D&D 5E Anti-magic field and monster abilities

[MightyZehir]

Abilities without keywords should work in antimagic field.

Check out the demilich.
All of the demiliches main abilities lack keywords such as "spell", "casting", "magic".
Their lair actions includes creating an antimagic field.

Clearly that is meant to be to the advantage of the demilich, together with their immunity to nonmagical weapons.

It would always be up to the DMs to decide since magic effects are not clearly defined in 5E.

I use these keywords to make my rulings fast and consistent.

As for the demilich, I would rule that its howl and life drain still work in anti-magic field while its legendary actions except flight would not function.

 

[MightyZehir]

It would always be up to the DMs to decide since magic effects are not clearly defined in 5E.

I use these keywords to make my rulings fast and consistent.

As for the demilich, I would rule that its howl and life drain still work in anti-magic field while its legendary actions except flight would not function.

 

[Tormyr]

I would generally rule that if any form of magic is involved, it stops working. Innate spellcasting, body part weapons that work as magical weapons, etc. This would include monks. While they are not spending ki for their unarmed strikes to work as magic weapons, I would still argue that they are pulling a bit of the weave from inside to make their unarmed strikes strike like magical weapons. I know that others here feel the opposite on that.

 

[Tormyr]

I would generally rule that if any form of magic is involved, it stops working. Innate spellcasting, body part weapons that work as magical weapons, etc. This would include monks. Because they pull magic from the weave using their ki, that would not work in an antimagic field, and while they are not spending ki for their unarmed strikes to work as magic weapons, I would still argue that they are pulling a bit of the weave from inside to make their unarmed strikes strike like magical weapons. I know that others here feel the opposite on that.

 

[MightyZehir]

It would always be up to the DMs to decide since magic effects are not clearly defined in 5E.

I use these keywords to make my rulings fast and consistent.

As for the demilich, I would rule that its howl and life drain still work in anti-magic field while its legendary actions except flight would not function.

 

[Tormyr]

I would generally rule that if any form of magic is involved, it stops working. Innate spellcasting, body part weapons that work as magical weapons, etc. This would include monks. Because they pull magic from the weave using their ki, that would not work in an antimagic field, and while they are not spending ki for their unarmed strikes to work as magic weapons, I would still argue that they are pulling a bit of the weave from inside to make their unarmed strikes strike like magical weapons. I know that others here feel the opposite on that.

 

[MoutonRustique]

A "functioning" lich in an anti-magic zone is in itself a contradiction. There will be no clean place to draw the line. Chose it where you prefer it.