Objects in D&D: Definition?

[ben-zayb]

Exactly what the title says: Is there a specific definition somewhere in the SRD or something? I see threads were Disintegrate was used to collapse the floor, or doors were Time Hop-ped, but are these examples viable and cheese-free tactics?

PS Overchanneled Time Hop can affect an object weighing 153600lbs. as written.

To put it bluntly, which of these can be considered as an "object" in D&D terms?

Bridge of worked stone
Natural Stone Bridge
Temple
Cavern
Whole Castle
Castle Gate/Tower/Moat
Garden
Pond
Dungeon Floor
Spike Trap
Door
Lever
Boulder
Tree
Branch of a tree
Ground (sand/dirt/solid earth)
Lake
Water
Lava
Fog/mist/smoke

[KillianHawkeye]

An object is any thing which is not a creature.

To qualify as a single object, however, common sense dicates that it needs to be solid. This rules out the liquids and gasses on your list of examples. Note that these could still be affected by area or by volume, just not as a single object. It also rules out the branch example. The branch would count as a part of the tree unless it was first separated.

Things which are structures or otherwise composed of many parts would also not count as single objects. So you could disintegrate part of a castle's wall (subject to the volume the spell can affect), but not an entire castle outright. Similarly with temples, bridges, towers, and the ground.

A cavern is never an object, since it is really just empty space. The cavern's walls, floor, and ceiling, on the other hand, would be affected by area/volume since they are natural structures.

tl;dr Use common sense.

[hewhosaysfish]

The closest thing I know of to a definition is in the Nonabilities (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#nonabilities) section:


Wisdom

Any creature that can perceive its environment in any fashion has at least 1 point of Wisdom. Anything with no Wisdom score is an object, not a creature. Anything without a Wisdom score also has no Charisma score.

Charisma

Any creature capable of telling the difference between itself and things that are not itself has at least 1 point of Charisma. Anything with no Charisma score is an object, not a creature. Anything without a Charisma score also has no Wisdom score.

[marcielle]

And now, something completely different. Trees, do not count as objects OR creatures due to the way the DnD descriptions are termed and cannot be affected by spells like disintegrate. Living, unformed wood is completely impervious to a spell capable of anihalating adamantine.

[kardar233]

And now, something completely different. Trees, do not count as objects OR creatures due to the way the DnD descriptions are termed and cannot be affected by spells like disintegrate. Living, unformed wood is completely impervious to a spell capable of anihalating adamantine.

Actually, trees do count as objects. The reason Disintegrate doesn't work on them is that it states "nonliving matter".

[KillianHawkeye]

Actually, trees do count as objects. The reason Disintegrate doesn't work on them is that it states "nonliving matter".

Seems like a bug in the disintegrate spell. There's no reason it shouldn't work on living objects if it works on creatures.

[Mnemnosyne]

Things with many parts are where this gets kind of complicated. Would you say an automobile is an object? A wagon? How about a clock? I would generally consider those things to be objects, but if we strictly say that things composed of many parts are not objects, then none of them count. Even a pocket watch is not an object. A shirt may not be an object, since it's technically made of more than one thread, armor is made of more than one piece, and so on...

I'd generally define an object as anything described as a single thing, whether it is composed of many parts or not; there may be exceptions, but that would be my general definition.

[Madara]

A corpse is an object. That's one that I've looked at many times, and I think it works.

The real question is: If Polymorph any object works on creatures, are creatures objects?



I'd generally define an object as anything described as a single thing, whether it is composed of many parts or not; there may be exceptions, but that would be my general definition.

This is the general rule for it. Except it also needs to be unable to move itself. So that makes trees living objects, but animals living creatures.

[whibla]

A corpse is an object. That's one that I've looked at many times, and I think it works.

The real question is: If Polymorph any object works on creatures, are creatures objects?

I'm never sure what blue signifies, but I'm going to guess you're not being serious. Just in case you are though, the reason Polymorph any Object works on creatures is that the target, as specified in the stat block, is listed as "One creature, or one nonmagical object of up to 100 cu. ft. / level."

Other than that, I'd agree with previous posters: An object is anything that is not a creature* or an effect (spell, power, etc.). Also, an object can be composed of multiple other objects, but in itself still qualifies as a single object. A chest of drawers is a single object of furniture, even though it might contain a number of drawers, each an object in their own right.

*Just don't ask me what an animated object counts as. :smallredface:

[Greyfeld85]

I think the real question is how Shatter is targeted.

I've had a player try to use it on a single stone in a wall, under the premise that the single stone is its own object, and not subject to the weight imposed by the entire wall.

On the other hand, I've allowed the same player to shatter a single link in a chain, which you would think would fall under the same ruling.

[Madara]

Blue is always sarcasm, fyi


Bridge of worked stone yes
Natural Stone Bridge Depends, is it attached to more stone, or separate from the surroundings?
Temple The building itself, yes. The contents? Probably not.
Cavern Isn't a cavern the space itself? So you'd be counting the empty air, rather than the walls/ ceiling of the cave. So no.
Whole Castle Building yes, but not with its insides.
Castle Gate/Tower/Moat Yes, Yes, No
Garden No, because it is made up of many features.
Pond Nope, I think the person above who said liquids and gasses don't count is right.
Dungeon Floor Depends on what its made of. Or if its natural. Unlikely
Spike Trap This is an interesting one.. I'm going to say no, because the mechanism + the spikes, and the opening floor are all separate parts.
Door Yes. Suggestion: Go for the hinges which are separate objects and weigh much less.
Lever Yes.
Boulder yes
Tree Living Object...so its a special case. But yes.
Branch of a tree Yes
Ground (sand/dirt/solid earth) Not unless you can affect the whole earth.
Lake No
Water No
Lava No...debatable. If its liquid rock, you could think of it as a single object, but its liquid so No.
Fog/mist/smoke No. No. Nope.

[mucco]

Madara: ice?

[Madara]

Madara: ice?

I'm gonna say yes for blocks of ice, Ice sculptures...ect
anything that's normally an object, but made of ice. However, some effects would be useless if the ice melted.

[mucco]

So it seems that your key factor for defining an object would be its solid state.

[KillianHawkeye]

So it seems that your key factor for defining an object would be its solid state.

That was what I said as well.

[ben-zayb]

So by that "anything solid" logic, one could still make any reasonably sized body of water disappear as long as he/she can turn it to ice (http://dndtools.eu/spells/frostburn--68/frostfell--1313/).

And unlike Disintegrate, Time Hop seems to be not limited by physical dimensions--but rather with an exponentially expanding weight limit. This makes me think that one could make the tavern walls (constructed with light materials) disappear, which basically makes the tavern collapse. Or perhaps target the ground from where it stood so that it will collapse.

[Greyfeld85]

So by that "anything solid" logic, one could still make any reasonably sized body of water disappear as long as he/she can turn it to ice (http://dndtools.eu/spells/frostburn--68/frostfell--1313/).

And unlike Disintegrate, Time Hop seems to be not limited by physical dimensions--but rather with an exponentially expanding weight limit. This makes me think that one could make the tavern walls (constructed with light materials) disappear, which basically makes the tavern collapse. Or perhaps target the ground from where it stood so that it will collapse.

Trying to set rigid rules into a spell that's obvious vague is always going to sound a little ridiculous.

It's obvious to me that spells like this require DM fiat, pure and simple.