If you give a Balor a weapon...

[Endarire]

According to the Balor entry (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/demon.htm), a Balor, upon death, destroys any weapon it holds. Since anything a creature can wield is either a natural weapon, a manufactured weapon, or/and an improvised weapon, this is one way to get rid of pesky artifacts or things you want gone.

This includes creatures.

I call this the Balor Garbage Explosal, or Balor Garbage Disposal.

[FocusWolf413]

If you give a Balor a weapon, he'll want some souls to go with it.

[daremetoidareyo]

Reminder to self: replace weapon focus longsword with scorpion's grasp.

[Extra Anchovies]

According to the Balor entry (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/demon.htm), a Balor, upon death, destroys any weapon it holds. Since anything a creature can wield is either a natural weapon, a manufactured weapon, or/and an improvised weapon, this is one way to get rid of pesky artifacts or things you want gone.

This includes creatures.

I call this the Balor Garbage Explosal, or Balor Garbage Disposal.

I'm not sure if it works with artifacts that can only be destroyed in certain ways (like the staff of penumbra or the annulus) - I think they get a specific vs. general exception, and aren't destroyed when the Balor dies. Other than that, though, this is a pretty great trick.


If you give a Balor a weapon, he'll want some souls to go with it.

If you give a Balor some souls, he'll want a shriver to chop them up with.

[Graypairofsocks]

According to the Balor entry (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/demon.htm), a Balor, upon death, destroys any weapon it holds. Since anything a creature can wield is either a natural weapon, a manufactured weapon, or/and an improvised weapon, this is one way to get rid of pesky artifacts or things you want gone.

This includes creatures.

I call this the Balor Garbage Explosal, or Balor Garbage Disposal.

It wouldn't work on Major Artifacts as they are indestructible with 2 exceptions.
Each has a specific method of destruction and Mordenkainen's Disjunction has a chance to destroy artifacts.
However making a Balor wield an artifact then killing it would be a interesting choice for an artifacts specific method of destruction.

I think creatures would just take 100 damage.

[Malimar]

It wouldn't work on Major Artifacts as they are indestructible with 2 exceptions.
Each has a specific method of destruction and Mordenkainen's Disjunction has a chance to destroy artifacts.

There is a third exception: apocalypse from the sky uses an artifact as a material component, and a material component is consumed when the spell is cast.

(I've heard tell of errata or FAQ or update or other clarification that changes the artifact from a component to a focus, but I can't find it now, so it might just be a figment of my imagination.)

[Graypairofsocks]

There is a third exception: apocalypse from the sky uses an artifact as a material component, and a material component is consumed when the spell is cast.

(I've heard tell of errata or FAQ or update or other clarification that changes the artifact from a component to a focus, but I can't find it now, so it might just be a figment of my imagination.)

The "Book of Vile Darkness" FAQ explains that it was supposed to be using the Artifact as a focus component.

Although even if that ruling didn't exist, nothing in the spell says that it can destroy Major Artifacts.

[Rijan_Sai]

The "Book of Vile Darkness" FAQ explains that it was supposed to be using the Artifact as a focus component.

Although even if that ruling didn't exist, nothing in the spell says that it can destroy Major Artifacts.

Focus certainly makes more sense! Though on the subject of the artifact being destroyed as a Material component, it doesn't need to be in the spell. It's already covered in Components (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/spellDescriptions.htm#components):


Material (M)
A material component is one or more physical substances or objects that are annihilated by the spell energies in the casting process
Bolded for emphasis. (There's more to the quote, but that's the relevant part.) A Major Artifact is as much of an artifact as a Minor one, and without the FAQ/errata, will be completely destroyed (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/annihilate)!

[P.F.]

If you give a Balor a weapon, he'll want some souls to go with it.If you give a Balor some souls, he'll want a shriver to chop them up with.

Once he's chopped them up, he'll want to eat them in his own private layer of the Abyss. It'll probably already be inhabited, so you'll have to clear it out for him.

[Bad Wolf]

This gives me an idea with a planet-throwing hulking hurler...

[Graypairofsocks]

Focus certainly makes more sense! Though on the subject of the artifact being destroyed as a Material component, it doesn't need to be in the spell. It's already covered in Components (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/spellDescriptions.htm#components):


Bolded for emphasis. (There's more to the quote, but that's the relevant part.) A Major Artifact is as much of an artifact as a Minor one, and without the FAQ/errata, will be completely destroyed (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/annihilate)!

Major artifacts can only be destroyed in a specific way.
Unless something says it can destroy an artifact it won't be able to destroy a major artifact.

[Rijan_Sai]

Major artifacts can only be destroyed in a specific way.
Unless something says it can destroy an artifact it won't be able to destroy a major artifact.

And Apocalypse from the Sky uses an artifact as a Material component, which specifically states that the MC is destryoed! :smalltongue:

[Graypairofsocks]

And Apocalypse from the Sky uses an artifact as a Material component, which specifically states that the MC is destryoed! :smalltongue:

The rules about material components do not state that they can destroy a Major Artifact.
A Major Artifact has one specific means of destruction.

[Vaz]

Depends what is more specific.

A Major Artefact, or a Major Artefact being used as the Material Component