Permidion_Stark I just tested it out, the Gore option does indeed seem to work that way. That is, I Cone of Cold-ed the drunk above the Temple in Beregost, he drops a dagger with Gore=off, but nothing with Gore=on. Not sure whether it would also apply to Disintegrate and their ilk, but it seems likely.
Just tested it in BGEE (I've removed the experience cap) and yes if you turn the gore off then disintegrate won't get rid of items.
Permidion_Stark I just tested it out, the Gore option does indeed seem to work that way. That is, I Cone of Cold-ed the drunk above the Temple in Beregost, he drops a dagger with Gore=off, but nothing with Gore=on. Not sure whether it would also apply to Disintegrate and their ilk, but it seems likely.
Just tested it in BGEE (I've removed the experience cap) and yes if you turn the gore off then disintegrate won't get rid of items.
Isn't there a halfway option? I'm okay with it for disintegration and turning to stone, but not for crit-hitting with cold (too annoying and unpredictable) and level drain (doesn't make sense, again very annoying)
spells should clearly and explicitly state if they destroy loot. That way you would use your own judgement on which creature should be hit with which spell
Isn't there a halfway option? I'm okay with it for disintegration and turning to stone, but not for crit-hitting with cold (too annoying and unpredictable) and level drain (doesn't make sense, again very annoying)
Ehh, I kinda made this poll on the spur of the moment to see if I was right about something I said.
Isn't there a halfway option? I'm okay with it for disintegration and turning to stone, but not for crit-hitting with cold (too annoying and unpredictable) and level drain (doesn't make sense, again very annoying)
Isn't there a halfway option? I'm okay with it for disintegration and turning to stone, but not for crit-hitting with cold (too annoying and unpredictable) and level drain (doesn't make sense, again very annoying)
The fact that death by level drain does it is pretty bizarre.
I think I read somewhere that death by drain disintegrates people. I can't remember where though. It was probably something completely separate from BG.
I think I read somewhere that death by drain disintegrates people. I can't remember where though. It was probably something completely separate from BG.
Seems a bit weird, anyway. I mean, I envision Disintegrate as a kind of magical death ray. And since death rays are typically not particularly subtle, the target's equipment getting zapped right along with him makes sense.
But level drain is more of a 'life-force' draining kind of thing. It is specifically aimed at living things, you can't level drain a rock (I'm assuming; whereas Disintegrating a rock seems perfectly plausible, and is probably also possible in PnP). I can buy that death by level drain would akin to disintegration in that when the 'life-force', the glue, that holds you together is removed you kind-of collapse into your constituent molecules or whatever. But it would be strange for that to in any way affect your equipment (same as with 'disintegration' by cold, really).
I think I remember where I saw that now. I was reading about the demilich the ad&d2e monster manual and how it disintegrated people when it imprisoned their soul in its gems. Or it was some other attack of some other undead thing.
I know it's annoying when it happens, but it's more realistic that way. I guess they should make those effects non-destructive for Easy and Normal difficulties, to make it more beginner-friendly, but you should be aware and concerned with it from Core Rules onwards. I suppose you could make it an optional setting too, and not just through gore setting, which is clearly an unintended outcome.
@Durlag_Thunderaxe But if the point is realism, then why does it happen with Cone of Cold and not Fireball? If the former destroys items, or even has a chance to destroy items, then the latter certainly should as well, realistically.
I don't really see realism playing into it either, like @Morte50 points out. You can hit people with so much force their bodies explode or call down a meteor on their heads, and then still salvage intact glass bottle health potions from their bodies.
It really depends on the spell being used. I never thought Flesh to Stone should destroy itens. It turns your flesh into stone, not your rings, potions, etc...
Now if you use disintegrate you can't really expect any items to survive...
I like it the way it is. Anything that would alter the body that much, would effect items on said person. Frozen items are easily breakable...even steel. Just think of the spell as a blast of liquid oxygen...and we all watched T2 enough to know what happens to items exposed to LOX. Boom baby !
@ogreb To my knowledge stuff like liquid nitrogen is typically held in steel containers, they hold up fine (and they aren't even magical). Besides, even if it cold damage could plausibly damage swords and suits of armor and such, then why would it only happen if the current occupant expires at the same time. That damage should be inflicted at any time sufficient cold damage is applied to it.
And as noted before, why just with cold damage? A bit of a chill destroys enchanted plate armor, but feeble scrolls and boots and potion flasks survive the blast of a fireball? If there's going to be item damage, it should at least make some semblance of sense. As is, it's just arbitrary.
It really depends on the spell being used. I never thought Flesh to Stone should destroy itens. It turns your flesh into stone, not your rings, potions, etc...
Now if you use disintegrate you can't really expect any items to survive...
Actually the description for flesh to stone specifically states that all items that the person had in their possession turn to stone.
"This spell turns flesh of any sort to stone. All possessions on the person of the creature likewise turn to stone..." (probably should say "person or the creature" but thats clearly a spelling mistake).
"This spell turns flesh of any sort to stone. All possessions on the person of the creature likewise turn to stone..." (probably should say "person or the creature" but thats clearly a spelling mistake).
Though it is strictly speaking correct, and likely intentional, I'd say it is an odd choice of words nonetheless. A creature isn't necessarily of a species capable of being a person after all, in which case it seems inappropriate. It's not a phrase that in the real world is typically applied to non-human animals, after all.
Though it is strictly speaking correct, and likely intentional, I'd say it is an odd choice of words nonetheless. A creature isn't necessarily of a species capable of being a person after all, in which case it seems inappropriate. It's not a phrase that in the real world is typically applied to non-human animals, after all.
Fair enough. It may or may not be a mistake (the manual and in-game spell descriptions were originally full of these kinds of little issues) but in any case the description does state that items on the target of the spell (if the spell is successful) are turned to stone.
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That way you would use your own judgement on which creature should be hit with which spell
I was wrong.
But level drain is more of a 'life-force' draining kind of thing. It is specifically aimed at living things, you can't level drain a rock (I'm assuming; whereas Disintegrating a rock seems perfectly plausible, and is probably also possible in PnP). I can buy that death by level drain would akin to disintegration in that when the 'life-force', the glue, that holds you together is removed you kind-of collapse into your constituent molecules or whatever. But it would be strange for that to in any way affect your equipment (same as with 'disintegration' by cold, really).
But if the point is realism, then why does it happen with Cone of Cold and not Fireball? If the former destroys items, or even has a chance to destroy items, then the latter certainly should as well, realistically.
Now if you use disintegrate you can't really expect any items to survive...
Anything that would alter the body that much, would effect items on said person.
Frozen items are easily breakable...even steel.
Just think of the spell as a blast of liquid oxygen...and we all watched T2 enough to know what happens to items exposed to LOX.
Boom baby !
Be kinda cool if you could thaw them out though..
To my knowledge stuff like liquid nitrogen is typically held in steel containers, they hold up fine (and they aren't even magical). Besides, even if it cold damage could plausibly damage swords and suits of armor and such, then why would it only happen if the current occupant expires at the same time. That damage should be inflicted at any time sufficient cold damage is applied to it.
And as noted before, why just with cold damage? A bit of a chill destroys enchanted plate armor, but feeble scrolls and boots and potion flasks survive the blast of a fireball? If there's going to be item damage, it should at least make some semblance of sense. As is, it's just arbitrary.
"This spell turns flesh of any sort to stone. All possessions on the person of the creature likewise turn to stone..." (probably should say "person or the creature" but thats clearly a spelling mistake).