Does a Death Ward Protect against Phantasmal Killer?

[Pielorinho]

I wouldn't let WOTC customer support wipe my rear. Let alone tell me how a spell works.

I figured that went without saying. Personally, I don't let anybody besides me wipe my rear.

Daniel

 

[da chicken]

Does death ward protect against vorpal weapons? If it does, does it prevent you from losing your head, or just prevent you from dying because you lost it?

Can. Worms. Open.

**Bows**

 

[jonrog1]

Xylix, bud, Spock called. He wants his schtick back.

Okay (openly hijacking the thread, and not really caring if I get snipped) does ANYONE take the rules this seriously? The Comic Book Guy on The Simpsons would shake his head at some of this.

I'll be over here. Having fun.

Fun.

And working with my players, not lording my DM status over them in an infantile power play.

Great way to break the stereotype. Arrrg.

 

[Pielorinho]

Okay (openly hijacking the thread, and not really caring if I get snipped) does ANYONE take the rules this seriously? The Comic Book Guy on The Simpsons would shake his head at some of this.

Worst. Hijack. Ever!

(sorry, couldn't resist).

Yeah, the rules forums definitely get into the how-many-angels-on-the-head-of-a-pin territory sometimes. But I think that's part of the fun: arguing the minutiae of a game is kind of like arguing the minutiae of religion, except that nobody gets excommunicated for coming up with the wrong answer.

Hopefully people don't engage in arguments like this in the middle of play. But if folks like to amuse themselves this way, go for it.

I used to hang out on a grammar forum where adults, editors and professors, practically came to blows over whether possessive pronouns (his, her, its) were adjectives, pronouns acting as adjectives, or just straight-up pronouns. So this doesn't seem so weird to me .

Daniel

 

[Elaer]

Yeah, the rules forums definitely get into the how-many-angels-on-the-head-of-a-pin territory sometimes.
Daniel

Depends upon the tune

 

[Stalker0]

Xylix, bud, Spock called. He wants his schtick back.

Okay (openly hijacking the thread, and not really caring if I get snipped) does ANYONE take the rules this seriously? The Comic Book Guy on The Simpsons would shake his head at some of this.

I'll be over here. Having fun.

Fun.

I think a lot of the point is to do all your squabbling here so you don't have to in the game and just allow yourself to have fun. I mean, I may argue about a rule to its absolute finest point, but that doesn't mean I won't toss it from my game if I feel its stupid

 

[jonrog1]

Aaaah, voices of reason. Feel so much better. Just sometimes, I read the rules-oriented threads, and I despair.

Now back to my lutefisk pizza.

 

[Pielorinho]

In case anyone's wondering whether i like throwing gasoline on the embers of an almost-burnt-out fire, see below

And if anyone's wondering whether WOTC customer service is a reliable guide to interpreting the rules -- why, I guess you'll see below, too.

The following is my own email exchange with custserv@wizards.com :

For the purposes of the death ward spell, what qualifies as a death spell or a magical death effect? I can see a few possibilities:
1) Only spells or magical effects with the [death] descriptor.
2) Any spell or magical effect which directly causes death, including a beholder's disintegration ray, the implosion spell, and the like.
3) Any spell or magical effect which results in death by a means other than hit point loss, including a maximized 10th-level fireball which necessitates a save vs. massive damage, a vampire's level drain, and the like.

The spell's text is as follows:

"The subject is immune to all death spells and magical death effects. The spell does not protect against other sorts of attacks, such as hit point loss, poison, petrification, or other effects even if they might be lethal."

Thanks for your help with this!
Daniel

[COLOR=sky blue]Only spells with the death descriptor are death effects. Death is basically a side-effect of examples 2 and 3 from your question.

Hope that helps,

******************************************************************
Darrin
Wizards of the Coast - Game Support
Website: http://www.wizards.com
Game Support E-Mail: custserv@wizards.com
Game Support Phone: 1-800-324-6496
Monday through Friday, 9 AM - 7 PM PST
Corporate Phone: (425) 226-6500
Online Store Phone: 1-800-250-7589
Online Store Email: ordersup@wizards.com
Please quote this e-mail in any reply.
[/COLOR]

So we're right back where we started -- only one WOTC guy says PK is a death effect, and the other says it's not.

Daniel

 

[IceBear]

/me hands Dan some napalm to go with that gasoline

IceBear

 

[AuraSeer]

So we're right back where we started -- only one WOTC guy says PK is a death effect, and the other says it's not.

It looks to me like it was even the same guy. How many CSRs named "Darrin" can they have?