[D&D 3.5] Effect of Sleep Spell on Mixed Targets including Elves

[Josh the Aspie]

Hello there all.

I am currently playing a Wizard who knows the sleep spell in a campaign that involves several elves. My question is what happens if an elf is closer to the emanation point of the sleep spell than a creature of equal HD, that is not immune to the effect.

For example, lets say that there are 12 bats (each of 1/4 hd) attacking the group at level 1. If I cast the spell 'sleep' and all of the bats are in the radius, they are all effected first and must save, but that leaves 1 HD worth of the sleep spell left, and the rest of us are all 1 HD.

If, after handling the bats, the next strength of creature is 1 HD, and the creature of that class nearest the emanation point is an elf, and the next-closest creature of that HD class is a human... what happens? Is the elf the next target, who thus uses up the remaining 1HD of the spell, but being immune does not need to save? Or does the elf, who is immune, get 'skipped' by the spell, thus making the 1 human have to save?

I have been unable to find a clear, strict RAW interpretation.

[AslanCross]

The elf is still an eligible target for the remaining HD of the spell, and is thus targeted. His immunity keeps the spell from actually taking effect.

[Josh the Aspie]

Thank you for the response. Is there a specific rule you are relying on here?

Oh, as a note: I am the DM, and am trying to pre-solve this problem, in case it comes up.

[Josh the Aspie]

I take it that no one is aware of a location where this is explicitly spelled out?

That this is just one of those places where a DM call is needed?

[Douglas]

This is an application of the difference between restrictions on a spell's targeting and resistances/immunities of the target. Sleep affects "One or more living creatures within a 10-ft.-radius burst". The elf is a living creature, presumably within the 10' burst, therefore the spell attempts to affect him. The fact that he happens to be immune is completely irrelevant for determining targeting - resistances and immunities only come into play when determining effect.

I think the closest thing to a rule "specifically spelling this out" is the fact that Sleep affects "One or more living creatures within a 10-ft.-radius burst", not "One or more living creatures that aren't immune to sleep within a 10-ft.-radius burst."

[Josh the Aspie]

Based on that fact, and the fact that immune creatures more or less react just like if they had automatically made their will saving throws, I find treating it this way to be the most sensible thing (count the elf against sleep's max HD).

I was just hoping to find something a bit more explicit. Since that doesn't exist, I'll list this under house interpretations of the rules - which I intend to separate out from house rules that explicitly change how things work in the rules.