How 'Magical' are Conjuration (Creation) Spells?

[SpikeFightwicky]

A conjuration (Creation) spell typically conjures some mundane 'something', and magically keeps it in being (hence, it can penetrate SR and even spell immunity with ease). So how magical, exactly, is the actual spell effect?

For example, Acid Arrow (from what I gather, the spell conjures acid from 'somewhere', and hurls it at something, then keeps it around a few levels) ignores SR because it's basically non-magical acid being magically held together in what I guess is an arrow form.

Would I be daft to interpret this as meaning that the spell effect is actually non-magical? Like, would an acid arrow simply pass through an incorporeal creature? If so, then would a wall of stone ward against incorporeal creatures? It's a mundane stone wall, but was 'magically' brought in being. What about acid fog? The spell pretty much takes some of acidic fog and drops it where you aim it. What about an orb of acid? Would the same properties that make it effective against SR make it less effective against incorporeal?

[Fixer]

The only active magical effect in those types of spell is the conjuration of the materials and the targetting. The effects are 100% non-magical, which is why they get to ignore SR. The acid is real acid, but loses effectiveness after a certain length of time (the duration is based on the strength of the acid summoned, which is determined by caster level). Fire summoned is real fire and will burn additional fuel sorces (unlike many evocation spells).

Acid Arrows and Orbs of X are still considered magical enough to strike incorporeal creatures, with the standard 50% miss chance due to the 'targeting' part of the spell.

Wall of Stone, however, will NOT stop an incorporeal creature because there is only the conjuration and no targeting effect.

Acid Fog... according to RAW works like an Acid Arrow. Maybe the targetting magic keeping it within its confines acts as a targetting effect but frankly I'd just say it is one of those "the rules say so, stop killing catgirls" situations.

[SpikeFightwicky]

Thanks for the info! I never really understood the whole 'killing catgirls' thing, though...

[Starbuck_II]

Not all Conjuration (creation) spells are non-magical: Iceknife in Complete Arcane (and now Spell Compenduim) is SR: yes.
But in Core, all conjur creation is considered non-magical like Antimagic field or golems.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

The acid is real acid, but loses effectiveness after a certain length of time (the duration is based on the strength of the acid summoned, which is determined by caster level).

There's still something magical about the acid though. The duration is non-instantaneous. So if you have an active acid arrow eating away on your skin, it could be dispelled or supressed by an antimagic field. Seems like it's a lot like a summoned creature that way.

[Saph]

Conjuration (creation) spells really don't make much sense - they count as magic for the purpose of doing damage, yet usually don't count as magic for the purposes of spell resistance. It's one of the reasons the Conjuration school is so powerful - its spells get the best of both worlds.

- Saph