Shatter Spell vs Magic Weapon Spell

[berova]

OK, my gaming group just finished a session tonight a few hours ago and had the following situation with the Shatter Spell.

My fighter had a full blade (doing too much damage) and the big evil cleric cast Shatter on it. I made my will save the first time. She then cast another Shatter spell where upon I failed the save.

My question is this: My full blade had been enchanted with a Magic Weapon spell, so does it count as a "magical object" and therefore immune to the shatter spell while the Magic Weapon spell remained in effect?

Despite my protestations, my DM ruled that since the full blade wasn't a "permanent" magic item, he did not consider it a "magical object" per the Shatter spell. What do you think?

 

[Stalker0]

hmm, I'd say its a magic weapon. He'd need to dispel it and then shatter it.

 

[Plane Sailing]

If I was the DM I'd rule in the same way as your DM as my "on the spot" ruling. But then again, i wouldn't have allowed a "fullblade" into my campaign in the first place

 

[Dr_Rictus]

I wouldn't consider something a magical object just because it had a spell on it. It's a nonmagical object with a spell on it.

 

[Drasmir]

From the "For What It's Worth Department":
I would have to lean towards what Stalker0 says. There is magic cast on the Fullblade so it is therefore a magical item.

Let me propose a similar example (IMO). The shout spell cannot penetrate the silence spell in an area. The silence spell is not a permanent spell like the magic weapon spell, yet it still prevents the shout spell from working as should the magic weapon spell prevent the shatter spell. The purpose of magic weapon is to make the weapon magical which clearly states negates the effect of shatter.

I'm with berova and Stalker0, but when it comes down to it, it's your DMs call.

 

[berova]

but when it comes down to it, it's your DMs call.

I agree and we played it that way (DM's ruling), but it was my DM who asked I pose the question on the board.

Whether it was a full blade or not was not really the issue my DM or I am raising (and more appropriate for another thread-I'm sure to full blade or not has been covered elsewhere on these and other boards).

 

[Artoomis]

Magic Weapon:

Magic weapon gives a weapon a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls. If the character is a good cleric, the cleric of a good deity, or a paladin, the weapon is considered blessed, which means it has special effects on certain creatures.

Shatter:

...sunders a single solid, nonmagical object...

I think the weapon is not magical, but a normal object with a spell cast upon it. This is similar to spells that could not affect magical beasts, for example, but could still affect a human with spells on him - the mere fact that he has spells active on him does not make him magical.

Note the different language in Holy Sword, for example:

...The weapon acts as a +5 magic weapon ...

Here there is a strong argument that the weapon is magical for the duration of the spell - but even here, the language state "acts as" not "is," so even here it would be reasonable to rule that the weapon itself would not be magical and thus is not protected from Shatter.

 

[Spatzimaus]

The spell Magic Weapon doesn't make the weapon itself magical, IMO. It radiates magic, sure, but the weapon itself isn't magical, because it isn't the same as giving the weapon a magical ability in its own right. By the same logic, a person with Haste cast on them doesn't become a magical creature, they're just a person with a spell cast on them.

Three reasons why:

1> Weapons with magical abilities follow a strict set of rules. The weapon must be masterwork. You can't put Keen on until it has a +1 enhancement bonus, for example.
But, spells ignore this. You can cast Magic Weapon on a non-masterwork weapon. You can cast Keen Edge on a weapon lacking an enhancement bonus.

2> The spell explicitly says "gives a weapon a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls".
This is NOT the same as a +1 Enhancement bonus. Enhancement bonuses also give extra HP and Hardness to the item, raise the Sunder threshold, and allow it to bypass a higher DR. The spells Magic Weapon and Greater Magic Weapon don't do this.

3> When targetted with Dispel Magic, a +1 weapon suppresses its abilities, but is still magical. On the other hand, a weapon that's had Magic Weapon cast on it has the spell itself dispelled.

So clearly, "magical weapons" and "normal weapons with magical effects cast on them" are two entirely different sets of rules.

 

[Drasmir]

From the SRD: Magic Items (Weapons)- Magic weapons have enhancement bonuses ranging from +1 to +5

Magic Weapon Spell: Magic weapon gives a weapon a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls.

If a magic weapon has an enhancement bonus from +1 to +5 and the spell Magic Weapon gives a weapon a +1 enhancement, I would have to gather that this weapon is now magical, therefore, it is immune to shatter IMHO.

 

[Dr_Rictus]

double post