This is thing that should get a FAQ because dispel magic, as instantaneous effect is not meshing with being made permanent effect well, despite being explicitly listed as possible unhallow-hanged spell.
Odd.... More to the point is how do spells function at all in an unhallow?
I would have expected (personally) it to be a one off 'on entry, you are subjected to spell <X>' and leave it at that. If you remain in the AoE of a dimensional anchored one for 5 rounds, is it just one save, or are you making a save each round? Similarly with Zone of Truth.
I'd rule a similar effect there for the dispel. Subjected to a single targeted dispel when they enter the area and that's it. It'll strip off one buff (depending on the dispel result) per person that walks in. Not exactly earth shattering, but irritating to those rogues who took potions of invis and that's their only magical effect.
I'd also say that it doesn't do the 'targeted object' for the same reason that hitting someone with a fireball doesn't also attempt to sunder their armour, shield, weapon, helm, etc etc etc. Failing that, the wording in 'unhallow' is that it affects all 'creatures'. A sword is not a creature.
Does that cover off your bases here?
There was a spell on the board about this exact thing (last week maybe?). No one had a good conclusion for how to combine the dispel spell effect, but we did decide that it was a targeted only dispel per regular dispel magic that would not target objects or magical items (so only spell on creatures). Further I think we agreed, though could find no RAW support for the idea that at most the dispel functions once when you enter. If you leave and eneter the area it would affect you again, but would not affect you multiple times within the Unhallowed area. Letting it function in any other way is far more power than should be allowed since it would work effectively like an even larger version of an antimagic field.
Click here for the other thread I'm referring to.
The unhallow spell says that the attached "spell effect lasts for 1 year and functions throughout the entire site, regardless of it's normal duration or area of effect".
So while I see ED's argument about it targeting "creatures", in my view that portion of the text is simply a way to exempt certain spells from dispellation which are being utilized by specific creatures based on their alignment.
That said, it is also my view that, since dispel magic can only be used as a targeted dispel or counterspell and in this case affects all targets in the area, each valid target of that spell is targeted by a CL check to dispell it individually upon entering the field, instead of one check per character.
If the dispel check succeeds, the item cannot function within that area, and in the case of magic items is suppressed for an additional 1d4 rounds after leaving the area.
If the check fails the item may function normally, at least for a time, within the field. As for how long a time, I would say a new dispell check every round. After all, the skull only has a CL of 11, vs a DC of 11 + the CL of the effect or item, meaning that some effects simply will not be effectively dispelled without increasing the CL of the dark skull in some way, especially if it was cast by a character who managed some sort of +X CL via items (an ioun stone comes to mind) or feats (spell focus anyone).
Other ways exist to get around this as well, such as using your own dark skulls, as 2 unhallow effects cannot overlap.
Claxon, the issue I have here is that this means that should characters A and B both enter an unhallowed area with both a CL 2 and a CL 20 effect on each of them the following could occur:
Character A's CL 2 effect is dispelled, but their CL 20 effect continues to function unhindered so long as they do not leave the area. No big deal here. (Chances are that it wouldn't be dispelled before the encounter was over anyways as it requires a nat 20 roll [5% chance].)
But character B's CL 20 is miraculously dispelled and only has his CL 2 effect to keep him alive (whicn survived only because of a natural 1). Furthermore, if both are provided by magic items, that means that he just has to stand there for 1d4 rounds to get it back and his CL 2 effect is never affected.
Now, while I have no problem with another dispell check in 1d4 rounds to keep either of these effects down, that seems to make this effect extremely underpowered IMO.
The spell affects the entire area. I read this as "is cast upon everything in that area" which translates to "cast upon all possible targets in said area".
And look at that possible range of CLs dispelled again. The dispell check is 1d20 + CL9 (for the darkskull) vs a DC 11 + CL (for the spell effect) this means that to dispell a CL 1 spell you would have to roll at least a 3, and even with a nat 20 you can only ever dispell a CL 18. On a 1 or 2 you get nothing (10% chance of absolute failure).
And then you still have the effect of "wait for it" and your equipment at least is back up to full with no chance of being affected again unless you are forced to exit and re-enter.
Now, I could see that items might only work intermittently in the area of an unhallow-dispell, but to function without hindrance after only 6-24 seconds? It's really not that hard to stall for 30 seconds.
On the other hand, anyone with a bag of holding could theoretically strap the skull to their hand and "full attack" the pocket dimension. Spell effects don't cross planar boundaries, so each attack would subject all targets in the area to a new dispell magic for each attack. Give these to a monk and see how long your spells last.
Normally, yes a person and their equipment do count as one target, but you state yourself that dispel is an exception to this, as it can target equipment separately.
That said, I would not propose a single check against all items. Chances are that at least a few would continue to work, especially the higher level ones, and after 1d4 rounds a new dispel check would have to be made against the ones which are re-activating in order to keep them down.
Perhaps, for simplicity's sake (as it may end up being a lot of rolling) only one check every 1d4 rounds vs each effect. This would capture the "intermittent functioning" effect that I would presume an unhallow/hallow-dispel is meant to simulate. Weaker items probably wouldn't work most of the time, while stronger items would function most of the time. Still not as powerful as an anti magic field, but potent in it's own right. (Unhallow = spell level 5; Anti magic field = spell level 6)
Well, if we are to use strict "raw" as you propose it, we might as well say that the dispell effect only takes effect on those creatures who were present for the casting of the original unhallow spell but suppresses any affected items for a full year, as for it to affect any creatures or items which enter the area at a later point it would have to be recast.
This interpretation simply means that the spells hallow and unhallow are essentially useless given the 10 min casting times. Furthermore, unless all intended targets were present to begin with not even the inherent protection from good/evil effects are of any use as they cannot be "recast" on potential new targets as they enter the area of the unhallow. And if one of those targets should ever leave the area they are excluded permanently (as those effects cannot affect them once they exit, meaning that it must be "recast" on them when they reenter).
I'll at least agree with this, the spells hallow and unhallow need major clarification.
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I will start by saying this is just my opinion on this matter but here goes.
If you attach dispel magic to a unhallow then it should behave as follows. I don't feel as it is going to dispel spells in play on someone when they enter the area, but more so I think if someone is in the area of the spell and they themselves try to cast a spell it would use the dispel magic to counter it. If you are looking at the whole idea of the spell unhallow, and all the other things you can attach to it, it makes more sense that the dispel magic would be countering any attempts of someone to cast a spell within its area.
Hmm....
It is a good question, since Dispel Magic seems to be the only instantaneous spell on the list.
I would be tempted to just use the "Area Dispel" from Greater Dispel Magic, since it "Functions throughout the entire site."
Yes, it is from Greater Dispel Magic, but it only functions like regular Dispel Magic.
Area Dispel: When greater dispel magic is used in this way, the spell affects everything within a 20-foot-radius burst. Roll one dispel check and apply that check to each creature in the area, as if targeted by dispel magic. For each object within the area that is the target of one or more spells, apply the dispel check as with creatures. Magic items are not affected by an area dispel.
So, every creature has one targeted Dispel Magic, also any objects that are the target of a spell (ex. Light on a rock, Greater Magic Weapon), but not permanent magic items.
Probably have it hit everything once on entry into the area, only reapply it if they leave and re-enter (or if the skull moves, and they must re-enter).