Dead in a Blade Barrier, what happens to the stuff?

[Lord Thurham]

A high level fighter who is flying was attacked with a barrage of arrows and died from his injuries. (He was instant killed with 3 20’s, poor guy) He then fell into an area that is in the effect of the Blade Barrier spell. He’s pretty much going to get chopped to itsy bitsy small pieces. Now, he has some pretty nifty magical items on him that may or may not survive the many subsequent rounds of Blade Barrier. There is a powerful intelligent sword and powerful ring on him. The party would like to perform a True Resurrection on the fighter to bring him back, but are they going to be able to give him his magical items back? That’s what I am left to determine. Below is a quote from SRD, doesn’t this seem a bit broken? Even if the sword would have been crafted by a 20th level wizard, it’s best saving throw bonus under these circumstances is +12. And there is going to be about 600 rounds of Blade Barrier chopping at it. Or… Would Blade Barrier even harm the sword or ring since they are probably have a higher enchantment level than the Blade Barrier? How should this be handled?

Saving Throws
Unattended nonmagical items never make saving throws. They are considered to have failed their saving throws, so they always are affected by (for instance) a disintegrate spell. An item attended by a combatant (being grasped, touched, or worn) receives a saving throw just as if the combatant herself were making the saving throw.
Magic items always get saving throws. A magic item's Fortitude, Reflex, and Will save bonuses are equal to 2 + one-half its caster level. Attended magic items either make saving throws as their owner or use their own saving throws, whichever are better.

Magic Weapons and Shields
The attacker cannot damage a magic weapon or shield that has an enhancement bonus unless his own weapon has at least as high an enhancement bonus as the weapon or shield struck. Each +1 of enhancement bonus also adds 1 to the weapon's or shield's hardness and hit points. If a combatant's shield has a +2 enhancement bonus, a combatant add 2 to its hardness and to its hit points.

Thanks!
LT

 

[Henry]

Keep in mind that the blade barrier is a DISC, not a column. While it can be fixed to any angle, if it is floating even a couple of feet above the floor, the worst thing that will happen is that it might get subjected to one round of the barrier.

If on the other hand, the equipment is lying on the plane of the blade barrier, then I cannot tell you an easy answer, and will have to leave it to some of the more esoteric-rule-knowledgeable among us.

 

[0-hr]

from the SRD for Blade Barrier:

This spell creates a spinning disk of razor-sharp blades.
These whirl and flash around a central point, creating an
immobile, circular barrier. Any creature passing through the
blade barrier takes 1d6 points of slashing damage per caster
level (maximum 20d6). The plane of rotation of the blades can be
horizontal, vertical, or slanted.

Creatures within the blade barrier when it is invoked take the
damage as well. They can negate the damage with a successful
Reflex saving throw, provided they can and do physically leave
the area of the blades by the shortest possible route. Once the
barrier is in place, anything entering or passing through the
blades automatically takes damage.

Note that only "creatures" take damage from the spell.

 

[Lord Thurham]

Yes, the dead fighter is laying on the plane of the Blade Barrier. It's a tough situation for this player, the dice definitely did not go in his favor.

If on the other hand, the equipment is lying on the plane of the blade barrier, then I cannot tell you an easy answer, and will have to leave it to some of the more esoteric-rule-knowledgeable among us.

 

[Lord Thurham]

from the SRD for Blade Barrier: Note that only "creatures" take damage from the spell.

So, it would attack just the dead fighter and leave all items unscathed? Doesn't sound right.

 

[AuraSeer]

He can't be "on" the plane of the barrier; there's no solid surface to support him. It's just a bunch of mobile metal shards. Even if he manages to land balanced on some of the blades for an instant, those blades will move out from under him and he'll fall through the plane. [/nitpick]

That aside, I'd rule that his items are not damaged. As Ki Ryn points out, the spell description only states that it damages creatures. The blades apparently avoid contact with inanimate objects. (This is why you can't use the spell to chop down a castle wall, for instance.)

 

[the Jester]

from the SRD for Blade Barrier: Note that only "creatures" take damage from the spell.

Well, I doubt whether that's the intent. I don't think they meant that it won't affect objects- it's just that creatures are much more likely to be subjected to any given spell than objects are. Also, note that it says that "anything" entering or passing through the blades takes damage.

I'd say a lot of his items are prolly destroyed- I'd give them reflex saves to avoid suffering damage. I can see the enhancement bonus argument saving magic weapons and armor and stuff, though; nothing implies that the blade barrier has any kind of enhancement bonus. I guess the question there is, would DR apply against the blade barrier? If you'd say yes, then I'd say all the items with enhancement bonuses would be unharmed.

 

[Mahali]

I don't think there is any problem with having Blade Barrier not effect items.

If it does it becomes the easiest way to take down walls and keep your yard trimmed in the game.

 

[Shard O'Glase]

I guess you could iterpret it to be that when the spell sets up it conforms itself to the lay of the land so doesn't effect objects. But once it is set up anything including objects that enter it get shreded, which would explain why it provides cover and not concealment.

 

[Tewligan]

I'd probably rule that the sword and ring get knocked around harmlessly by the blades, unless they somehow get jammed up against something that keeps them from being moved. Kinda like a rock shooting out from under a lawnmower.