As the title suggests, I'm wondering if Smite Evil will affect an evil incorporeal creature...
Evil Incorporeal Creature
- Can only be harmed by "incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, or creatures that strike as magic weapons, and spells, spell-like abilities, or supernatural abilities. It is immune to all non-magical attack forms."- "Even when hit by spells or magic weapons, it takes only half damage from a corporeal source". When I read this it sounds like it has DR against corporeal attacks...
Smite Evil
- Supernatural Ability - I interpret this as meaning an incorporeal creature would be affected by a Smite Evil attack because Smite Evil is a supernatural ability, but would this attack work even with the weapon used to hit it was not magical?- "Regardless of the target, smite evil attacks automatically bypass any DR the creature might possess." To me this is saying that the corporeal DR that an evil incorporeal being possesses is completely bypassed. Or would you still need Ghost Touch applied to the weapon so that it can do full damage?Thanks!
Regardless of what the FAQ says, I always rule that it breaks the incorporeal's DR regardless since it is just another form of DR.
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Regardless of what the FAQ says, I always rule that it breaks the incorporeal's DR regardless since it is just another form of DR.
That's a houserule. This is the rules forum, not the houserules forum.
The damage mitigation of incorporeal creatures has nothing to do with DR. DR is for weapon damage (and in some cases spells that deal damage as a weapon). The paladin's smite ability only bypasses DR, not any other forms of damage mitigation a creature may have.
That's a legitimate house rule, but the actual rules are clear: incorporeality is NOT a type of DR and smite doesn't bypass it.
Regardless of what the FAQ says, I always rule that it breaks the incorporeal's DR regardless since it is just another form of DR.As the title suggests, I'm wondering if Smite Evil will affect an evil incorporeal creature...
Evil Incorporeal Creature
- Can only be harmed by "incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, or creatures that strike as magic weapons, and spells, spell-like abilities, or supernatural abilities. It is immune to all non-magical attack forms."- "Even when hit by spells or magic weapons, it takes only half damage from a corporeal source". When I read this it sounds like it has DR against corporeal attacks...
Smite Evil
- Supernatural Ability - I interpret this as meaning an incorporeal creature would be affected by a Smite Evil attack because Smite Evil is a supernatural ability, but would this attack work even with the weapon used to hit it was not magical?- "Regardless of the target, smite evil attacks automatically bypass any DR the creature might possess." To me this is saying that the corporeal DR that an evil incorporeal being possesses is completely bypassed. Or would you still need Ghost Touch applied to the weapon so that it can do full damage?Thanks!
No, it is not DR, nor is the idea of it even close to DR. In 3.5 magic weapons had a 50% chance to hit incorporeal creatures which was very swingy. In order to reel this in they(Paizo) made it half-damage to avoid the chance of you not hitting the creature 10 times in a row while some shadow or wraith destroyed the party.
PS: Feel free to use other incorporeals as needed. :)
Yeah, use something else. Wraiths are just the worst.
That's why ghostbane dirge exists... And holy water... And battle aspergillums...
DR and incorporeal are two different things.
ghostbane dirge is a waste of a spell.
Its chances of working are so small, that you're typically better off doing something else.
2) 50% chance it just doesn't work (vs incorporeal)
The chance it will ever actually do anything useful are small.
As a house rule, I'd add the [force] descriptor to the spell, to negate item 2, but RAW-wise, it sucks.
This does not apply. Being incorporeal doesn't have a 50% miss chance in Pathfinder but halves the damage.
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This does not apply. Being incorporeal doesn't have a 50% miss chance in Pathfinder but halves the damage.ghostbane dirge is a waste of a spell.
Its chances of working are so small, that you're typically better off doing something else.
2) 50% chance it just doesn't work (vs incorporeal)
The chance it will ever actually do anything useful are small.
As a house rule, I'd add the [force] descriptor to the spell, to negate item 2, but RAW-wise, it sucks.
It does apply. He wasn't talking about damage. He was referencing this:
Corporeal spells and effects that do not cause damage only have a 50% chance of affecting an incorporeal creature.
I agree it is useful if it works but there are a lot of barriers to get through for that to happen.
This does not apply. Being incorporeal doesn't have a 50% miss chance in Pathfinder but halves the damage.ghostbane dirge is a waste of a spell.
Its chances of working are so small, that you're typically better off doing something else.
2) 50% chance it just doesn't work (vs incorporeal)
The chance it will ever actually do anything useful are small.
As a house rule, I'd add the [force] descriptor to the spell, to negate item 2, but RAW-wise, it sucks.
It does apply. He wasn't talking about damage. He was referencing this:
Corporeal spells and effects that do not cause damage only have a 50% chance of affecting an incorporeal creature.I agree it is useful if it works but there are a lot of barriers to get through for that to happen.
Thank you for pointing that out to me. Quick question; Are all spells corporeal unless stated otherwise even mind effecting ones?
The only spells which are sure hits on incorporeal creatures are force effects.
Well, any damage dealing spell is sure to "hit" (i.e. deal some damage to) an incorporeal creature, they're just subject to the same 50% damage modifier as any other corporeal effect.