Which objects are "crystalline" in DD 3.5

[jpreem]

Many spells and effects do damage to "crystalline" objects.
Are there any guidlines what is in DD 3.5 universe considered to be "crystalline" - crystal gems, metal, ceramics, glass?
Or do I have to go on and just start killing catgirls?
(for example by RL standards glass should't be crystalline, but i have a strong feeling that a lot of those shatter type effects are supposed to work on this)

[Curmudgeon]

Ice, some gems, and expensive leaded crystal (used in chandeliers and some beverage containers); that's pretty much it. Ceramics (including glass) are amorphous. Many metals in their completely pure form are crystalline, but in common impure forms none of them are.

[jpreem]

As I can understand this is the - killing catgirls answer. ( What stuff do material scientists consider crystalline in real life)
Are there no guidlines in DD books themselves?

[Volthawk]

These materials.

[Glimbur]

Many spells and effects do damage to "crystalline" objects.
Are there any guidlines what is in DD 3.5 universe considered to be "crystalline" - crystal gems, metal, ceramics, glass?
Or do I have to go on and just start killing catgirls?
(for example by RL standards glass should't be crystalline, but i have a strong feeling that a lot of those shatter type effects are supposed to work on this)

For D&D purposes I would agree. Glass, crystal, ice, and other brittle stuff should be considered crystalline for purposes of Shatter and the like.

For a more materials science answer... glasses are not crystalline because they are by definition amorphous solids. Polymers are not crystalline (usually). Composites, like wood, are not crystalline. Most ceramics and most metals are crystalline. Steel, for example, at room temperature is typically in the ferritic state (body centered cubic) with some martensite (body centered tetragonal) due to quenching and such. I'm unwilling to put in the time to research what ceramics were available during the medieval age but it is most probable that they are also generally crystalline.

[jpreem]

I'm aware of the real world stuff.
I just think the same as you posted that shatter and the like should work on the glass.
I'm somewhat torn if they should work on metals - i think id allow it.
( Not talking about the crystallines olid irl stuff - just the thoughts how it looks like in a dd universe and what people who designed it might have thought - should shatter spell destroy admantine plate or was it meant to destroy potion vials kind of line of thoughts)

[Quietus]

I'm aware of the real world stuff.
I just think the same as you posted that shatter and the like should work on the glass.
I'm somewhat torn if they should work on metals - i think id allow it.
( Not talking about the crystallines olid irl stuff - just the thoughts how it looks like in a dd universe and what people who designed it might have thought - should shatter spell destroy admantine plate or was it meant to destroy potion vials kind of line of thoughts)

Definitely more intended for it to destroy potion vials, more than adamantine plate. Take a look at the Shatter spell : Anything it can break in "area mode", I'd say qualifies as "crystalline" for the purposes of spells that make that distinction. http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/shatter.htm

In a more broad sense, if you can imagine an opera singer breaking <object> with her voice, I'd count it as crystalline.

[jpreem]

Used as an area attack, shatter destroys nonmagical objects of crystal, glass, ceramic, or porcelain
Well that looks suitable

[Amiel]

The crystal anchor and the crystal masks, also the power stones; incidently, the psicrystals.

[FelixG]

Doesn't sonic damage also avoid the hardness of items? Or is that only Acid?

Or am i completely off the mark?

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Doesn't sonic damage also avoid the hardness of items? Or is that only Acid?

Neither Acid nor Sonic in general ignore hardness. That’s a misconception stemming from poor wording on how energy attacks damage objects. The bit about Acid and Sonic doing “normal” damage simply indicates that the damage they do does not get reduced before applying hardness, as happens with Cold, Fire, and Electricity.

Note that the “Energy ____” line of psionic powers has a specific exception, where the sonic versions usually ignore object hardness. But this is specific to those powers.

[BeholderSlayer]

Not an object, but Crystalline Trolls are.

[Worira]

Ice, some gems, and expensive leaded crystal (used in chandeliers and some beverage containers); that's pretty much it. Ceramics (including glass) are amorphous. Many metals in their completely pure form are crystalline, but in common impure forms none of them are.

Leaded "crystal" is not crystalline. It's glass.

[Xuc Xac]

For D&D I would say that "crystalline objects" are those that can answer yes to the following questions:

If you were to hit it with a hammer, would it crack or shatter rather than bend or dent?
Is it shiny?
Is it faceted?

It doesn't matter what the scientific definition of "crystal" is.
If you showed it to the average person on the street and said "Is this a crystal?", would they say "Yes"?

[Shhalahr Windrider]

For D&D I would say that "crystalline objects" are those that can answer yes to the following questions:

If you were to hit it with a hammer, would it crack or shatter rather than bend or dent?
Is it shiny?
Is it faceted?

It doesn't matter what the scientific definition of "crystal" is.
If you showed it to the average person on the street and said "Is this a crystal?", would they say "Yes"?

Generally, this seems to be the way the term is used in the rules. So, yeah, I’d say that’s a good test.

It’s too bad they made sure to make an easy category for everything but crystalline, when it is a term used in several core spells, really.

[Curmudgeon]

Leaded "crystal" is not crystalline. It's glass.

OK, then. Let's take that confusingly named item off the list. (Somehow I thought it was based on quartz, but apparently that's only what that type of glass was intended to imitate.)

[Zhalath]

OK, then. Let's take that confusingly named item off the list. (Somehow I thought it was based on quartz, but apparently that's only what that type of glass was intended to imitate.)

I thought shatter applied to basically those translucent things that are hard that can break into pieces that are very sharp. I think glass is one of those.

Can shatter shatter diamonds?

[lost_my_NHL]

The real issue is whether or not your LCD TV would break. I think that's the most relevant question.

[Curmudgeon]

I thought shatter applied to basically those translucent things that are hard that can break into pieces that are very sharp.

This thread is about crystalline objects in general, and not just one spell. Shatter has different behavior for different targets. It will work against any solid object, or against any crystalline creature; so it will affect metal, glass, and crystal objects equally. But other spells like Shout will only work on brittle or crystalline objects. So a glass paperweight is solid (rigid, not flexible) and works with Shatter but not brittle (easily damaged or destroyed) and won't work with Shout. Thus knowing which objects are crystalline, rather than glass, matters for a handful of spells.