Magic Jar and Shrink Item question.

[Hadessniper]

Can you use shrink item on the lifeless body of a person who cast magic jar? If so what happens if the magic jar's duration expires while the body is still shrunken? I figure one of three things will happen:
The soul returns to the lifeless body and nullifies the shrink item spell
The soul returns to the lifeless body and doesn't nullify the spell thus remaining shrunken and unable to return to it's normal size until the spell's duration ends because the person is no longer an object.
The soul can't return to the body in this state and dies

Just wanted to see how you guys would rule if this came up in one of your games.

[Kantolin]

I in no way am claiming this to be RAW, but I'd rule that the target is now reduced 4 size categories until shrink item's duration runs out or is dispelled.

[Gamer Girl]

A 'lifeless body' is still a creature. Something that is lifeless or dead does not polymorph into an object. And shrink item can only effect objects.

[Kansaschaser]

Dead bodies are considered objects by the rules. As soon as it's an object, it can be the target of the Shrink Item spell.

The same is true for plants. You can't cast shrink item on a tree unless you cut it down first. Once you've chopped it down, it's considered an object and is a valid target for the Shrink Item spell.

The Magic Jar spell states that the body of the caster appears lifeless, but it is not technically a lifeless corpse, so I would say it's not a valid target for the Shrink Item spell. Also, Shrink Item cannot shrink magical items, so if the body is wearing a magical cape or a magical vest, they would not be valid targets either.

[Gamer Girl]

Dead bodies are considered objects by the rules. As soon as it's an object, it can be the target of the Shrink Item spell.


Is this true? I don't suppose you have a page number for this rule?

[Kansaschaser]

No page number that I know of.

However, when speaking of bodies, if the body is animated by negative energy or positive energy, then it's not an object. It then becomes a creature. Once there is no longer any positive or negative energy animating a body, then it becomes an object.

Take food for example. You can shrink food. Food is an object. Although we look down on canabalism, once a human is dead, they are just raw meat and bones at that point. They are considered an object.