How does Shatter work?

[Menexenus]

Ok, my players have a wand of Shatter, and they are trying to use it to break the big bad guys (non-magical) great axe. I'm confused by the description of the spell. It says that there is a Will save to resist the effect. Some of my players were arguing that since the axe has no Wisdom, it cannot make a Will save. I decided to substitute the bad guy's Will save for the great axe. But in the end, we were all scratching our heads about how this spell is supposed to work.

Can anybody help?

Thanks.

 

[Vorput]

From the SRD
(object)
The spell can be cast on objects, which receive saving throws only if they are magical or if they are attended (held, worn, grasped, or the like) by a creature resisting the spell, in which case the object uses the creature’s saving throw bonus unless its own bonus is greater. (This notation does not mean that a spell can be cast only on objects. Some spells of this sort can be cast on creatures or objects.) A magic item’s saving throw bonuses are each equal to 2 + one-half the item’s caster level.

So, the axe get's the bad guy's save... unless it's magical- in which case it gets it's own save, or the wielders, whichever is better.

 

[Menexenus]

So, the axe get's the bad guy's save... unless it's magical- in which case it gets it's own save, or the wielders, whichever is better.

According to the spell description, Shatter doesn't work on magical weapons, so it wouldn't need to make a save at all if it were magical. But I definitely appreciate the quote. It helps a lot! Thanks.

I'd like to show this quote to my players. Does anyone know where I can find it in the books? (Does it come from the PH or the DMG? What page is it on?)

 

[MarkB]

I'd like to show this quote to my players. Does anyone know where I can find it in the books? (Does it come from the PH or the DMG? What page is it on?)

You'll find most questions of this nature answered in the Magic chapter of the PHB, starting on page 169.

This one is on page 177, near the top of the left column.