[3.5] Mettle vs. Disjunction

[Jack_Simth]

First off, for reference:


Mettle (Ex): At 3rd level and higher, a hexblade can resist magical and unusual attacks with great willpower or fortitude. If he makes a successful Will or Fortitude save against an attack that normally would have a lesser effect on a successful save (such as any spell with a saving throw entry of Will half or Fortitude partial), he instead completely negates the effect. An unconscious or sleeping hexblade does not gain the benefit of mettle.
And Disjunction (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/magesDisjunction.htm):
Mage’s Disjunction
Abjuration
Level: Magic 9, Sor/Wiz 9
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area: All magical effects and magic items within a 40-ft.-radius burst
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates (object)
Spell Resistance: No

All magical effects and magic items within the radius of the spell, except for those that you carry or touch, are disjoined. That is, spells and spell-like effects are separated into their individual components (ending the effect as a dispel magic spell does), and each permanent magic item must make a successful Will save or be turned into a normal item. An item in a creature’s possession uses its own Will save bonus or its possessor’s Will save bonus, whichever is higher.

You also have a 1% chance per caster level of destroying an antimagic field. If the antimagic field survives the disjunction, no items within it are disjoined.

Even artifacts are subject to disjunction, though there is only a 1% chance per caster level of actually affecting such powerful items. Additionally, if an artifact is destroyed, you must make a DC 25 Will save or permanently lose all spellcasting abilities. (These abilities cannot be recovered by mortal magic, not even miracle or wish.)

Note: Destroying artifacts is a dangerous business, and it is 95% likely to attract the attention of some powerful being who has an interest in or connection with the device.

Does this mean that if a Hexblade makes a save vs. Disjunction for one of his attended items, none of the Hexblade's buffs go away?

[LTwerewolf]

The argument is the part where mettle says "lesser effect." I would argue that the buff removal is not a lesser effect, and thus not affected by mettle. It's a will negates, not a will half/partial, indicating that the first effect isn't considered lesser.

[Troacctid]

The Will save is made by the object, not the creature holding it. It uses the Hexblade's save bonus, but the Hexblade isn't making the save, so mettle doesn't apply.

[Jack_Simth]

The argument is the part where mettle says "lesser effect." I would argue that the buff removal is not a lesser effect, and thus not affected by mettle.
Which is a stronger effect:
1) Buffs removed
2) Buffs removed and magic item destroyed
?

[The Random NPC]

First off, for reference:


And Disjunction (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/magesDisjunction.htm):

Does this mean that if a Hexblade makes a save vs. Disjunction for one of his attended items, none of the Hexblade's buffs go away?

No, it's akin to saying because someone else made their Reflex save, the Rogue with Improved Evasion doesn't take any damage.

[Thanatosia]

The Will save is made by the object, not the creature holding it. It uses the Hexblade's save bonus, but the Hexblade isn't making the save, so mettle doesn't apply.
This, there is absolutely no foundation for Mettle to trigger, because the only save is being made by objects. The objects do roll with the Hexblade's save bonus, but that does not mean the Hexblade is making the save.

Beyond that, I am not sure every effect of a spell cast counts as one 'effect'. The disruption of magic items and the dispelling as buffs seems like 2 different effects from one spell to me, so saving vs the disenchantment even with mettle would not in any way change the resolution of the other effect (which doesn't allow a save). Parsing spells into 'effects' I can see as a slippery slope into some very bitter arguments though, so I"m not sure on those grounds. Thankfully, in this case, it simply does not matter.

[Jack_Simth]

The Will save is made by the object, not the creature holding it. It uses the Hexblade's save bonus, but the Hexblade isn't making the save, so mettle doesn't apply.

Hmm. Pity, ah well. Guess I'll just need to duck when it comes up.

[martixy]

Er... Disjunction is Will negates, not Will half or partial or whatever.

Which is the point of the Mettle ability.
It's not supposed to work in all-or nothing situations. Think of it as the other-saves version of Evasion.
For example Evasion has no effect on Telekinetic Sphere - there is no halfway, you're either in or out. (It is Reflex negates, not Reflex half or Reflex partial.)

What it would have an effect on are spells like Disintegrate.