3.5 Ordained Champion, Channel Spell Antimagic field?

[GlorinSteampike]

If I were to play an Ordained Champion, and channel antimagic field into a weapon and hit a spellcaster with it, does it affect their 5 foot square? It says it affects any magic that comes into the area, but it no longer affects an area. What happens if you touch a summoned creature if you get hit with this antimagic field? I assume all their gear and spells that affect them shut off, but can they still cast spells? Does the field just surround their body itself? So they can't cast spells? There are so many interactions with these two abilities.

[Tokiko Mima]

The way Channel Spell (Sp) is written you effectively change the description of "Area: 10' radius, centered on you" to "Target: successfully struck melee target" and nothing else.

Effectively, only the thing you attacked is effected. You need not necessarily attack a foe, or even a being at all. You can use this on objects as well.

Assuming you are using this on a foe with magical equipment, the effects of all magic items are suppressed immediately per the antimagic field description if they effect the foe. Technically since you didn't target them with your melee attack, your foes gear is not effected by AMF. However since he is affected by AMF and per the spell text he can't get the benefits of magic items inside an AMF, the result is usually the same. The only difference would be if he possessed something like a decanter of endless water: since neither the spell effect nor the magic item is inside the AMF, it continues unsuppressed and unabated.

As far as casting, your foe is generally out of luck. Any spell used within, brought or cast into the area of the spell i.e. your foe, is suppressed. It is not dispelled, but what that means is that technically your enemy can cast spells and use magical effects, but they will be suppressed until the AMF expires, even if he is directing them outside the area of the AMF. Likewise, any spells you cast at your adversary will be suppressed until such time as the AMF ends. The protection is both ways.

A foe effected by AMF in this way doesn't get to suppress summoned creations by touch. They would have to get any summoned beings inside the area of the spell to suppress them, and since the foe is entirely filling up the area of the AMF, this seems unlikely. Though it would answer many questions, I recommend against trying this with creatures with the Swallow Whole (Ex) ability; some mysteries are best left unsolved.

In general, AMF is a tough to interpret spell; it's generally houseruled into making sense, because some of the text can result in weird rule dynamics. For example, by RAW it is possible to teleport into and out of an AMF, as long as the caster doesn't stray inside, because of a line that makes instantaneous conjuration immune to AMF, and teleports are almost always instantaneous conjurations.

You can also use total cover to protect yourself from the effects, which is the trick casters tend to use, shrink item'ing an object that at it's full size gives them total cover e.g. a shrunken metal dome in the form of a hat. The nice part about your Channel spell ability is that won't work to save them. The downside is that anything that prevents a melee attack from landing will work instead.

[GlorinSteampike]

The way Channel Spell (Sp) is written you effectively change the description of "Area: 10' radius, centered on you" to "Target: successfully struck melee target" and nothing else.

Effectively, only the thing you attacked is effected. You need not necessarily attack a foe, or even a being at all. You can use this on objects as well.

Assuming you are using this on a foe with magical equipment, the effects of all magic items are suppressed immediately per the antimagic field description if they effect the foe. Technically since you didn't target them with your melee attack, your foes gear is not effected by AMF. However since he is affected by AMF and per the spell text he can't get the benefits of magic items inside an AMF, the result is usually the same. The only difference would be if he possessed something like a decanter of endless water: since neither the spell effect nor the magic item is inside the AMF, it continues unsuppressed and unabated.

As far as casting, your foe is generally out of luck. Any spell used within, brought or cast into the area of the spell i.e. your foe, is suppressed. It is not dispelled, but what that means is that technically your enemy can cast spells and use magical effects, but they will be suppressed until the AMF expires, even if he is directing them outside the area of the AMF. Likewise, any spells you cast at your adversary will be suppressed until such time as the AMF ends. The protection is both ways.

A foe effected by AMF in this way doesn't get to suppress summoned creations by touch. They would have to get any summoned beings inside the area of the spell to suppress them, and since the foe is entirely filling up the area of the AMF, this seems unlikely. Though it would answer many questions, I recommend against trying this with creatures with the Swallow Whole (Ex) ability; some mysteries are best left unsolved.

In general, AMF is a tough to interpret spell; it's generally houseruled into making sense, because some of the text can result in weird rule dynamics. For example, by RAW it is possible to teleport into and out of an AMF, as long as the caster doesn't stray inside, because of a line that makes instantaneous conjuration immune to AMF, and teleports are almost always instantaneous conjurations.

You can also use total cover to protect yourself from the effects, which is the trick casters tend to use, shrink item'ing an object that at it's full size gives them total cover e.g. a shrunken metal dome in the form of a hat. The nice part about your Channel spell ability is that won't work to save them. The downside is that anything that prevents a melee attack from landing will work instead.

That was a very good answer! Thanks a lot. I didn't even think about the swallow hole trick. I almost want to use that. It also makes the idea of using a bunch of spells suppressed, centered around you then unleashing them when the AMF goes away...

[Tokiko Mima]

You're welcome! :smallsmile:

Remember, duration keeps counting on spells that are suppressed in this way. Casting fireball under an AMF would just waste the spell, because it is over the moment it's cast. On the other hand, if AMF was about to end and you knew when it would end, it's older cousin delayed blast fireball could be of some use.