 200 ft. away (an (ex) ability that does typeless energy damage). Much quicker.

3. Just gate in a ghaele eladrin & follow steps in #2.

I prefer #2.

 

[sullivan]

The thing about Disjunction is the text uses the not offically defined "item". I know it is a contended point of whether or not an "item" can be a creatures, but the RAW don't explicitly exclude interpreting "item" as being the union of "creature" and "object".

So, assuming that an "item" could include "creature", could Disjunction take the magic permanently out of certain kinds of creatures that are constructed partially of magic? Golems and similar contructs seem to be a no-brainer to say yes Disjunction could undo their magic (Disjunction ignores SR). But other creatures that have inherant magic tied into them?