Dispelling Magic Item Effects

[ConcreteBuddha]

Dispelling Magic Item Effects


1) Does a targeted dispel against a creature (or area dispel) have a chance of dispelling an ongoing magic item effect?

1a) ...such as the fly effect from winged boots?

1b) ...such as the karma effect from a strand of prayer beads?


The text of the 3.5 PHB says under targeted dispel, "...against the spell or against each ongoing spell currently in effect on the object or creature."

Under area dispel, it says, "The creature's magic items are not effected," and "Magic items are not effected by an area dispel."

However, under winged boots it says, "...let the wearer fly...as if affected by a fly spell."

Fly can be dispelled. Rargh...
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Sorry. Been playing this game forever and each DM I know does this differently.

 

[AGGEMAM]

Dispelling Magic Item Effects

1) Does a targeted dispel against a creature (or area dispel) have a chance of dispelling an ongoing magic item effect?

No. The magic in a magic item is permanent a thus can't be dispel only suppressed. But only with a target dispel at that item.

 

[Ovinomancer]

IMO, if a magic item provides a spell effect, complete with duration and activation, then the effect can be dispelled as an effect present on the owner/caster would normally be dispelled. The magic item could then be used again immediately, because it would not be surpressed.
If the magic item provides a continuous effect, ring of protection, etc, then a targetd dispell at the item is required to 'surpress' the effect for d4 rounds.

Once again, IMO.

 

[hong]

Magic items produce spell-like effects, and so can be dispelled. If you're flying 200' up, try not to get targeted by a dispel magic.

 

[Ovinomancer]

Posting to this thread makes me think....

Can the protection afforded by rings of protection and cloak of protect be dispelled normally, and if so, do they reinstate as a free action on the bearers next turn? There seems to be some evidence of this as a possible outcome in the discriptions of certain magic items and creature abilities.

Thoughts?

 

[ConcreteBuddha]

Thank you for the completely contrary replies.


I guess the game is pretty wishy-washy on this issue.

 

[ConcreteBuddha]

The magic in a magic item is permanent

The fly effect of winged boots is permanent?

Doesn't the fly spell have a duration?


Also, the permanency spell is permanent and it can be dispelled.

Magic items produce spell-like effects.

All of them?

Such as a bead of karma?

Neither under the description for the magic item nor the description of "use activated" nor even the description of special abilities does it say definitively that all magic items produce spell-like effects.


It does say, on page 180 of the PHB that:

"Characters using magic wands, rods, and other enchanted items...can also create magical effects. These effects come in two types: spell-like and supernatural."

So all magic items are either spell-like or supernatural. I'll go out on a limb and say that the winged boots are then spell-like.

Under spell-like: "Usually, a spell-like ability works just like the spell of that name. Spell-like abilities are subject to... being dispelled by dispel magic."

Now that's all fine and dandy for the winged boots, but I'm still stuck on whether the bead of karma is supernatural or spell-like.
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The only saving grace is that under spell-like abilities it says:

"A few spell-like abilities are unique; these are explained in the text where they are described."

(Does anyone but me think that this statement is redundant? It's like saying, "these are written in the place where they are written." Duh.)

Bead of karma is not described as being spell-like, therefore it must be supernatural...maybe.



The twink in me wants to say supernatural. The "that item is uber" DM wants me to make it spell-like.

 

[dcollins]

Dispelling Magic Item Effects
1) Does a targeted dispel against a creature (or area dispel) have a chance of dispelling an ongoing magic item effect?
1a) ...such as the fly effect from winged boots?
1b) ...such as the karma effect from a strand of prayer beads?

The text of the 3.5 PHB says under targeted dispel, "...against the spell or against each ongoing spell currently in effect on the object or creature."

Under area dispel, it says, "The creature's magic items are not effected," and "Magic items are not effected by an area dispel."

This comes up routinely, and there's a big difference of opinion on the subject. It seems to me that dispel rules clearly lay out the situation, as you quote, "Magic items are not affected by area dispels."

The core rules don't make any distinction between the functioning of a continuos magic item, versus the effect of a continuous magic item. Trying to split that hair to say that "continuous items turn off for a fraction of a second and immediately turn back on again" seems counter to the written rule, and also ridiculously too clunky to worry about.