Question about Dispel Magic

[daBooj]

does the char that will be doing the dispelling have a chance to dispel the fear? I guess if he were first in the initiative queue, he would be able to dispel something before the fear victim could drop and run, but the dispeller would have to know that the victim was afraid. And the victim hasn't had the chance to act afraid at that point, has he?

so my question: would the dispeller be able to dispel before the fear victim had dropped his weapon and fled, or would the dropping and turning be the indication to the spellcaster that the fear victim had failed his save?

 

[Lord Pendragon]

BTW does not the caster need a way to percieve the fear effect to be ABLE to target it? Like from arcane sight or detect magic. Dispell does not seem to empower the caster to percieve spell auras.

I don't think anything in the Dispel Magic description indicates you need to see the spell visually. You just need to know it's there and it needs to be in range of the spell. A Spellcraft check would have allowed the spellcaster a chance to recognize the spell as it was cast, if the fear was caused by a spell. If not, or if the Spellcraft check fails, another Spellcraft check would allow the wizard to recognize an ongoing magical fear effect present on the fighter. A success at either check would allow the wizard to successfully target the fear with Dispel Magic, IMO.

Basically, can a spellcaster ignore buffs and protections they've cast on a person and target only negative effects?

No. If a spellcaster chooses to target an individual, all spells on that individual have a chance of being dispelled, including those cast by the spellcaster. Likewise, if the spellcaster chooses to target an area, then spells are checked in a specific order by Dispel Magic to determine if a spell is dispelled, and which one is so removed. A spellcaster cannot choose to ignore some of the spells on the target(s) in these cases, whether he cast them or not.

The only way for the spellcaster to avoid removing other spells is for him to target the fear effect specifically. In the case of the fighter, this should work fine. Were more than one PC affected by the fear effect, or were the fighter under the effects of multiple detrimental spells, you'd be in a real pickle, however.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I don't think anything in the Dispel Magic description indicates you need to see the spell visually.

He means the general rule for targeting - you must be able to 'see or touch' the target. It's why (generally) you can't Magic Missile someone who's invisible, for example, and can't Charm someone when you're blind.

No. If a spellcaster chooses to target an individual, all spells on that individual have a chance of being dispelled, including those cast by the spellcaster.

In fact, those cast by the spellcaster are dispelled automatically.

This is different to an area dispel, where he has the option of automatically succeeding against his own spells. With a targeted dispel, there is no option; he just succeeds.

-Hyp.

 

[Infiniti2000]

It's why (generally) you can't Magic Missile someone who's invisible, for example, and can't Charm someone when you're blind.

-Hyp.

Well, you can, though I agree it's not the general case. You just have to touch them, living with all the penalties and problems that entails.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Well, you can, though I agree it's not the general case.

'swhy I put the 'generally' there

-Hyp.

 

[Felix]

the dispeller would have to know that the victim was afraid.

Spellcraft check to:

Recognize a spell being cast.
Recognize a spell-like ability.
Recognize the ongoing effects of a spell already in place.

I think one of those three things would cover the wizard knowing that the fighter is afeared.

 

[shilsen]

Spellcraft check to:

Recognize a spell being cast.
Recognize a spell-like ability.
Recognize the ongoing effects of a spell already in place.

I think one of those three things would cover the wizard knowing that the fighter is afeared.

So the fighter screaming wildly and wetting himself wouldn't count ?

 

[Infiniti2000]

Recognize a spell being cast.
Recognize the ongoing effects of a spell already in place.

Unfortunately, we don't know if it was a spell.

Recognize a spell-like ability.

Spellcraft does nothing for spell-like abilities unless you use detect magic or consider the spell-like ability "a strange or unique magical effect, such as the effects of a magic stream."

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Spellcraft does nothing for spell-like abilities unless you use detect magic or consider the spell-like ability "a strange or unique magical effect, such as the effects of a magic stream."

A spell-like ability has no verbal, somatic, or material component, nor does it require a focus or have an XP cost. The user activates it mentally. Armor never affects a spell-like ability’s use, even if the ability resembles an arcane spell with a somatic component.
A spell-like ability has a casting time of 1 standard action unless noted otherwise in the ability or spell description. In all other ways, a spell-like ability functions just like a spell.

Since an SLA doesn't have any components, it cannot be identified by Spellcraft when it is activated like a spell can, however I believe that a strong case could be made for the effects of an SLA being identifiable after they take effect, just like a spell.

 

[Bad Paper]

1. Cast Dispel Magic, targeting the Fear spell.
2. Cast Dispel Magic in an area that includes the fighter.
3. Cast Dispel Magic, targeting the fighter.

err, I wasn't aware that option #1 was...an option. I didn't exactly glean that from the Dispel Magic description:

One object, creature, or spell is the target of the dispel magic spell.

After Fear is cast, isn't it gone (from the area)? And now it's just...affecting the victims, and unless you want to risk completely debuffing your friends, you have to live with it? How can you target the spell, and only the spell, after it has been cast?