Dispel Magic versus Fimbulwinter

TessarrianDM

First Post
A major NPC in my campaign possesses a major iceheart (Frostburn pg. 110). One of its abilities is the automatic casting of the spell Fimbulwinter (Frostburn pg. 93) every evening. The area of effect is a 15 mile radius, with a 4d12 week duration. Since it is currently winter, the effect has been near-constant snowfall with moderate or higher winds.

The PC's recently ran into the outer edge of this effect. If one of the players was to cast Dispel Magic, what effect, if any, would it have if successful? Would it create a 20-foot-radius "hole" in the storm? If so, would the hole last for the duration of the Fimbulwinter spell, or would the storm fill it in after a certain time period? What would be the effect of casting the spell directly on the major iceheart? A magic item is suppressed for 1d4 rounds; would casting Dispel Magic on it while it was in the process of it's daily casting of Fimbulwinter (it has a 10 minute casting time) prevent the spell from taking effect that day?
 

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Two choices

Target the spell, which should take down the entire spell. However, given how effects outside a spell's range do not happen, you as DM do have the power to say only the area within the range of the caster's dispel magic spell is dispelled. The Magic item will recast te spell the following evening.

Area dispel will carve out the 20' radius. The Magic item will recast te spell the following evening.

Range

A spell’s range indicates how far from you it can reach, as defined in the Range entry of the spell description. A spell’s range is the maximum distance from you that the spell’s effect can occur, as well as the maximum distance at which you can designate the spell’s point of origin. If any portion of the spell’s area would extend beyond this range, that area is wasted.

Targeted Dispel

One object, creature, or spell is the target of the dispel magic spell. You make a dispel check (1d20 + your caster level, maximum +10) against the spell or against each ongoing spell currently in effect on the object or creature. The DC for this dispel check is 11 + the spell’s caster level. If you succeed on a particular check, that spell is dispelled; if you fail, that spell remains in effect.

If you target an object or creature that is the effect of an ongoing spell (such as a monster summoned by monster summoning), you make a dispel check to end the spell that conjured the object or creature.

If the object that you target is a magic item, you make a dispel check against the item’s caster level. If you succeed, all the item’s magical properties are suppressed for 1d4 rounds, after which the item recovers on its own. A suppressed item becomes nonmagical for the duration of the effect. An interdimensional interface (such as a bag of holding) is temporarily closed. A magic item’s physical properties are unchanged: A suppressed magic sword is still a sword (a masterwork sword, in fact). Artifacts and deities are unaffected by mortal magic such as this.

You automatically succeed on your dispel check against any spell that you cast yourself.


Area Dispel


When dispel magic is used in this way, the spell affects everything within a 20-foot radius.

For each creature within the area that is the subject of one or more spells, you make a dispel check against the spell with the highest caster level. If that check fails, you make dispel checks against progressively weaker spells until you dispel one spell (which discharges the dispel magic spell so far as that target is concerned) or until you fail all your checks. The creature’s magic items are not affected.

For each object within the area that is the target of one or more spells, you make dispel checks as with creatures. Magic items are not affected by an area dispel.

For each ongoing area or effect spell whose point of origin is within the area of the dispel magic spell, you can make a dispel check to dispel the spell.

For each ongoing spell whose area overlaps that of the dispel magic spell, you can make a dispel check to end the effect, but only within the overlapping area.

If an object or creature that is the effect of an ongoing spell (such as a monster summoned by monster summoning) is in the area, you can make a dispel check to end the spell that conjured that object or creature (returning it whence it came) in addition to attempting to dispel spells targeting the creature or object.

You may choose to automatically succeed on dispel checks against any spell that you have cast.
 

Hmm... the thing is, it's getting cast automatically every night, with a 4d12 week duration.

Assuming all rolls are minimum, doesn't that mean that in order to dispel the Fimbulwinter, you'd have to dispell it at least 28 times (since you've actually got 4 weeks' worth of castings with overlapping durations)?
 

While I understand that targeting the spell should dispel it, I have a hard time seeing a spell with a 20' radius area effect dispelling one with a 15 mile radius. The difference in size is tremendous. I will probably stick with only dispelling a 20' radius area.

I had not even considered the overlapping effects. The NPC is on the move as part of an invading army, so even at maximum movement rates they cannot leave the 15 mile radius, as the weather slows the army to a crawl.
 


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