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Tyger
2007-06-18, 08:18 PM
Is there a rule for what happens if you are hit by an AoE spell, and your familiar is on your shoulder?

I.E. raven familiar is riding on your shoulder, unprotected by any magics save the inherent bonuses that familiars get. Your area is hit by a Fireball. Does the familiar role a save too? With his evasion, he's got a good chance, but still...

Belteshazzar
2007-06-18, 08:26 PM
The Familiar counts as being in your square if he is riding your shoulder so yes he should take damage by the RaW. However this may be a good time to ask if anyone else bothers estimating when amour is being damaged by such effects. I imagine a burning hands could torch some clothes off if applied carefully.

Dhavaer
2007-06-18, 08:36 PM
Yes, it'd roll a save. It might get cover, though.

Skjaldbakka
2007-06-18, 08:37 PM
However this may be a good time to ask if anyone else bothers estimating when amour is being damaged by such effects. I imagine a burning hands could torch some clothes off if applied carefully.

There are rules for that. They start by rolling a nat 1 on a saving throw.

Raum
2007-06-18, 08:39 PM
Unless your familiar has total cover (such as being in a pocket) he rolls his save and takes half damage on failure. Remember, the familiar does have improved evasion.

Matthew
2007-06-19, 08:26 PM
However this may be a good time to ask if anyone else bothers estimating when amour is being damaged by such effects. I imagine a burning hands could torch some clothes off if applied carefully.
I like to keep track of Armour Damage in my (A)D&D games, but not D&D 3.x.

Alveanerle
2007-06-20, 05:33 AM
There are rules for that. They start by rolling a nat 1 on a saving throw.

Could you please be so kind as to elaborate a bit on the subject?

Tyger
2007-06-20, 07:19 AM
Could you please be so kind as to elaborate a bit on the subject?

If a character rolls a natural one on a saving throw vs something that could conceivably harm a magical item, the item has to make a saving throw, and they usually have pretty lousy saves.

Here's the passage from the SRD: (emphasis mine)


Damaging Magic Items
A magic item doesn’t need to make a saving throw unless it is unattended, it is specifically targeted by the effect, or its wielder rolls a natural 1 on his save. Magic items should always get a saving throw against spells that might deal damage to them— even against attacks from which a nonmagical item would normally get no chance to save. Magic items use the same saving throw bonus for all saves, no matter what the type (Fortitude, Reflex, or Will). A magic item’s saving throw bonus equals 2 + one-half its caster level (round down). The only exceptions to this are intelligent magic items, which make Will saves based on their own Wisdom scores.

Magic items, unless otherwise noted, take damage as nonmagical items of the same sort. A damaged magic item continues to function, but if it is destroyed, all its magical power is lost.

Iku Rex
2007-06-20, 07:26 AM
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/spellDescriptions.htm#itemsSurvivingafteraSavingTh row .


Items Surviving after a Saving Throw

Unless the descriptive text for the spell specifies otherwise, all items carried or worn by a creature are assumed to survive a magical attack. If a creature rolls a natural 1 on its saving throw against the effect, however, an exposed item is harmed (if the attack can harm objects). Refer to Table: Items Affected by Magical Attacks. Determine which four objects carried or worn by the creature are most likely to be affected and roll randomly among them. The randomly determined item must make a saving throw against the attack form and take whatever damage the attack deal.

If an item is not carried or worn and is not magical, it does not get a saving throw. It simply is dealt the appropriate damage.


Table: Items Affected by Magical Attacks
Order Item
1st Shield
2nd Armor
3rd Magic helmet, hat, or headband
4th Item in hand (including weapon, wand, or the like)
5th Magic cloak
6th Stowed or sheathed weapon
7th Magic bracers
8th Magic clothing
9th Magic jewelry (including rings)
10th Anything else

In order of most likely to least likely to be affected

Alveanerle
2007-06-20, 08:23 AM
Oh my sweet merciful dice! I luv you, luv you all! Thank you for bringing this up, this rule kind of escaped into far corners of my subconsciousness.

My players will luv you too, i guess. :smallbiggrin: