What is an "effect"? Sevenfold Veil help

[Jarmen4u]

The violet veil says it blocks "all objects and effects." My DM interprets the word "effect" to mean physical things, like rays or fireballs, but not spells such as Inflict Wounds, or anything that doesn't have a projectile. Can someone help me find a source where the term "effect" is defined? I was always under the impression that the violet veil is supposed to be a 'block-all' type thing.

Thanks in advance!

[Venger]

Effect is ill-defined by raw, but it absolutely blocks all spells. That's why there's only one spell that penetrates each veil.

[Nifft]

The prismatic wall write-up (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/prismaticWall.htm) makes it clear that the violet layer is intended to block everything, including all the stuff that the previous 6 colors blocked, which includes spells:


The violet effect makes the special effects of the other six colors redundant, but these six effects are included here because certain magic items can create prismatic effects one color at a time, and spell resistance might render some colors ineffective (see above).


Since the Iot7V explicitly intended to duplicate those effects:

Veils: When an initiate creates a warding, she can choose and imbue the warding with any one veil she knows how to create. These veils duplicate the layers of a prismatic wall and are described below. (...)

... it's my understanding that the violet veil should block all spells.



However... if a person is delivering a touch spell like inflict pathetic wounds, then maybe the DM is treating the spell as a weapon, and the person makes a saving throw vs. being sent to a random plane instead of the spell being negated? That might be legit.

[Telonius]

"Effects" usually refers to the consequences of a cast spell, or a used ability (spell-like or otherwise).

From Special Abilities:


A spell-like ability usually has a limit on how often it can be used. A spell-like ability that can be used at will has no use limit.

For creatures with spell-like abilities, a designated caster level defines how difficult it is to dispel their spell-like effects and to define any level-dependent variables (such as range and duration) the abilities might have.

So something that happens as a result of a spell-like ability is a spell-like effect.

Under "Spell Descriptions (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/spellDescriptions.htm)," this paragraph:


A scrying spell creates an invisible magical sensor that sends you information. Unless noted otherwise, the sensor has the same powers of sensory acuity that you possess. This level of acuity includes any spells or effects that target you, but not spells or effects that emanate from you. However, the sensor is treated as a separate, independent sensory organ of yours, and thus it functions normally even if you have been blinded, deafened, or otherwise suffered sensory impairment.

So an "effect" is something that can potentially target you, or emanate from you.

Also under Spell Descriptions:

Some compulsion spells determine the subject’s actions or the effects on the subject,

So "being the subject of a Dominate Monster spell" would be an effect.

Effects can be sound:

A figment that includes audible effects...

Something doesn't even have to be "real" to be an effect:

Because figments and glamers (see below) are unreal, they cannot produce real effects...

So I think the OP is generally in the right here. Effects aren't limited to physical objects.