Question: Magic Jar

[Destan]

Wizard casts magic jar and his life force immediately enters the jar. After that occurs, but prior to the wizard's life force returning to his own body, what are his body's saving throw modifiers?

In other words - wiz MJ's into the gem, then an enemy subsequently casts Disintegrate against the wizard's, now soulless, body.

Is the body just an inert corpse, for lack of a better term?

Or does the body still possess the faculties of the wizard with respect to saving throw modifiers? If only some modifiers are applicable - what are they?

Anyone run into this before? Any help on MJ, in general, is appreciated. Have a player who only recently picked it up.

D

 

[AuraSeer]

When the caster leaves his body, he takes his mental stats along with him, but not his physical stats. We know this because of what comes along when he enters a new body.

I think I'd rule that while a body is uninhabited, it effectively has Int, Wis, Cha of -. It would automatically fail Will saves, but would be effectively immune to [Mind-Affecting] spells, since there's no mind to be affected. Also, since the body is helpless, it would autofail Reflex saves.

I'd leave Fortitude saves unchanged, because they depend on the body's Constitution, not on anything the mind does.

 

[Destan]

AuraSeer - I like your ruling. I think I'm gonna adopt it. Thanks!

 

[Krinkle]

Why not just treat the caster as helpless, with all the associated penalties?

 

[Number47]

Well, Auraseer does. He just added that part about how to adjudicate Will saves. It does make a lot of sense that the body cannot be, say, charmed because there is no mind in it. A Cause Wounds spell, however, would not allow the caster to save for half.

 

[AuraSeer]

Originally posted by Krinkle
Why not just treat the caster as helpless, with all the associated penalties?

I don't think helpless is quite strong enough to cover the situation. When a caster has projected his mind elswhere, via magic jar or astral spell or whatever, I'm inclined to treat the body as an unattended object for most purposes.

I figure it can still make Fortitude saves because it takes care of its own basic housekeeping, like heartbeat and breathing and the immune system. Aside from those functions, it's just spam wrapped around sticks-- totally defenseless and vulnerable.