D&D 5E Magic and published adventures (minor SKT spoiler)

[robus]

Magic is often used in published adventures for various purposes but it seems WotC rarely provides much info regarding the spells used to conjure the effect beyond "it's magic!"

For example - the chains binding Hekaton are described as magically enhanced such that they are keeping Hekaton unconscious (and they are immune to most kinds of damage). There is no description of what school of magic this spell is derived from (making Detect Magic give an "it's magic" result), and no description as to what level it was cast (making "Dispel Magic" somewhat random based on DM fiat).

How do you adjudicate tackling this kind of magic when running these adventures?

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I'm totally fine with unexplained magical phenomena - it's a big, crazy world, after all. That being said, I'd probably make a call on my own if someone wanted to know what school the spell belonged to. That being said, if they want to try dispelling it, that would depend a whole lot in the context. There was a moment in my campaign running another big published adventure where a character tried to dispel a curse imposed by a deity. I ruled that that wasn't going to work.

 

[CrimsonCarcharodon]

For the dispel magic problem, I'd look at what the item is and who might have made it. Ancient artifact built to bind giants? Probably a high level effect that would be really hard to dispel, and dispelling might only be temporary. But if it's something made by the PCs' nemesis in the last few weeks, that would be a more level appropriate challenge.

That said, I haven't read SKT, so I don't know exactly how I'd rule on that exact situation.

 

[robus]

For the dispel magic problem, I'd look at what the item is and who might have made it. Ancient artifact built to bind giants? Probably a high level effect that would be really hard to dispel, and dispelling might only be temporary. But if it's something made by the PCs' nemesis in the last few weeks, that would be a more level appropriate challenge.

That said, I haven't read SKT, so I don't know exactly how I'd rule on that exact situation.

That's what I was thinking too - but it's frustrating that the adventure writers didn't answer this obvious question...

 

[Tony Vargas]

They can simply be magic items, what magic items are able to do is prettymuch arbitrary, as is how they're made, all safely in the realm of the DM.

 

[DEFCON 1]

That's what I was thinking too - but it's frustrating that the adventure writers didn't answer this obvious question...

It's because they trust you and are giving you credit for your skill as a Dungeonmaster.

 

[robus]

It's because they trust you and are giving you credit for your skill as a Dungeonmaster.

If that's true then they should say so: "The magic school and casting level is left as an exercise for the DM..."

But I'm sure they realize that wouldn't fly. So they leave it blank ready to drop an inexperienced DM into a panic when a wizard says "I cast dispel magic...." - that doesn't seem good enough either.

I know I keep asking questions like this. But it continues to bug me - isn't this what playtesting should find? "Our group got to Hekaton but there was confusion when it came to dispelling magic on the chains - what level was the magic cast at?"