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Get pedantic on Feeblemind
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<blockquote data-quote="Felix" data-source="post: 3160438" data-attributes="member: 3929"><p>I think you’re forgetting that <em>Break Enchantment</em> also works on Enchantments and Transmutations that <u>aren’t</u> Duration: Instantaneous. The spell name works fine, and there are plenty of spells it counters, so to say <em>Break Enchantment</em> is useless because it doesn’t fix <em>Feeblemind</em> isn’t a terribly robust argument. Not that you’ve used that argument, but I believe I did run over a post using that argument somewhere upthread.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Look at the relevant texts of both spells:</p><p></p><p><em>Break Enchantment</em>:</p><p></p><p></p><p><em>Feeblemind</em>:</p><p></p><p></p><p>A lot of people have been saying that the list in <em>Feeblemind</em> is merely permissive, and not exclusive. This is not the case.</p><p></p><p><em>Feeblemind</em>: If not [Unless] X, then Y.</p><p>X is the set of spells [<em>heal, limited wish, miracle, wish</em>].</p><p>Y is the <em>Feebleminded</em> state.</p><p></p><p>The only spells that are <em>heal, limited wish, miracle</em> and <em>wish</em> are <em>heal, limited wish, miracle</em> and <em>wish</em>. This list is indeed exclusive of other spells. No other spells will result in “not Y”; no other spells will cure the victim (except, of course "works as" spells, like <em>Mass Heal</em>).</p><p></p><p>But what about the apparent contradiction with <em>Break Enchantment</em>? It says, “<em>Break enchantment</em> can reverse even an instantaneous effect.” Can it? Sure. Does it mean that it <em>must</em> reverse an instantaneous effect? No. Because it can does not mean that it necessarily <em>will</em>. I can jump out of open windows. This does not mean that every time I encounter a window I will jump out of it.</p><p></p><p>So between the two, <em>Feeblemind</em> is specific and exclusive, <em>Break Enchantment</em> generalizes and is permissive. So I believe the RAW to be that <em>Break Enchantment</em> is ineffective in curing the <em>Feebleminded</em> state.</p><p></p><p>---</p><p></p><p>That being the case, however, a look through the SRD came up with exactly zero targeted Enchantments or Transmutations below 5th level that are instantaneous [Artoomis has since found some, but they are rather useless as spells you’d want to counter]; as <em>Bestow Curse</em> is Duration: Permanent, it doesn’t provide any either. </p><p></p><p>This leaves some possibilities: those writing the <em>Break Enchantment</em> description either wanted it to be able to cure <em>Feeblemind</em>, or they wanted it to be able to affect any future spells that were Duration: Instantaneous, or both. Artoomis mentioned that the only explanation for “can break instantaneous effects” was <em>Feeblemind</em>; leaving the spell open to countering future spells is also a possible reason, and perfectly plausible. However, the dearth of Duration: Instantaneous spells <em>Break Enchantment</em> can cure in the PHB is strong enough support for me to House Rule that <em>Break Enchantment</em> cures <em>Feeblemind</em>, but I do believe the RAW to be otherwise.</p><p></p><p>After all, <em>Feeblemind</em> hoses Wizards and Sorcerers more than anyone else; there is an incredible incentive to research an equivalent-level spell that defeats <em>Feeblemind</em>. </p><p></p><p></p><p>This is a compelling argument. The PHB text is:</p><p></p><p></p><p><em>Bestow Curse</em> cannot be dispelled by <em>Dispel Magic</em> by virtue of the fact that it says: “The <em>curse</em> bestowed by this spell cannot be dispelled, but it can be removed with a <em>break enchantment, limited wish, miracle, remove curse,</em> or <em>wish</em> spell.” [PHB, p 203] So any time you run into a spell that says, “Cannot be dispelled”, <em>Break Enchantment</em> may be able to remove the effect, as long as the spell is 5th level or lower.</p><p></p><p>---</p><p></p><p>So, I would see two options to this spell were I ruling it.</p><p></p><p>First, rule with Thanee, <em>Feeblemind</em> is unaffected by <em>Break Enchantment</em>, but <em>Break Enchantment</em> can cure Duration: Instantaneous effects higher than 5th level because that clause in the spell description refers to spells that specifically have a “can’t be dispelled” clause, like <em>Bestow Curse</em>.</p><p></p><p>Or, rule with Artoomis, <em>Feeblemind</em> is cured by [/i]Break Enchantment[/i] on the grounds that it is one of the only 5th level or lower Duration: Instantaneous Enchantments or Transmutations that can’t be dispelled [and can’t be dispelled because of <em>Dispel Magic’s</em> inability to affect Duration: Instantaneous spells], and so the <em>Break Enchantment</em> clause allowing it to affect Instantaneous spells becomes useless. With this ruling, <em>Break Enchantment</em> would not be able to reverse <em>Flesh to Stone</em> because that spell cannot be affected by <em>Dispel Magic</em>, and is 6th level.</p><p></p><p>Because the PHB description specifically mentions <em>Flesh to Stone</em>, I would hesitate to rule as Artoomis, and would likely rule as Thanee.</p><p></p><p>But then, I might allow <em>Break Enchantment</em> to work, just out of spite for the amount of time I sat here writing this. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Felix, post: 3160438, member: 3929"] I think you’re forgetting that [i]Break Enchantment[/i] also works on Enchantments and Transmutations that [u]aren’t[/u] Duration: Instantaneous. The spell name works fine, and there are plenty of spells it counters, so to say [i]Break Enchantment[/i] is useless because it doesn’t fix [i]Feeblemind[/i] isn’t a terribly robust argument. Not that you’ve used that argument, but I believe I did run over a post using that argument somewhere upthread. Look at the relevant texts of both spells: [i]Break Enchantment[/i]: [i]Feeblemind[/i]: A lot of people have been saying that the list in [i]Feeblemind[/i] is merely permissive, and not exclusive. This is not the case. [i]Feeblemind[/i]: If not [Unless] X, then Y. X is the set of spells [[i]heal, limited wish, miracle, wish[/i]]. Y is the [i]Feebleminded[/i] state. The only spells that are [i]heal, limited wish, miracle[/i] and [i]wish[/i] are [i]heal, limited wish, miracle[/i] and [i]wish[/i]. This list is indeed exclusive of other spells. No other spells will result in “not Y”; no other spells will cure the victim (except, of course "works as" spells, like [i]Mass Heal[/i]). But what about the apparent contradiction with [i]Break Enchantment[/i]? It says, “[i]Break enchantment[/i] can reverse even an instantaneous effect.” Can it? Sure. Does it mean that it [i]must[/i] reverse an instantaneous effect? No. Because it can does not mean that it necessarily [i]will[/i]. I can jump out of open windows. This does not mean that every time I encounter a window I will jump out of it. So between the two, [i]Feeblemind[/i] is specific and exclusive, [i]Break Enchantment[/i] generalizes and is permissive. So I believe the RAW to be that [i]Break Enchantment[/i] is ineffective in curing the [i]Feebleminded[/i] state. --- That being the case, however, a look through the SRD came up with exactly zero targeted Enchantments or Transmutations below 5th level that are instantaneous [Artoomis has since found some, but they are rather useless as spells you’d want to counter]; as [i]Bestow Curse[/i] is Duration: Permanent, it doesn’t provide any either. This leaves some possibilities: those writing the [i]Break Enchantment[/i] description either wanted it to be able to cure [i]Feeblemind[/i], or they wanted it to be able to affect any future spells that were Duration: Instantaneous, or both. Artoomis mentioned that the only explanation for “can break instantaneous effects” was [i]Feeblemind[/i]; leaving the spell open to countering future spells is also a possible reason, and perfectly plausible. However, the dearth of Duration: Instantaneous spells [i]Break Enchantment[/i] can cure in the PHB is strong enough support for me to House Rule that [i]Break Enchantment[/i] cures [i]Feeblemind[/i], but I do believe the RAW to be otherwise. After all, [i]Feeblemind[/i] hoses Wizards and Sorcerers more than anyone else; there is an incredible incentive to research an equivalent-level spell that defeats [i]Feeblemind[/i]. This is a compelling argument. The PHB text is: [i]Bestow Curse[/i] cannot be dispelled by [i]Dispel Magic[/i] by virtue of the fact that it says: “The [i]curse[/i] bestowed by this spell cannot be dispelled, but it can be removed with a [i]break enchantment, limited wish, miracle, remove curse,[/i] or [i]wish[/i] spell.” [PHB, p 203] So any time you run into a spell that says, “Cannot be dispelled”, [i]Break Enchantment[/i] may be able to remove the effect, as long as the spell is 5th level or lower. --- So, I would see two options to this spell were I ruling it. First, rule with Thanee, [i]Feeblemind[/i] is unaffected by [i]Break Enchantment[/i], but [i]Break Enchantment[/i] can cure Duration: Instantaneous effects higher than 5th level because that clause in the spell description refers to spells that specifically have a “can’t be dispelled” clause, like [i]Bestow Curse[/i]. Or, rule with Artoomis, [i]Feeblemind[/i] is cured by [/i]Break Enchantment[/i] on the grounds that it is one of the only 5th level or lower Duration: Instantaneous Enchantments or Transmutations that can’t be dispelled [and can’t be dispelled because of [i]Dispel Magic’s[/i] inability to affect Duration: Instantaneous spells], and so the [i]Break Enchantment[/i] clause allowing it to affect Instantaneous spells becomes useless. With this ruling, [i]Break Enchantment[/i] would not be able to reverse [i]Flesh to Stone[/i] because that spell cannot be affected by [i]Dispel Magic[/i], and is 6th level. Because the PHB description specifically mentions [i]Flesh to Stone[/i], I would hesitate to rule as Artoomis, and would likely rule as Thanee. But then, I might allow [i]Break Enchantment[/i] to work, just out of spite for the amount of time I sat here writing this. ;) [/QUOTE]
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