Disintigrate Weirdness

[LooseCannoneer]

So, if you were to cast Disintigrate on a person, would the air in their lungs also be disintigrated, or would it explode outward from the space their lungs were before they were disintigrated?

[Psyren]

If it were possible to disintegrate air, the spell would be useless, as there is generally air between you and the target of a ray. Air is neither an object nor a creature in D&D (air elementals aside.)

[LooseCannoneer]

If it were possible to disintegrate air, the spell would be useless, as there is generally air between you and the target of a ray. Air is neither an object nor a creature in D&D (air elementals aside.)

The question is more about what happens to the air inside of disintigrated creatures.

So, I guess the question can be reframed as, "Does the air inside of lungs count as a part of a creature?"

[FocusWolf413]

The question is more about what happens to the air inside of disintigrated creatures.

So, I guess the question can be reframed as, "Does the air inside of lungs count as a part of a creature?"

I think the more important question is why it matters.

[daremetoidareyo]

I think the more important question is why it matters.

the wizard is in a sealed tank of water with an angry hippo and only has disintegrate prepared, so plans on breathing that air bubble once he pops the hippo.

[NEO|Phyte]

the wizard is in a sealed tank of water with an angry hippo and only has disintegrate prepared, so plans on breathing that air bubble.

...Why doesn't he just disintegrate the tank he's sealed in?

[daremetoidareyo]

...Why doesn't he just disintegrate the tank he's sealed in?

He didn't think of that. Don't lose focus.

[Karl Aegis]

...Why doesn't he just disintegrate the tank he's sealed in?

Then the receipts they were trying to obtain would become wet.

[Zanos]

Then the receipts they were trying to obtain would become wet.
I like this hypothetical. I suggest we continue expanding it one vague, eyebrow raising detail at a time.


I'd say the air is part of the creature, for what it's worth. Your digestive tract is technically part of the exterior of your body, and we don't get the contents of that piled up after a disintegrate.

[EyethatBinds]

It would be fairly disgusting if the three to five pounds of gut bacteria inside a human (less for elves and probably a third for smaller creatures) piled up upon death. Though that would be interesting to see happen.

Keep in mind, D&D counts very little of science as valid and doesn't find logic too handy either. I'd say everything that could be considered inside the person (save magical items) disintegrates.

[Psyren]

Breathing hippo-bubbles would be pretty disgusting too.

Well, the spell description tells you what is left behind - all the hippo's gear and a trace of fine dust. That's it. Mind you, if it truly created nothing else there would probably be a vacuum in the tank, but now I'm killing catgirls.

[nedz]

Then the receipts they were trying to obtain would become wet.

And angry accountants are worse than angry hippos.

[LooseCannoneer]

The situation involved the party being trapped in a sealed labyrinth. As air was being slowly pulled out, I needed to know if that action cost them a few valuable turns before the air got too thin.

[Keltest]

I would say "yes, but its pretty nasty mostly useless not-oxygen air". After all, its been used. Furthermore, there would be a significant chance of inhaling water when they try and use it.

Also, who are they disintegrating?

[Psyren]

The situation involved the party being trapped in a sealed labyrinth. As air was being slowly pulled out, I needed to know if that action cost them a few valuable turns before the air got too thin.

As others have said in this thread, by far the better use of disintegrate would be on whatever enclosure is making the lack of air an issue.

[Spore]

I would say "yes, but its pretty nasty mostly useless not-oxygen air".

If we're getting sciency, air is "mostly not-oxygen". Also increasing or decreasing the percentage of oxygen in breathing air does ... well, fun things.

[Keltest]

If we're getting sciency, air is "mostly not-oxygen". Also increasing or decreasing the percentage of oxygen in breathing air does ... well, fun things.

Ahi, but I said it was "mostly useless not-oxygen." Also, I suggest that we elaborate on these fun things. For the benefit of the OP of course.

[Psyren]

Ahi, but I said it was "mostly useless not-oxygen." Also, I suggest that we elaborate on these fun things. For the benefit of the OP of course.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypoxia_%28medical%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperoxia

[squab]

Breathing hippo-bubbles would be pretty disgusting too.

Well, the spell description tells you what is left behind - all the hippo's gear and a trace of fine dust. That's it. Mind you, if it truly created nothing else there would probably be a vacuum in the tank, but now I'm killing catgirls.

Cat girls?

[Psyren]

Cat girls?

It's a meme on these boards. "Every time you discuss real-world science/physics/biology/etc. in D&D, [deity] kills a catgirl."

Basically it's pointing out the futility of expecting scientific accuracy in a roleplaying game where abstracted rules are meant to stand in for natural laws. When you try, the universe punishes you by destroying something innocent.

[Zyzzyva]

I always assumed disintegrate reduces the target to about 100 kPa of miscellaneous vapour (steam, CO2, and whatnot). The air in the lungs wouldn't be affected, but wouldn't contain much oxygen; and you couldn't get much sustenance from an ex-hippo.


If it were possible to disintegrate air, the spell would be useless, as there is generally air between you and the target of a ray. Air is neither an object nor a creature in D&D (air elementals aside.)

...Does disintegrate work on air elementals? :smallconfused:

[Psyren]

...Does disintegrate work on air elementals? :smallconfused:

Of course it does - they're corporeal creatures.

[Zyzzyva]

Of course it does - they're corporeal creatures.

Fair enough, that's what I assumed, but I like that by RAW, disintegrating an air elemental produces dust. :smallbiggrin:

[Psyren]

Fair enough, that's what I assumed, but I like that by RAW, disintegrating an air elemental produces dust. :smallbiggrin:

Hey, nobody said they were pure :smalltongue: it could be a colloid.

[ninjamaster1991]

So can Transdimensional Disintegrate produce ghost dust?

[Psyren]

So can Transdimensional Disintegrate produce ghost dust?

Ghost Salts come from somewhere...

[With a box]

As I posted before, think about disintegrateing a genius loci. You just disintegrate a planet