Magic weapon against gaseous form?

Mr.Joel · Post by **Mr.Joel** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 12:41 am

The gaseous form spell says that the subject becomes "immune to any

attacks that are not magical in nature (such as the strikes of spells and clearly

supernatural abilities)".

When a heavily wounded Ogre Mage assumed gaseous form, and a PC made a very good roll to notice the smoky form vanishing through some cracks in the rock, the PC attempted to attack it with a magic weapon (+1 dagger). After deliberation, the CK allowed the attack to affect the creature, and it was killed (returning at once to solid form, cracking open the rock face and falling in a shower of dust and blood).

For story purposes I think the CK made the right call, and if your point is that story trumps, consider your point made. But from a strict rules perspective, what do people think?

TIA

Omote · Post by **Omote** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 12:44 am

eeh, the story element you described is indeed a good one. Ultimately, I would think that even magical weapons would not hurt the gaseous form. Even if it did, the only damage that I would consider doing is one point from the +1 dagger on a successful hit.

-O
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Lord Dynel · Post by **Lord Dynel** » Sun Dec 21, 2008 1:21 am

I'd say it was played out well. I think it was done within with structure of the rules. Since the dagger was magical, it it were up to me I'd say that it would have affected the ogre mage normally.

Maliki · Post by **Maliki** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 1:56 pm

Omote wrote:
eeh, the story element you described is indeed a good one. Ultimately, I would think that even magical weapons would not hurt the gaseous form. Even if it did, the only damage that I would consider doing is one point from the +1 dagger on a successful hit.

-O

+1
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bighara · Post by **bighara** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 2:14 pm

As the CK in question, I can tell you my thinking was

1) it was a cool move on Mr. Joel's PC's part and

2) since magical weapons can affect incorporeal creatures like spectres, that they would also affect gaseous form.

Zebulon · Post by **Zebulon** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 3:22 pm

Maliki wrote:
+1

+2. This was my first thought when I read the original post.
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Deogolf · Post by **Deogolf** » Mon Dec 22, 2008 3:52 pm

Gust of Wind spell would work!

Against a creature such as that, I would have required a +2 or higher weapon to affect it - an ogre mage is not your run-of-the-mill type of monster!
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Go0gleplex · Post by **Go0gleplex** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 2:34 am

The letter of the spell description is wide open for interpretation, therefore there really is no right or wrong call in regards to magical weapons affecting the creature that's gassed up. (insert bean and flatulence jokes here)

It's tempting to say the only damage is equal to the plus of the enchantment, however that is merely a gauge as to the strength of the enchantment on the weapon in question. The fact that the weapon is enchanted would seem to imply that the weapon as a whole is magical and able to inflict its normal damage against the gaseous form.
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Lord Dynel · Post by **Lord Dynel** » Tue Dec 23, 2008 1:08 pm

Go0gleplex wrote:
The letter of the spell description is wide open for interpretation, therefore there really is no right or wrong call in regards to magical weapons affecting the creature that's gassed up. (insert bean and flatulence jokes here)

It's tempting to say the only damage is equal to the plus of the enchantment, however that is merely a gauge as to the strength of the enchantment on the weapon in question. The fact that the weapon is enchanted would seem to imply that the weapon as a whole is magical and able to inflict its normal damage against the gaseous form.

Well said, good sir.

serleran · Post by **serleran** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 6:45 am

Attacks that are purely magical in nature, such as those inflicted by weapons that are thusly imbued or are wholly crafted from magic (eg, magic missile) function normally against the character -- there is no way a third level spell acts as a protection from weapons and immunity to magic effect. Maybe if it were stoneskin...
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Zebulon · Post by **Zebulon** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 12:10 pm

serleran wrote:
Attacks that are purely magical in nature, such as those inflicted by weapons that are thusly imbued or are wholly crafted from magic (eg, magic missile) function normally against the character -- there is no way a third level spell acts as a protection from weapons and immunity to magic effect. Maybe if it were stoneskin...

Good argument ! I will remember it and thus rule that magic weapons hurt gaseous characters as they would hurt solid foes.
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Zebulon · Post by **Zebulon** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 12:10 pm

serleran wrote:
Attacks that are purely magical in nature, such as those inflicted by weapons that are thusly imbued or are wholly crafted from magic (eg, magic missile) function normally against the character -- there is no way a third level spell acts as a protection from weapons and immunity to magic effect. Maybe if it were stoneskin...

Good argument ! I will remember it and thus rule that magic weapons hurt gaseous characters as they would hurt solid foes.
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