Question on how acid affects a magical quarterstaff

[reveal]

I'm prepping for my next session. I am running my PCs through the City of Istivin arc from Dungeons 117-119.

In the first adventure, there's a creature that has the Acid (Ex) ability. Basically, when the creature attacks, it does an extra 1d6 acid damage. It also does 30 points/round of acid damage to wooden objects. It states that any wooden weapon that strikes it is destroyed immediately unless it succeeds on a Reflex save.

One of the players has a quarterstaff that is magical on both ends. If it hits, is it automatically destroyed unless it makes the save? It is wooden but it's also magical, so I'm not sure. Also, does it take damage since, again, it's magical?

Thanks for any help.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Generally speaking, yes, it is automatically destroyed, just like metal weapons that strike various oozes are also automatically destroyed.

Some people don't like the way this interfaces with the normal rules on weapon destruction (in which they have hardness and hit points, etc.), and house rule such creature abilities to more closely integrate with the rest of the rules.

 

[Pyrex]

Not that it matters much.

A Quarterstaff has a hardness of 5 and 10hp. (two handed hafted weapon).

Given that Acid ignores hardness, even a +5 Quarterstaff (Hardness 10 and 15hp) is hosed.

 

[frankthedm]

If you weaken the acid you should toughen the monster or lower the CR. Item destruction is there to use up party resourses.

 

[NexH]

Given that Acid ignores hardness, even a +5 Quarterstaff (Hardness 10 and 15hp) is hosed.

I think each +1 gives an extra +2 hardness and 10hp, so a +5 Quarterstaff would have hardness 15 and 60 hp

 

[reveal]

I think each +1 gives an extra +2 hardness and 10hp, so a +5 Quarterstaff would have hardness 15 and 60 hp

You are right, for every enhancement bonus the item gets +2 harness and 10hp. So a +1 holy mace, while a +3 item when it comes to purchasing it, only gets an extra 2 to hardness and 10hp.

 

[Prince Atom]

OTOH, there are other creatures besides oozes that destroy weapons outright. The rust monster comes to mind (not that it would apply here), as well as the caryatid column (Fiend Folio, save or break your weapon). Now, I'm not so sure about the caryatid column, but I'm fairly sure that everybody would be reluctant to houserule the rust monster.

It's a D&D Icon, after all.

My point is that there is some precedent. Has the automatic-destruction thing been considered in the creature's CR?

And I think that 30-hp-a-round thing is for constant contact. If the ooze were pressing against a door, that door would take 30 hp for every full round that the ooze did so. A melee attack involves contact for merely a fraction of that time, so weapons wouldn't take 30 hp from a successful attack; disregarding, of course, the "inst-O-destruction" quality.

TWK

Edit: Beaten to it by several people!

 

[reveal]

It's a CR 11 critter. Here the description of its acid ability.

...secretes a potent acid that dissolves organic matter. Any hit by a tentacle deals 1d6 points of additional acid damage. A wooden object struck takes 30 points of acid damage per round. A wooden weapon striking...is destroyed immediately unless it succeeds on a Reflex save (DC 15).

 

[Diirk]

For a CR11 critter, that's not really that bad. The magic item saves with it's own saves, or its wielders, whichever is higher... even a plate clad fighter will likely be at +6 - +7 at this level, even in the worst case. That saves 55-60% of the time. Rogues will save probably 90%+ of the time.

Or, of course, you could just hit it with steel weapons.