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Message: <blockquote data-quote="The Sigil" data-source="post: 190663" data-attributes="member: 2013">Wrong question...I think we're barking up the wrong tree here... Rather than worry about "can the spell differentiate between a necklace and a garrotte?" we should ask, "what - or who - determines what is equipment and what is not?"My answer would be... the character wearing the item determines what is equipment and what is not.  The spell itself does not determine this.There IS a precedent for this ruling... spells and effects that affect "allies" affect those whom the caster (or target, as applicable) perceives to be his allies (even if they are traitorous and have murderous intentions).  In other words, the spell or effect doesn't HAVE to differentiate between whether a particular being is an ally or not - it "asks" the caster/target and acts accordingly.  It may affect an "ally" (as seen by the caster/target) right before that "ally" plunges a knife into the character's back (though presumably, subsequent effects based on that caster/target's perceptions would not see the knifer as an "ally").Now, we return to the case of the garrotte... or the arrow... or whatever else we want to use as an example.  If the caster casts a spell on the character who has been garrotted, the spell "asks" the character if he considers the garrotte part of his equipment.  My guess is "no" in the same way that the character wouldn't consider someone who just stabbed him in the back an "ally."  The character is reduced, the garrotte is not, and that's the end of it.If the garrotte is shrunk, well, let's examine the rules again...A shrinking object may damage weaker materials affixed to it, but a reduced object shrinks only as long as the object itself is not damaged.Please note the use of the word "affixed," not "contained by" or "near" or "surrounding."  Shrink the keystone of an arch, and the arch will collapse - because the keystone holds the arch in place.  If you tie a rope to a couple of trees and shrink the rope, it may pull the two trees together as its length shrinks, but does not slice the trees neatly in half as the loop around each tree shrinks.  If the loops were loose, it could shrink until the rope was tight, but then it would stop.  In the same manner, a locked garrotte will shrink only a tiny bit before encountering resistance - the character's neck.  In other words, as soon as an object encounters resistance along the path of the shrink, it stops shrinking.  It can be "pulled" from the outside and continue shrinking - but not "pushed" from the inside.It's always good to try to take abuse to its logical and ridiculous conclusion just to see what the ramifications are... let me ask, "if I can loop a rope around the balor, could I cast reduce on the rope and cut the balor in half?"  I think not.  Reduce is a first-level spell and as such should NEVER be able to be made into an "instant death" spell under such easy circumstances.(Shrinking the rock that a guy standing over lava is using to support himself so he tumbles into the lava is a different story - the object shrunk does not do the damage and I see no problems using the spell in this manner).My ruling... based on precedent of "ally" definition for spells, a character's equipment consists only of those items the character himself considers to be HIS equipment and does not include a garrotte around his neck, an arrow in his belly.  I would suggest making this a "negative list."  He must be able actively recognize the objects as not his own... a gem that the party thief planted in his pocket to frame him WOULD shrink because he essentially gives the spell a list of items and says, "that's not mine" - if he doesn't know about an item and it is on his person, it is considered equipment.Summary:What constitutes a character's "equipment" is determined by that character (unconsciously).  The character tells the spell what is "not equipment" and should therefore not be affected; the character must be aware of the existence of such an item on his person for it not to be affected.  A cursed item IS recognized by the character to be his provided he chose to don it/use it (hence ownership is determined unconsciously - a character cannot choose to relinquish ownership of an item he doesn't want to gain extra benefits of this spell - however, since he never chose to wear the garrotte, it makes sense that he doesn't consider it "his" equipment, either).A spell does not actively differentiate between "equipment" and "not equipment" any more than "ally" and "enemy" - it has to "ask."A shrinking object can be pulled in a direction opposite that of the shrink and continue shrinking (i.e., a rope can be pulled from the end and continue shrinking).  A shrinking object stops shrinking the moment something pushes against the direction of the shrink (e.g., a cage hits something inside the cage or a length or rope hits something inside the loop of the rope).Armed with these three rulings, all consistent with the definition of the spell and previous precedent, we can answer the questions posed... without turning a first-level spell into an "instant kill" spell.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />--The Sigil</blockquote>

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