Rakshasa spell immunity -- clarification needed

[Xarlen]

But, if you Magic Weapon a crossbow, won't it bestow the bonus to the arrow?

A Holy Crossbow makes the arrows 'Holy', so why not the magic weapon on the crossbow do it?

 

[Dr. Zoom]

Not the +1 enhancement bonus. I am unsure of the "bless" effect, though.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

You have to Bless Weapon the crossbow bolt, not the crossbow itself. Using this spell enables the bolt to ignore damage reduction.

 

[StealthyMark]

A rakshasa is not immune to:
- Spells, which don't allow SR in the first place, like Dispel Magic
- 9th-level spells or higher
- Crossbow bolts with the "Holy" Enhancement or shoot by a crossbow with this enhancement
- Crossbow bolts with (Greater) Magic Weapon (cast by a good cleric) or Bless Weapon.

 

[Voadam]

Correct, in all previous versions of D&D they have had that same defense. They are death to mid and low level mages.

Heh, in my last 2e game it came up, I was running an adventure with a rakshasa main villain and was using the CD with all the core books on it and the CD did not have the listed defense. At the game I was using one of my player's actual monstrous compendiums so I could keep the pages handy. I saw that defense and was shocked, it makes a bit of a difference! It also was not mentioned in the module even though they had him pretty detailed out. The party killed it with an artifact crossbow bolt so I can say it went either way, but I have not pulled out my MM1e to check how it was there.

 

[DoctorB]

I need to resurrect this thread for a moment.
What I want to know is if a Paladin's Detect Evil should work against a Rakshasa...
The ability is a "spell-like ability" but Detect Evil does not allow SR.

 

[Xarlen]

I need to resurrect this thread for a moment.
What I want to know is if a Paladin's Detect Evil should work against a Rakshasa...
The ability is a "spell-like ability" but Detect Evil does not allow SR.

Spells that Do Not Effect the Rakshasa are not ignored. For example, if you cast Transmute Rock to Mud under him, he's slowed. Because it effects the ground, not Him.

Same goes for the detect evil, or protection spells Vs. the Rakshasa (Circle of Pro. Evil, for example).

 

[Painfully]

But a Rakshasa who knows he is vulnerable to a first level cleric's Bless spell on an otherwise ordinary crossbow bolt would be wise to compensate for this weakness.

It doesn't hurt that the Rakshasa can detect thoughts too, so he should be prepared for this possibility and have a countermeasure available to keep himself hidden, or to move to another neighborhood before he is given away.

 

[Xarlen]

But a Rakshasa who knows he is vulnerable to a first level cleric's Bless spell on an otherwise ordinary crossbow bolt would be wise to compensate for this weakness.

'Bless' does not effect weapons. 'Bless' Gives your party +1 to attack and +1 vs. Fear.

A 'Magic Weapon' Or 'Greater Magic Weapon' cast by a cleric makes a weapon blessed.

A well placed 'Dispel magic' by a Rakshasa should remove that from your local quarrels.

 

[HeavyG]

But a Rakshasa who knows he is vulnerable to a first level cleric's Bless spell on an otherwise ordinary crossbow bolt would be wise to compensate for this weakness.

It doesn't hurt that the Rakshasa can detect thoughts too, so he should be prepared for this possibility and have a countermeasure available to keep himself hidden, or to move to another neighborhood before he is given away.

I've seen Protection from arrows mentioned as a countermeasure before. But this begs the question : Can a Rakshasa voluntarily lower its magic immunity to allow beneficial spells to be cast on him ?