Hello gents, I am running RotRLAE and in the next couple of sessions it looks like the Shatter spell will be coming up a few times and I have never actually seen this spell in use before.
I searched the forum and found a few posts about it but with no resounding final answer so I will ask again for clarification:
When you cast Shatter against an attended, non-magical object and the wielder of said object fails his will save does the Item instantly get destroyed?
No choosing to leave it 'broken' or anything, no roll for damage to perform the 'sunder' action or anything like that, just straight up destroyed.
I assume you mean the 'alternatively' use of the spell against a single object.
Shatter creates a loud, ringing noise that breaks brittle, nonmagical objects; sunders a single solid, nonmagical object; or damages a crystalline creature.
Used as an area attack, shatter destroys nonmagical objects of crystal, glass, ceramic, or porcelain. All such unattended objects within a 5-foot radius of the point of origin are smashed into dozens of pieces by the spell. Objects weighing more than 1 pound per your level are not affected, but all other objects of the appropriate composition are shattered.
Alternatively, you can target shatter against a single solid nonmagical object, regardless of composition, weighing up to 10 pounds per caster level. Targeted against a crystalline creature (of any weight), shatter deals 1d6 points of sonic damage per caster level (maximum 10d6), with a Fortitude save for half damage.
I always took "sunder" to mean split in twain. That is, if the target isn't a brittle object, you get two pieces.
I assume you mean the 'alternatively' use of the spell against a single object.
I always took "sunder" to mean split in twain. That is, if the target isn't a brittle object, you get two pieces.
Yeah I did mean the alternate use, the other uses appear clear enough to me.
Well the Sunder action you can do to someone can break or destroy items so while sunder does mean split in two in game terms it appears to mean destroyed.
So if it really is as simple as making someone fail a will save, seems like an almost too easy way to destroy peoples armor and even masterwork items.
So if it really is as simple as making someone fail a will save, seems like an almost too easy way to destroy peoples armor and even masterwork items.
"Alternatively, you can target shatter against a single solid nonmagical object."
I've often seen this used to prevent shattering armor.
Yeah, it's kind of silly to use on Armor. It's way better to use on Holy Symbols and Spell Component Pouches.
Breastplate?
Much fewer pieces than a suit of chain mail but usually at least two large pieces, miscellaneous straps buckles, rivets, etc. It gives the GM a lot of wiggle room.
Myself, I'd feel much better if they had treated it exactly like a sunder attempt. Half-damage for energy-based attack, hardness, and lots of hit points for armor would make the tactic, while possible, much less viable.
Myself, I'd feel much better if they had treated it exactly like a sunder attempt. Half-damage for energy-based attack, hardness, and lots of hit points for armor would make the tactic, while possible, much less viable.
So judging by that then I am assuming I am correct in that as long as the person simply fails his will save a single object of my choice is destroyed (or split in half) at 10lbs/cl?
Also while armor is is multiple pieces as a GM I would still say its a single object. Destroying just the front plate of a piece of armor effectively has the same effect on it destroying the whole thing would I would think.
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What about a 'petrified wooden table' that has been turned on its side and is providing cover? Yes, it will 'break' the table, but will it destroy it enough to remove (or at least reduce) the amount of cover it provides?
In my mind's eye, I'm seeing the table shatter into many tiny pieces and some guy huddling there, now out in the open, with a serious "Uh oh!" expression on his face. :)
Side note: I began wondering how heavy a table like that would be and found one for sale, LOL! Petrified wood table... 55 lbs (the weight is in the product description, not the specifications. Go figure!). So a 6th level caster should be able to shatter it, right?
It'll be destroyed. Whether a destroyed table is sufficient to provide cover depends largely on the table--probably not, or at least not as much as an intact table.
In no fashion should an object destroyed by shatter simply disappear. Otherwise, make whole would be a rather silly spell.
Is there any reason that selecting this mode would change the effect?
The single object should be broken into "dozens of pieces."
That is my understanding as well. The only difference is that the single-target object mode can affect larger objects and composition is no longer an obstacle.
I have literally never seen this happen. We don't usually bother leaving the minis/pawns around, but that's just so we can reuse them/their bases. There's nothing to expedite by pretending they disappear in a puff of hit points--if a reason comes up to remember "there's dead goblins there", they're still there.
Are there GMs going around saying there aren't dead bodies / broken objects?
I can see them being "removed" so players don't have to worry about them. But if you ask the GM whether or not the corpses of your freshly killed enemies are still there, I'm sure they will say yes.
How do you loot the bodies / take trophies if they "de-spawn"?