Enchanting blades prior to entering dead magic zones?

[Pen N Popper]

Is enchanting blades prior to entering dead magic zones allowed?  

A lot of people do it and it is generally RPed as being that personal enchantments are stripped passing between the statues, but that item enchantments are not.  I always thought it just added to the mystery of the area and assumed it was intentional and part of  the story.  I heard today from another player that this is not allowed.  Looking for confirmation from GM since so many do it.

Thanks!

[Dorganath]

There's some clarification going on within the GM Team on this subject that started prior to this post, as there are some members of the team who don't know.  When we have a unified message to present, it will be posted and probably put on LORE for visibility.

[Stephen_Zuckerman]

Though not a part of the GM Team, I do have my own thoughts on this.

Myself, I don't encourage the practice - I personally feel that it's a bit cheesy, if not quite over the edge of exploitative of game mechanics. With that said, I don't turn down the enchantments, either; with no official statement from the Team (as yet) on the subject, it feels a bit like accusing those I'm traveling with of full-on exploits, when I really haven't felt like it was that big of a deal.

The RP reasoning I hold behind "why it works" is that the spells literally alter the physical makeup of the blade, and that alteration, unlike some, takes some time to shift back.

It's good to know we'll have a definitive answer on this, though.

[lonnarin]

Now if the dead magic zones actually affected magic items, it would be hilarious to see those huge hulking fighters rush up to the summit, and suddenly collapse under the 600lbs of ubiquotous gear on them once their strength items failed.

[Stephen_Zuckerman]

Yet another thing I'd love to see implemented - if not here, for obvious reasons, in the next game.

[Filatus]

Yet another thing I'd love to see implemented - if not here, for obvious reasons, in the next game.

Really? Heh, I suggest you play Hordes of the Underdark with a low strength melee and go to the beholder caves....

Longest three hours of my life.

[miltonyorkcastle]

Hehehehe.

And I purposely keep Steel's standing weight below what he can handle with his natural strength for that very reason.

[Eight-Bit]

Hehehehe.

And I purposely keep Steel's standing weight below what he can handle with his natural strength for that very reason.

I took it one step further with Key and kept her standing weight at 19 pounds. Too many deaths because of strength sapping.

[Goldwin Blacknight]

I might be a bit bias on this subject, but IF the composition of the weapon IS changed why couldn't it hold up in dead zones. It would be the "casting" of an enchantment that wouldn't work in such zones. One way of explaining the mechanics of the game rather than having to "pretend" that it doesnt happen much as you have to "pretend" you can't see someone in Greater Sanctuary. I always get that wrong-sheesh!

[Stephen_Zuckerman]

Well, what the spell SHOULD be doing is simply infusing the weapon/armor with more-or-less raw magic, increasing its effectiveness. Let's also not forget that by canon, Mithril doesn't grant any kind of bonus - it only makes things harder and lighter. Likewise, Adamantium provides only damage reduction (for armor), or the ability to bypass damage reduction (for weapons).

NWN was implemented very poorly. Layo's attempts to compensate for these have been nothing short of stunning, but you can only make a sow's ear into a SILK purse... Not a cloth-of-gold one.

[lonnarin]

Technically if this were PnP all of those pretty mithral weapons would be reduced to standard masterwork types in such zones, and whatever magical damage bonused inherent to the metal would no longer grant their ability to do 3pts extra damage or affect things with DR like wraiths.  Furthermore, undead who were created via any method other than self-spontaneous generations (revenants, ghosts, anything created because the soul itself cant rest) would collapse into dead piles of lifeless corpse as the necromancer's magic which spawned them would be nullified.

Supernatural abilities toe the line for me, as that which is natural is mundane and that which is supernatural is often magical.  A dragon may breathe fire as a supernatural ability, but isn't it a magic fire?  The fear effect from a dragon could equally be argued to be situational (omg, that dragon is so big and scary!) or magical (argh! brain is burning!) in composition.  Things like the Quivering Palm or Stunning Strike however I just see as very highly skilled Xena-like nerve strikes, but what about those other abilities related to the ki?  Does the spirit energy manipulate magical forces, or does the spirit itself manage to do the job entirely independant of the weave?  Well, if a ki strike is allowing somebody to damage a wraith, then is it a matter of magical force or that the monk is striking the wraith's soul with his own soul?  Tough call there.  

I think I solved the conundrum of beholder colonies in our PnP campaign however... that question of "if they all have anti-magic cones, then how come they don't plop out of the air every time they look at eachother?"  We explained that one by having the players dissect a beholder and noting that it had an air bladder similar to fish in order to grant it bouancy in the heavier atmosphere around it... essentially they were self-powered balloon babies.  Natural, nonmagical reactions that appear profoundly supernatural can often be explained by complex biochemical reactions, much like how an electric eel can shock or a deep sea fish can illuminate a bodypart.  In that sense, dragon fire can be explained away, and dragon acid is little more than draconic bullemia akin to how flies regurgitate on their food prior to eating it.  Dragon ice... perhaps an endothermic reaction, and Dragon lightning isn't that much different from an electric eel.  Forces of energy do exist beyond the realm of magic.

Now that being said, that which stems from magic and is *sustained* by magic should not logically be able to survive in non-magical voids.  So any change which reverts after the duration of the spell should be nullified the very second that magical power is no longer there to fuel the reaction.  (much like when you turn off the propane feeding a grill)  On the other hand, magic which causes a permanant effect to something, like polymorphing somebody into an umberhulk (if we had TRUE pnp polymorph, not the silly turn/based one in NWN) or some lead that was transmuted to gold should in theory remain active.

So if anybody wants to have fire on their weapon in a no-magic zone, I would highly suggest that 1st level alchemical recipe for alchemist's fire.  Combustable chemicals from a beetle's belly are not subject to anti-magic zones in the least.  I would however suggest that any spells which had a duration other than permanant should not be able to exist in that environment.  It's like trying to keep a fire burning in space far from any gas to fuel it.  

And my advice for all is to seek the Lucindite clergy to patch this area!  The only reason they even have paladins in their order is to protect the weave, and this anti-magic zone is like one big festering wound on the weave that should get their clergy's attention.

[Drizzlin]

I think I solved the conundrum of beholder colonies in our PnP campaign however... that question of "if they all have anti-magic cones, then how come they don't plop out of the air every time they look at eachother?"  

The monster manual actually explains that beholder flight is like a bird and not magical, thus allowing them to fly through dead magic zones. Nothing like a few beholders and a couple death kisses...

[ShiffDrgnhrt]

The monster manual actually explains that beholder flight is like a bird and not magical, thus allowing them to fly through dead magic zones. Nothing like a few beholders and a couple death kisses...

 
 Clearly, beholders have such bad gas, and no arse, that it makes them float around.
 
 Always thought beholders were full of hot air...

[Marswipp]

Off topic?

[TheGreatProphetSquishy]

Clearly, beholders have such bad gas, and no arse, that it makes them float around.
 
 Always thought beholders were full of hot air...

"Kellefloog Bar bar Moofa Roog!"

....Squishy says he resents that.

*giggles and flitters off*

Edit: Love you guys.

[Stephen_Zuckerman]

Off-topic, yeah.

Will we be getting an Official answer on this, or is it still under discussion by the Team?

[Dorganath]

Yes and yes.

[Stephen_Zuckerman]

Thanks for the Thanks God.

[Marswipp]

How near is the answer to the original question?

[Filatus]

How near is the answer to the original question?

It hasn't been answered yet, because it's a part of a larger topic that will be completely answered and a little bit more complicated than a simple yes or no. I would say that once posted, it will answer the question and more.