Okay, suppose I have a ten-foot-pole and some means of causing it to become ethereal while still controlling it (such as only part of it turning ethereal, myself turning ethereal with it, etc.). Now, I shove part of this pole through the space that is, in the material plane, occupied by someone's head. Now I make the pole material again. Given that there is a pole trying to occupy the same space as his head, does the subject of my experiment die? Is there an official answer to this question? Is there a logical answer that can be derived from a greater knowledge of game mechanics than that which I possess?
Ethereal Poles, Insta-Gibbing, and You
- Thread starter JimTS
- Start date
SelcSilverhand
First Post
Usually when a person is occupying an illegal space, such as when melded into stone an the spell ends, you are shunted to the nearest open square taking damage depending on how far you travel. I'd say the same applies when trying to merge two objects from two overlapping planes.
Nail
First Post
No (depending on hp). Yes (by looking at similar spell effects). Yes (of course!).JimTS said:
In 3.xe D&D, you cannot specifically target a portion of a creature's body with a damaging spell or magical effect. For example, you can't say: "I have my magic missiles strike the target's left eye!"
Since you can't target a body part, you can't put an ethereal pole through someones head, etc.
Moreover, there are transdimensional spells that spell out what happens when 2 objects overlap on one plane; the one doing the overlapping gets shunted off to a nearby open space and takes damage (usually 1d6). It's up to your DM as to whether both objects take this damage, or just the one object shunted off.
Infiniti2000
First Post
These questions are impossible to answer correctly unless you give us the exact method in which you are performing this maneuver and any possible house rules you have in play (such as called shots). The fact is that normal planar travel (plane shift) cannot do this, so by what method are you traveling through the planes? Ghosts are incorporeal when manifesting, so that can't be what you suggest. Blink has specific rules, so that's out. What other methods are you contemplating?JimTS said:
TheGogmagog
First Post
As mentioned, you can't target a 'Head Shot'. Also as mentioned the normal rule when becoming material in occupied space is you get shunted off. So in this case the pole would be shunted and take at most 1d6 or possibly the appropriate improvised weapon damage but probably not even that. You could possibly argue the subject would take equal damage, but that's never mentioned in instances like being shunted out of solid rock. Also there is the general rule that if a spell doesn't say it does damage, it doesn't do damage. The object shunted out system is simple, reasonable, and less likely to be abused.
werk
First Post
This is a good illustration of things you can't do under the rules because the game isn't a reality simulator. There are no rules for 'holding out a pole in front of you'.
You can attack, or you can move, or you can do something that equates into either moving or attacking. So let's say you 'hold out your pole'...if that's an attack, you are incorporeal, so the attack is ineffective. Now you move to become physical. When you move, your pole is not sticking out attacking, it is just held ready to take AoOs, not where it last was at the end of your attack or anything similar.
Otherwise you could do the same thing with the pole physically..."I hold out my pole horizontally so it sticks out 5' to each side, then run 60' down this line of mooks. I hit them all as I pass by." Doesn't work like that.
It's like asking for a tax cut in Monopoly, it may make the game more fun, or more realistic, but is not allowed by the rules. That's not to say you CAN'T do it, you can do anything the DM allows.
You can attack, or you can move, or you can do something that equates into either moving or attacking. So let's say you 'hold out your pole'...if that's an attack, you are incorporeal, so the attack is ineffective. Now you move to become physical. When you move, your pole is not sticking out attacking, it is just held ready to take AoOs, not where it last was at the end of your attack or anything similar.
Otherwise you could do the same thing with the pole physically..."I hold out my pole horizontally so it sticks out 5' to each side, then run 60' down this line of mooks. I hit them all as I pass by." Doesn't work like that.
It's like asking for a tax cut in Monopoly, it may make the game more fun, or more realistic, but is not allowed by the rules. That's not to say you CAN'T do it, you can do anything the DM allows.
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