Outsider

[defofchaos]

Dear Giant in the Playground Forums,

Can someone please explain to me how Outsiders and spells work with each other?

I understand that they cannot be resurrected through normal means, but more specifically when they are targeted by spells such as finger of death, etc.

I ask because I thought I read somewhere most spells are not effective vs an outsider and I cannot find that information anymore.

Thank you in advance.

[Urpriest]

Finger of Death works the same on an Outsider as on anyone. Are you sure you aren't thinking of Dominate Person?

[defofchaos]

I was just tossing out a random spell, not finger of death specifically.

I understand they do not count as a Humanoid, so any spells that specifically states a Humanoid an Outsider would not be affected by.

So am I safe to assume that all other spells that state creature can affect an outsider as well?

[Urpriest]

I was just tossing out a random spell, not finger of death specifically.

I understand they do not count as a Humanoid, so any spells that specifically states a Humanoid an Outsider would not be affected by.

So am I safe to assume that all other spells that state creature can affect an outsider as well?

Yeah. Generally if a spell has some restriction when applied to outsiders (polymorph for example) it will say so.

[defofchaos]

Thank You very much!

[Deaxsa]

Yeah. Generally if a spell has some restriction when applied to outsiders (polymorph for example) it will say so.

wait, what? what restriction? where does it say that? does it say that for alter form too?

[Urpriest]

wait, what? what restriction? where does it say that? does it say that for alter form too?

It's not that you can't apply Polymorph to an Outsider, it's that you can't Polymorph someone into an Outsider (or a few other types) unless the original creature is of the type in question already.

[Deaxsa]

It's not that you can't apply Polymorph to an Outsider, it's that you can't Polymorph someone into an Outsider (or a few other types) unless the original creature is of the type in question already.

oh, ok. you scared me. i thought there was some errata that i was unaware of that said something like "outsiders cannot change into blah blah..."

[Devils_Advocate]

I ask because I thought I read somewhere most spells are not effective vs an outsider and I cannot find that information anymore.
Perhaps an outsider is more likely to have high saving throws, Spell Resistance, high touch AC, and/or etc. than a random monster of the same Challenge Rating? There doesn't need to be any special rule for the Outsider creature type for that generalization to be accurate.

Edit: Pardon, I misread that as "not as effective". In any case, perhaps that's what was written or what was intended.

[PlusSixPelican]

There's a spell for resurrecting outsiders (http://dndtools.eu/spells/manual-of-the-planes--43/revive-outsider--1856/). You just need the body and some components. There's a 3.5e version in the Spell Compendium, although it's pretty identical.

[Wookie-ranger]

Just throwing this out here because it is related to the subject.
The 'Lesser' versions of certain outsider races (such as Lesser Aasimar) are affected by spell that affect humanoids and spells that affect outsiders.

[Phelix-Mu]

Just throwing this out here because it is related to the subject.
The 'Lesser' versions of certain outsider races (such as Lesser Aasimar) are affected by spell that affect humanoids and spells that affect outsiders.

Ah, I wish they'd stop doing stuff like that. It's pretty clearly the intent of the original rules that any creature should be of one type or another. Not two types. Not one and a half types. When you start adding stuff like dragonblooded and other hybrid-type stuff, where the creature counts as either type, there are just big gaps in the rules that crop up.

I guess it's not hugely game-imploding, but I just wish they wouldn't keep punching holes in the boat that they built.

[Spuddles]

Ah, I wish they'd stop doing stuff like that. It's pretty clearly the intent of the original rules that any creature should be of one type or another. Not two types. Not one and a half types. When you start adding stuff like dragonblooded and other hybrid-type stuff, where the creature counts as either type, there are just big gaps in the rules that crop up.

I guess it's not hugely game-imploding, but I just wish they wouldn't keep punching holes in the boat that they built.

It's not that bad. They're humanoids, but for the purpose of certain spells&effects they also count as outsiders. Kind of like monk.