Of Beholders, Antimagic Cones and Crossbows

[andargor]

A character is in a Beholder's Antimagic Cone, and fires a +1 bolt from his +2 crossbow at it.

Presumably, the bolt has left the Antimagic Cone when it hits the Beholder, since the cone extends from the 5' squares in front of it, and is not present in its own squares (otherwise it couldn't fire its eye rays elsewhere)

• Does the crossbow add +2 to hit and damage?
• Does the bolt add +1 damage as it leaves the Cone?

Andargor

 

[Thanee]

Hmm... The bolt enchantment might work on damage, but not on attack, the crossbow enchantment should not work at all, tho.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Hypersmurf]

Hmm... The bolt enchantment might work on damage, but not on attack, the crossbow enchantment should not work at all, tho.

But what if the roll makes the touch AC easily, but misses beating the natural armor of the beholder by 1? Shouldn't the enhancement bonus of the (now-magical-again) bolt apply to penetrating that natural armor?

Reversed question - what about shooting from outside the cone at a target inside the cone?

At the point of impact, no magic applies to the bolt. The crossbow is still magical.

Does the magic of the crossbow apply to attack? To damage?

Does the magic of the bolt apply to attack? To damage?

-Hyp.

 

[CalrinAlshaw]

I would say, that if the bolt LEAVES the cone of antimagic, it will become magical and thus add +1 to hit/damage.

If you fire at something inside the cone from outside, you would add the crossbow but drop the bolts bonus's.

Calrin Alshaw

 

[Thanee]

I just think, that the attack aspect is figured at your square and the damage aspect at the target square, however, the crossbow aspects are transferred upon the bolt on your square.

I think it makes at least some sense this way.

Bye
Thanee

 

[AGGEMAM]

I think it makes at least some sense this way.

I agree. (And is easier to figure out and remember in pratice).

 

[Camarath]

Here is an old thread on this issue Firing into a Antil magic shell.

 

[andargor]

Thanks for the replies.

When there are more questions than answers, it's house rule territory. When Hyp asks questions, I shudder

I'll inform my DM.

Andargor

 

[Majere]

Im not sure how it complreas with the RAW but when this turned up recently the way we played it was this.
A projectile weapon imparts its magic upon firing
A projectile maintains is imbued with magic
Inside the anti-magic cone magic items are supressed.

Therefore there are the followinf istuations:
Attacker and defender in antimagic cone -

 

[Majere]

Im not sure how it complreas with the RAW but when this turned up recently the way we played it was this.
A projectile weapon imparts its magic upon a projectile in the act of firing
A projectile maintains is imbued with magic
Inside the anti-magic cone magic items are supressed.

Therefore there are the followinf istuations:
Attacker and defender in antimagic area -
The bow and the bolt are suppressed. Treat as masterworked Bow.

Attacker in area defender not-
The effect of the weapon and projectile at the point of firing is supressed. The magic of the projectile becomes active on exiting the antimagic area but the bows effect was supressed at the point of firing. Thus treat it as a magical projectile fired from a masterworked weapon.

Attacker not in area, Defender is -
The weapon imparts its magic upon the projectile at the time of firing. The magic of the weapon and the pojectile are suppressed inside the area, ie when the bolt strikes the enemy the magic of the bolt and the magic imparted upon the bolt. Treat as a master worked bow.

Neither in area, but projectile passes through area-
The magic is supressed in the area, then reactivates outside the area. Treat as magical weapon with magic projectiles

Majere