Can incorporeal creatures be disintegrated?

[shilsen]

So does that mean that incorporeal creatures can be disintegrated?

Yes.

 

[kreynolds]

... or a pile of incorporeal dust?

So that's where ghostform dust comes from.

 

[aliensex]

I thought Disintegrate only worked on matter. I just can't see that with a ghost. Unless in you rule that they are composed somewhat of ectoplasm, and that if that is destroyed, their ability to manifest on the Prime Material plane is disrupted.

I'll just have the Disintigrate beem go right through them I think. So never stand behind a ghost when a trigger happy wizard is around.

 

[Merlion]

It works on Walls of Force and Bigby's Interposing Hands. but I know you really have to stop and think about the question for a minute

 

[shilsen]

I thought Disintegrate only worked on matter. I just can't see that with a ghost. Unless in you rule that they are composed somewhat of ectoplasm, and that if that is destroyed, their ability to manifest on the Prime Material plane is disrupted.

I'll just have the Disintigrate beem go right through them I think. So never stand behind a ghost when a trigger happy wizard is around.

A ghost is matter. Ethereal/incorporeal matter, which exists in the D&D world.

What do you rule for other spells, such as Melf's Acid Arrow, for example? Or someone hitting a ghost with a magical weapon (and successfully getting through the 50% miss chance)? If all of those can get through, then why not disintegrate?

 

[hammymchamham]

A ghost is matter. Ethereal/incorporeal matter, which exists in the D&D world.

I disagree, Incorporeal creatures have no physical bodies. Its not physical, its not matter.

What do you rule for other spells, such as Melf's Acid Arrow, for example? Or someone hitting a ghost with a magical weapon (and successfully getting through the 50% miss chance)? If all of those can get through, then why not disintegrate?

Incorpoeral creatures are effected by "other incorporeal creatures, +1 or better magical weapons, spells, spell-like effects, or supernatural effects."

 

[Staffan]

Incorpoeral creatures are effected by "other incorporeal creatures, +1 or better magical weapons, spells, spell-like effects, or supernatural effects."

Last time I checked, disintegrate was a spell. Not a force spell though, so it has a 50% miss chance against them.

 

[hammymchamham]

Last time I checked, disintegrate was a spell. Not a force spell though, so it has a 50% miss chance against them.

Yes that affects MATTER, and Incorporeal creatures have no physical bodies and are not made up of matter.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Yes that affects MATTER, and Incorporeal creatures have no physical bodies and are not made up of matter.

Check it again. It affects creatures, or non-living matter.

Incorporeal undead, regardless of whether they consist of matter, are creatures. And since the spell affects objects, they are susceptible to the Fort save effect.

If the contention that incorporeal = no matter is true, then you can't disintegrate an incorporeal table... but you can disintegrate an incorporeal orc, because it's a creature.

-Hyp.

 

[Merlion]

Disintegrate already works on non-matter things. Walls of Force and other force effects, Bigby's hand spells etc.
Its called Disintegrate not Disintegrate Matter. It Dis-integrates things. be that the molecules of a material object, the magical force of Bigby's Grasping Hand or the incorporeal essence of a wraith.
However ruling that it does in fact only disintegrate matter doesnt seem like it would be a problem to me. But in the rules as printed it could affect an incorporeal being. It all depends on how you want the spell to work