Magic Items and Dispel Magic

[gfunk]

So, I understand that a targeted dispel magic against a magic item (if successful) will make it inoperative for 1d4 rounds. But what happens when someone targets a dispel on a character that has magical effects from items?

For example, a Rogue is hasted via Boots of Speed and a Wizard casts a targeted dispel on the Rogue. What happens?

1) The Rogues' haste effect can be dispelled, but he can re-activate it on his turn as a standard action?

2) Since the haste effect is from a magic item, the dispel can't do diddly?

Thanks!

 

[shilsen]

The result of the dispel depends on whether the item is used to actually cast a spell on the user, or simply provides an effect constantly. Boots of Speed falls in the first category, and a dispel magic would end the haste effect. I think it would be fair to allow the user to re-activate them the next round.

 

[dcollins]

I disagree with the previous poster. By the core rules, only a very few items work by "replicating spells" -- i.e., mostly potions, wands, and scrolls.

Boots of speed do not say that they cast haste on the user. They do say they "enable the wearer to act as though hasted..." which is a different animal.

I vote for #2, and would think the same for almost any Wondrous Item in the core rules.

 

[gfunk]

Thanks for the input guys.

dcollins, that was an interesting observation -- I hadn't really noticed the distinction before.

Any other thoughts?

 

[AuraSeer]

I agree with shilsen. IMC, anything that provides an effect on activation can be dispelled. Items that work continuously (stat enhancement items, bracers of armor, etc) cannot have their effects dispelled, though they can be suppressed by a dispel cast directly on the item.

 

[Datt]

Okay, now I am not sure if this is a house rule or the way it goes, because I usually don't play a magic user. But when dispel is cast on a person we go through what they have on/up and the dispel trys to dispel the highest spell working downward. If it fails the it moves to the next highest spell and so on and so forth. If it can't dispel anything then nothing happens. It includes both spells cast upon you and spells from magic items, rings, boots, etc.

 

[AuraSeer]

Okay, now I am not sure if this is a house rule or the way it goes, because I usually don't play a magic user. But when dispel is cast on a person we go through what they have on/up and the dispel trys to dispel the highest spell working downward. If it fails the it moves to the next highest spell and so on and so forth. If it can't dispel anything then nothing happens.

That's the way it works for an area dispel. You do this process for each person in the area, until each person has has either lost one effect or had all his effects resist the dispel.

Doing the same thing for a targeted dispel would be a house rule. By the book, a targeted dispel makes a check against every spell on the target. When you encounter of those flying blinking hasted invisible stoneskinned polymorphed Tenser-Transformed mages, a single Dispel Magic has the potential to wipe out all those effects at once.

 

[dcollins]

You'll also notice that the language on DMG p. 175-6 speaks of the process of "activating" magic items, and the same phrasing is used whether it's command-word activated (up some of the time) or use-activated (up all of the time).

The only exception there is when it says "By contrast, spell completion items are treated like spells in combat..."

 

[hong]

I disagree with the previous poster. By the core rules, only a very few items work by "replicating spells" -- i.e., mostly potions, wands, and scrolls.

Boots of speed do not say that they cast haste on the user. They do say they "enable the wearer to act as though hasted..." which is a different animal.

Since dispel magic will dispel not just spells but also spell-like and supernatural effects, I think the question is moot.

 

[Dark Dragon]

Since dispel magic will dispel not just spells but also spell-like and supernatural effects, I think the question is moot.

Following the Dispel Magic version from the SRD, you're wrong:

Targeted Dispel: One object, creature, or spell is the target of the spell. The character makes a dispel check against the spell or against each ongoing spell currently in effect on the object or creature. A dispel check is 1d20 +1 per caster level (maximum +10) against a DC of 11 + the spell’s caster level.

The boots don't cast Haste, they create an effect similar to it...