What the title says. My players tried it after killing the phoenix before it resurrected. I ruled that it failed (partly because I had added the angel inhabited template. I ruled that the spell failed but the onix was not consumed. Thoughts?
It would actually work. At worst, it resurrects in 1d4 rounds and is killed again at which point it is permanently dead.
Edit: Wait...did they actually suppress its regeneration? Because otherwise it wasn't actually dead.
Yes, bloodrager with a +3 furious falchion hit it, bringing it to -17. Then it dropped...
Yes, bloodrager with a +3 furious falchion hit it, bringing it to -17. Then it dropped...
You can only kill creatures with regeneration if it has taken damage from one of the sources listed in its regeneration ability, for phoenixes; cold or evil.
He's saying the phoenix has to take cold or evil damage before it can die and be reanimated or resurrect using its ability.
+3 furious falchion bypasses DR/Evil. It counts as a plus 5, which bypasses alighnmebt.
+3 furious falchion bypasses DR/Evil. It counts as a plus 5, which bypasses alighnmebt.
Bypassing DR is not the same thing as negating regeneration. You need to actually inflict one of the stated damage types to kill a creature with regeneration.
the original PC plan should work, certainly evil but effective. Not sure why a template would prevent the plan either.
+3 furious falchion bypasses DR/Evil. It counts as a plus 5, which bypasses alighnmebt.
It bypasses DR, but DR is not regeneration. You actually have to deal evil or cold damage to suppress the regeneration.
The phoenix never died.
While I agree with your sentiment, there isn't anything to actually support it within the rules.
Further, the ability seems to refute the idea.
Self-Resurrection (Su)
A slain phoenix remains dead for only 1d4 rounds unless its body is completely destroyed by an effect such as disintegrate. Otherwise, a fully healed phoenix emerges from the remains 1d4 rounds after death, as if brought back to life via resurrection. The phoenix gains 1 permanent negative level when this occurs, although most use greater restoration to remove this negative level as soon as possible. A phoenix can self-resurrect only once per year. If a phoenix dies a second time before that year passes, its death is permanent. A phoenix that dies within the area of a desecrate spell cannot self-resurrect until the desecrate effect ends, at which point the phoenix immediately resurrects. A phoenix brought back to life by other means never gains negative levels as a result.
If it turned into a pile of ash at death, what good would disintegrate do (since it also leaves a pile of ash).
It appears Pathfinder Phoenix don't actually do that.
Edit: Actually I found this...
Those who have seen a phoenix rise claim that the bird's corpse initially becomes brittle and blackened, like the wrinkled form of a charred log. Moments later, crimson light begins to seep from the cracked remains before the rejuvenated phoenix bursts forth aflame, reducing the husk to ashes. If the magical firebird should be slain again before its legendary power has regenerated, however, it can only be raised via powerful magic from an outside source. Few sights are more disheartening than the true death of a noble phoenix.
So, when the phoenix dies its body becomes brittle and blackened like a charred log. When the phoenix resurrects, the old body turns to ash and a new one rises out.
On the other hand, if the Pheonix Skeleton subsequently went down, THEN you might have to contend with the reborn Phoenix after 1d4 - n rounds (minimum 0) (where n is the number of rounds that passed before it was made into a Skeleton).
Yes, but does the Skeleton Template remove the defensive abilities forever, or just while it is being applied? I would argue for the latter, since if you Resurrect somebody who was turned into a Skeleton that was then destroyed, they aren't robbed of their defensive abilities.
It was (and still will I have no doubt ) a zombie so it ilcan fly.