Shrink item, what is an item ?

[marune]

Shrink Item
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: One touched object of up to 2 cu. ft./level
Duration: One day/level; see text
Saving Throw: Will negates (object)
Spell Resistance: Yes (object)

You are able to shrink one nonmagical item (if it is within the size limit) to 1/16 of its normal size in each dimension (to about 1/4,000 the original volume and mass). This change effectively reduces the object’s size by four categories. [...]

Would you allow Shrink Item to be cast on a character turned to stone by a Flesh to Stone ?

Would you allow Shrink Item to be cast on a corpse ?

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Yes to both questions.

 

[RigaMortus2]

What about water inside of a bucket? Or a well? Or an aquarium?

What about a burning fire?

What about a non-magical cloud of gas?

What about a door? door knob? door lock? key hole?

 

[Cabral]

What about water inside of a bucket?

Depends on what you are asking; see below.

Or a well?

No.

Or an aquarium?

Yes, if you mean the aquarium, not just the water in it.

What about a burning fire?

No, but you might be able to shrink the fire's fuel which would have a similar effect.

What about a non-magical cloud of gas?

No.

What about a door?

Yes, if it is not atatched to anything.

door knob?

Yes, if it is not atatched to anything.

door lock?

Yes, if it is not atatched to anything.

key hole?

No.

Basicily, I define it as any unattended solid within the limits of the spell. Anything it is attached to is considered part of one object, regardless of the number of component pieces.

Now, a bucket of water (as opposed to the water in a bucket) is tricky, but I'd probably allow it just because it'd make a mess if you just shrunk the bucket ...

 

[Pyrex]

...No, but you might be able to shrink the fire's fuel which would have a similar effect...

Hate to break it to you, but a fire & it's fuel is specifically called out in the spell description as one of the "items" you are allowed to shrink.

 

[Patlin]

Hate to break it to you, but a fire & it's fuel is specifically called out in the spell description as one of the "items" you are allowed to shrink.

True, and if this works then in my opinion most things should. You can't shrink part of an item (such as a door nob attached to a door) but items with multiple parts such as a chest and its contents or a bag full of loot should work fine. After all, the fire in the example is essentially composed of a pile of otherwise unrelated sticks and a bunch of energized plasma...

 

[cmanos]

OK, here's a question....does shrinking change the item's weight? The spell says nothing about that.

 

[marune]

OK, here's a question....does shrinking change the item's weight? The spell says nothing about that.

Read-it again!

 

[Patlin]

Read-it again!

Indeed. Here it is to make things easy.

You are able to shrink one nonmagical item (if it is within the size limit) to 1/16 of its normal size in each dimension (to about 1/4,000 the original volume and mass).

For the less technical among us, mass=weight.

 

[werk]

As for what does shrink affect, 2ft^3/level. I would add to that a clarifier that if the caster attempts to shrink 'an item' that is larger than this, the spell does not work/invalid target.
I wouldn't allow the shrinkage of the flesh-to-stoner. I would allow detect magic to show a lingering aura of magic, making it technically a magic item.
The cloud of gas is probably over the limit on volume.
As for the door/lock, I agree with Cabral, it is attached to the door and therefore part of a larger item, I wouldn't allow it to be targeted separately. Consider a page in a book. You can shrink the book, but cannot shrink the page separately until it has been torn or removed from the book. Keyhole is not an item, it's a hole in an item.

The part of the spell that I do not understand is this line: "Optionally, you can also change its now shrunken composition to a clothlike one. " What does that mean?