Thoughts on Magic Weapon Immunities in an Anti Magic Field.

[Mith]

I was brainstorming up some monster ideas and I thought of a Greater Rust Monster that has higher stats and projects an Anti Magic Field of a certain radius. My question is that, since magic items are immune to rust monsters attacks, would you rule that the suppression of their abilities in an AMF makes them vulnerable to the Rusting Touch?

Granted, this idea may not work if the Rusting Touch is considerrd magical and therefore is surpressed by the AMF. I currently do not have my Monster Manual, so I cannot check this.

[Kuulvheysoon]

There was no mention of the word magic or anything of the sort (besides saying that Rusting Touch only effects non-magical items), so I would assume that it's some sort of mundane effect.

There was a greater "rust monster" in the 3.5e supplement Underdark. It's specifically called out as being mutated by the radiation of the Underdark, and I believe that it's actually a disintegrate effect on touch, as opposed to straight rusting.

[Nifft]

Maybe an aberration cross with a Beholder?

[PeteNutButter]

There real question is why do you want to destroy magic items? You can do whatever you want, as the DM, but destroying magic items is surefire way to make your PCs salty. Did you give out to good of loot and are trying to fix it?

If the PCs have a random encounter that wrecks their hard-earned magic items, they might seriously be upset. If its a large part of the adventure, you might be able to get away with it, if they know going in...

[JNAProductions]

I'd say two things:

1) Yes, it works. That's a way to destroy magical (metallic) items.

2) Don't do it, at least not without a metric POOPTON of foreshadowing that they should prepare for something like this. Losing items is not fun.

[Dalebert]

I totally mistook what this thread was going to be about. I thought you were going to make an encounter with creatures immune to non-magical weapon attacks and have it be in an antimagic field. I was talking about this recently and it seemed the only one who could damage such creatures is a monk of level 6+.

[Saeviomage]

In what way is the process by which a rust monster consumes metal instantly anything other than magic?

[JNAProductions]

In what way is the process by which a rust monster consumes metal instantly anything other than magic?

How do dragons fly without magic? No it doesn't make physical sense, but it's not magic.

[Nifft]

In what way is the process by which a rust monster consumes metal instantly anything other than magic?

In the way that it works inside an Anti-Magic Field, one might presume.

[Mith]

To address concerns about me using such a creature in games, this was just a monster thought experiment, not a planned encounter. I probably would never run an encounter with this creature. If this works, it also means that if one introduced a sundering mechanic to the game, then magic items would be just as vulnerable to this as mundane ones in an AMF. Not saying one should unless you make item pick up as plentiful as Legend of Zelda's Breath of the Wild.


I totally mistook what this thread was going to be about. I thought you were going to make an encounter with creatures immune to non-magical weapon attacks and have it be in an antimagic field. I was talking about this recently and it seemed the only one who could damage such creatures is a monk of level 6+.

Yeah, not the best title on my part.

[JackPhoenix]

I totally mistook what this thread was going to be about. I thought you were going to make an encounter with creatures immune to non-magical weapon attacks and have it be in an antimagic field. I was talking about this recently and it seemed the only one who could damage such creatures is a monk of level 6+.

Alchemical items and torches are a thing.

[LeonBH]

How do dragons fly without magic? No it doesn't make physical sense, but it's not magic.

How did you know dragon flight isn't magic? Dragons are magical creatures.

[Talamare]

In what way is the process by which a rust monster consumes metal instantly anything other than magic?

Termites that eat Metal

[Temperjoke]

Wouldn't a magical weapon/armor become vulnerable to a regular rust monster inside an Anti-Magic Field anyways? Since magic properties are suppressed, wouldn't that include inherent immunities that are magic-based? Or am i forgetting a ruling?

[Mith]

Wouldn't a magical weapon/armor become vulnerable to a regular rust monster inside an Anti-Magic Field anyways? Since magic properties are suppressed, wouldn't that include inherent immunities that are magic-based? Or am i forgetting a ruling?

That is the basis of the OP. I was clarifying that I was following the idea through properly.

[Temperjoke]

That is the basis of the OP. I was clarifying that I was following the idea through properly.

Ah, I see, I misunderstood the direction of it.

[Demonslayer666]

In what way is the process by which a rust monster consumes metal instantly anything other than magic?

Acid for blood.

[furby076]

How do dragons fly without magic? No it doesn't make physical sense, but it's not magic.

How did ptredactls fly? Birds, bees, butterflies, etc? Wings, they do it with wings. Dragons have wings, and they tend to be pretty large

[LeonBH]

How did ptredactls fly? Birds, bees, butterflies, etc? Wings, they do it with wings. Dragons have wings, and they tend to be pretty large

Are you suggesting that anything with wings can fly?

[Glorthindel]

Seems a solid idea, and a really interesting encounter.

I would perhaps give the characters a "warning shot", so that the first time the ability is used, it does not ruin the item - perhaps the first time the Rust effect is applied, have it negated (rule that even with the magical effect suppressed, the weapon is of such high quality, the effect of the first contact is negated) but say that the weapon comes away tarnished with a line like "the weapon survived contact with the creature, but you are not sure it would again". That way the players know what the danger is, and can react to it or not on their own decision, rather than just losing an item to surprise.