How to rule the Shatter spell?

[azhrei_fje]

How do you rule the target of the shatter spell?

Shatter
Evocation [Sonic]
Level: Brd 2, Chaos 2, Clr 2, Destruction 2, Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area or Target: 5-ft.-radius spread; or one solid object or one crystalline creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates (object); Will negates (object) or Fortitude half; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes (object)

Shatter creates a loud, ringing noise that breaks brittle, nonmagical objects; sunders a single solid, nonmagical object; or damages a crystalline creature.

Used as an area attack, shatter destroys nonmagical objects of crystal, glass, ceramic, or porcelain. All such objects within a 5-foot radius of the point of origin are smashed into dozens of pieces by the spell. Objects weighing more than 1 pound per your level are not affected, but all other objects of the appropriate composition are shattered.

Alternatively, you can target shatter against a single solid object, regardless of composition, weighing up to 10 pounds per caster level. Targeted against a crystalline creature (of any weight), shatter deals 1d6 points of sonic damage per caster level (maximum 10d6), with a Fortitude save for half damage.

Arcane Material Component: A chip of mica.

First question: do the area types and saving throws correspond as I've shown using red, blue, and green?

Basically, if a spellcaster sees an opponent wearing a bandoleer filled with potion vials (allowed IMC), can the spellcaster target the shatter directly in front of the opponent and destroy the potion vials? What are the saving throws involved? Does the opponent get a Will save (and how would a Will save protect the fragile gear being carried)? Do the individual vials only have to roll a save if the opponent rolls a "1" on their Will save?

Or if the spellcaster decides to target a specific object, such as one of the potion vials, does the opponent get a save followed by the vial itself rolling a save? What happens if the spellcaster targets the bandoleer instead of a single vial -- do all vials have to save as well? Or would just the bandoleer make the saving throw (with the vials rolling a save as they drop to the ground)? And what happens to the bandoleer? The spell says, "regardless of composition", but it doesn't say what the effect is if the save is failed, although the first paragraph does mention the word "sunder" in the context of "a single solid, nonmagical object".

Inquiring minds want to know. And so do I.

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

It's one of those spells that needs a little GM intervention.

But, basically, you can target a 10' square and all small objects of glass-like material have to make a saving throw. If there was a decanter on the table, a Decanter of Endless Water on another, and Pedro The Paladin and his five potions also in the 10' square it would go like this:

Normal decanter fails its Will save as an unattended nonmagical object.

Magical decanter makes a Will save at 2+ (1/2 9th) or +6.

Pedro the Paladin makes a Will save for each of his 5 potions.

Now if you target his bandolier of potions it makes a save at his Will save or is "sundered". There's nothing in the rules that dictates that the bandolier falls, but I might have him make a Ref save or they fall.

--fje

 

[Jack Simth]

Magical decanter makes a Will save at 2+ (1/2 9th) or +6.

Unaffected, as it's a Magical object - Shatter can't target it, and it's unaffected if it is in the area.

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

Ah, yes, there's that.

I was busy illustrating how the saves work and forgot that Shatter fails on magical items.

--fje

 

[Jack Simth]

Mind you, that crystal golem you're targetting is in trouble - all poor saves and no con bonus..... course, it caps out at 10d6....

 

[Starglim]

Or if the spellcaster decides to target a specific object, such as one of the potion vials, does the opponent get a save followed by the vial itself rolling a save? What happens if the spellcaster targets the bandoleer instead of a single vial -- do all vials have to save as well? Or would just the bandoleer make the saving throw (with the vials rolling a save as they drop to the ground)? And what happens to the bandoleer? The spell says, "regardless of composition", but it doesn't say what the effect is if the save is failed, although the first paragraph does mention the word "sunder" in the context of "a single solid, nonmagical object".

HeapThaumaturgist covered most of this. In the case of a potion vial, the potion is magical but the vial that contains it is not (DMG p.229, "A potion is a magic liquid.." and, by the way, gives stats for a vial). If the spellcaster targets one potion vial, the person carrying it gets a Will save. If failed, the vial is sundered, the potion spills and is most likely wasted, but the other potion vials are not affected. If the spellcaster targets the bandolier and the wearer fails a Will save, it is sundered, breaks and falls to the floor, which is generally not sufficient to do any damage to the vials (DMG, p.303), and the vials are not otherwise affected.

As you may have gathered, I interpret "sunder" to mean that the object is destroyed as if it had been reduced to 0 hit points by a sunder attack.

edit: There was a long discussion earlier about the exact meaning of "destroyed". For present purposes, the item is ruined beyond repair and rendered unable to perform its function.

 

[azhrei_fje]

Okay, thanks.

To summarize: an item in the possession of a creature, saves as the creature does. An unattended item is destroyed. Magical items are not affected.

My numerous questions (!) dealt with the first case, as I was interested in knowing if two saves needed to be made (such as against a fireball, where the objects in the creature's possession only have to save if the creature rolls a "1" on it's saving throw).

Thanks all.