An Aleax hits a Sphere of Annihilation...

[atemu1234]

So if an Aleax is hit with a Sphere of Annihilation... what in the nine hells happens? An Aleax is supposed to be incapable of being destroyed by anyone but its target, while a sphere of annihilation is only capable of being stopped by a deity's direct intervention. Barring that, what happens to the Aleax? As DM, it would probably be wound up as automatic divine intervention, but just in general, what happens when something unkillable is put into a situation where they have no option but die?

[BWR]

Unstoppable force/immovable object.
DM's call.

I'd kill the aleax.

[atemu1234]

I'm thinking black hole. It'd be hilarious.

[Forrestfire]

Even if a creature created by divine intervention doesn't count as such, there is precedent in things being able to be immune to a Sphere (Entropomancer capstone).

[Khatoblepas]

On a certain reading, it is destroyed.


Singular Enemy (Ex): Although the aleax is visible to all, only its intended victim can harm it. Attacks made by other creatures are rebuffed, dealing no damage and hindering the aleax in no way.

A Sphere of Annihilation is not a creature, so Singular Enemy doesn't work on it. "only its intended victim can harm it" has no parsable rules text.

But equally "only its intended victim can harm it" means that RAI, only its intended victim can harm it.

[Werephilosopher]

I'd probably rule that the Aleax survives. It's immunity to attacks from anyone but its target stem from divine power, and divine power is (usually) needed to survive a Sphere.

[Doc_Maynot]

Also, did it's intended target try and use the sphere to kill the Aleax? If so, I'd kill it. If not, I wouldn't. Just my two cents on the matter.

[Larkas]

Hmmmm, tough call. I'd kill the Aleax on the grounds of the Sphere being an artifact, thought the latter sending the former to the Far Realm might be a "nice" plot-twist.

[Psyren]

"only its intended victim can harm it" has no parsable rules text.

This is an odd stance to take; that statement is perfectly parsable to me, and it is most certainly rules text because it is part of the ability.

Furthermore, it's unlikely that the sphere is naturally occuring in a given situation, i.e. some creature put it wherever it is. For example, the one in ToH was put there by Acererak - a creature.

[atemu1234]

Maybe while they're walking away there'll be an epilogue with the aleax climbing out of the orb.

[Kioras]

What I would do, since there is no rules on it.

If the Aleax was manipulated to hit the sphere by his target, it is destroyed with credit going to the target.

If the Aleax hits it otherwise, by someone else. it will be destroyed also, but it will reform fully in a few rounds after being destroyed by the sphere, due to the divine power.

[Lord Vukodlak]

I would say what happens is irrelevant. If the Aleax is destroyed by the sphere and it wasn't the fault of the target the deity will simply revive the Aleax or create a new one because his wrath hasn't been annulled.

[atemu1234]

I would say what happens is irrelevant. If the Aleax is destroyed by the sphere and it wasn't the fault of the target the deity will simply revive the Aleax or create a new one because his wrath hasn't been annulled.

Nope, because a god can only make one Aleax per customer. never again can there be an Aleax of the target.

[MrNobody]

I would say what happens is irrelevant. If the Aleax is destroyed by the sphere and it wasn't the fault of the target the deity will simply revive the Aleax or create a new one because his wrath hasn't been annulled.
and

Nope, because a god can only make one Aleax per customer. never again can there be an Aleax of the target.

This is true. Aleax' description states that he vanishes forever if destroyed by it's target.
In this case, if destroyed by the sphere (that it's not the target and not moved by him), i'd treat the aleax like an Inevitable. He respawns on the plane of the god that created him and continues his hunt from there.
Also, the description of the sphere states "Only the direct intervention of a deity can restore an annihilated character".
So, unless the sphere is moved by aleax' target, the aleax may (or may not, DM's decision) be destroyed, only to come back to life seconds later by divine fiat.

OR....

The aleax touches the sphere on annihilation. The aleax and the sphere merge together. The aleax becomes an out of control CE "Aleax of annihilation" with the power of the artifact that only seeks to touch and desintegrate his target and everything of the path. The target decides that it's time to change Universe and runs for his life.
(blue for irony... or maybe not...)

[atemu1234]

Gods help us if that happens. Otherwise, maybe it climbing out of the Sphere like a badass would be the best option.

[PraxisVetli]

Maybe while they're walking away there'll be an epilogue with the aleax climbing out of the orb.

I like this plan.
perhaps Sphere's can temporarily hinder an Aleax?

[atemu1234]

like this plan

Glad you do. It's most likely the one that we'll be going with. Maybe I should go with the idea from another thread, drop it into a pit with metal walls, thousands of feet deep, then fill it with molten gold, bronze and silver so that it will never escape. Leaves open the possibility, however, what happens if the Aleax outlives the target? What if it's later released by miners millions of years in the future?

[Eldan]

On a certain reading, it is destroyed.



A Sphere of Annihilation is not a creature, so Singular Enemy doesn't work on it. "only its intended victim can harm it" has no parsable rules text.

But equally "only its intended victim can harm it" means that RAI, only its intended victim can harm it.

Huh. You know, by that strict intention, it could also be killed by traps. And natural disasters. And freak accidents involving a stuffed armadillo and the plane of mirrors.

[ace rooster]

Glad you do. It's most likely the one that we'll be going with. Maybe I should go with the idea from another thread, drop it into a pit with metal walls, thousands of feet deep, then fill it with molten gold, bronze and silver so that it will never escape. Leaves open the possibility, however, what happens if the Aleax outlives the target? What if it's later released by miners millions of years in the future?

What people always forget when trying stuff like that is that boyancy works in any liquid, and that liquid gold weighs 17 times as much as water. It is very hot, which will probably kill you, but you would also float up to your knee level if you could balance well enough. Swimming through molten metal would be like swimming in water with 16 times your weight in ballast, only being forced up rather than down. Imagine how fast you would sink, because that is how fast they would rise, before being launched out the top. That kind of trap can work, but it actually has to be upside down from how you picture it, with the 'pit' going upwards and a small airhole at the top. A large enough cistern of molten metal could make it fill as fast as pouring. On the bright side they will be less likely to notice a pit trap if it is on the ceiling.

I would go with plane shift. I regard it as a catch all result for this sort of thing.

[Flickerdart]

By physics, when an absolutely unstoppable force meets an absolutely immovable object, they harmlessly pass through one another. I imagine that much the same thing could happen here - the Aleax passes through the sphere without suffering any effects.

[Zubrowka74]

The sphere doesn't deal damage, it unravels reality. It first sucks whatever touches it into the void. Then it destroys it. (Mind you, I'm using the PF definition (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/artifacts/minor-artifacts/sphere-of-annihilation) because I don't have access to the d20 srd or my books at the moment.)

I'd rule that the Aleax gets destroyed and reforms. Otherwise it would remain intact and so stuck into the void.

[atemu1234]

In physics, there's no such thing as an unstoppable force or an immovable object. But this is D&D, such technicalities that would exist in reality do not exist here. But, a valid point. Maybe they would annihilate and wipe out the universe.

[Flickerdart]

In physics, there's no such thing as an unstoppable force or an immovable object.
Things not existing has never stopped physics before. Feast thine eyes: http://gizmodo.com/5978933/what-would-really-happen-if-an-unstoppable-force-met-an-immovable-object

[Adverb]

Considering that gate and rods of cancellation are effective against the sphere of annihilation, I feel like an Aleax, as an avatar of a god, gets to do whatever it wants and ignore anything that isn't the direct responsibility of the person it's sent after.

[CIDE]

I'd probably rule that the two things do nothing to each other unless the reason the Aleax hit the sphere was due to the person it was targeting for termination (hah!) in the first place. I know it's silly but I like the dramatic edge of the situation. I guess I'm like Elan in that way.

[atemu1234]

Maybe they both implode upon each other, creating a black hole and ending the universe.