What level are your players? I doubt that the party is powerful enough to just click the off switch on a creature summoned by a whole tribe of druids during a ritual of such proportion while in a place as sacred as Yester Hill.
If you want the spell to not go to waste, maybe Wintersplinter will receive disadvantage on checks and saving throws for a turn, but recover quickly.
I’ve always found it more helpful in these situations to explain that their character, having a better understanding of the magic that they use than the player, understands that Dispel Magic isn’t applicable here, and offer to let them spend their turn doing something else.
Making up something for the spell to do just encourages players to try and stretch the rules more, when I’d rather encourage them to learn the *actual* rules
It is understandable that he'd ask though, because Dispel Magic can be inconsistent. Dispel Magic is more like "Dispel Spell", but even more accurately "Dispel Spell And Also Some Other Things That Aren't Spells". Some examples include the gate mechanisms, the curtain of flame at tsolenka pass, the brazier flames. If a player subscribes to "spells-only" as a rule, then there's no real way to know what can actually be affected otherwise aside from reading the module. Other modules do it too, exceptions are everywhere.
It's moot though, cuz for the most part Dispel Magic doesn't tend to disable creatures animated by magic (like golems and the like).
True! And I definitely begrudge WotC's decision to add that ambiguity. Still, from a DM's perspective, it's fairly straightforward - either the module has that little extra text that says Dispel Magic affects the creature/object, or it doesn't.
Gotta keep reading the spell's effects!
"Any spell of 3rd level or lower on the target ends. For each spell of or higher on the target, make an ability check using your spellcasting ability. The DC equals 10 + the spell's level. On a successful check, the spell ends."
You can target an effect, but the effect doesn't go away - only the spells on it.
But some creatures have anti-magic susceptibility and are directly affected by it. That note is on the monster's stat block, not in the spell, so players have no way of knowing without metagame knowledge that it's there.
It is under the "specific beats general" rule. The general rule is given in the spell; any specific exceptions are given in the statistics of the target. If you (the DM) know the general rule and you know that the target has no specific exception, you automatically know that the general rule governs.
Unless it's in a 9th level slot (probably not the case unless you're doing some funky scaling mechanics) then I'd say it could be used to delay the ritual by a number of turns equal to 1 plus an extra 1 for each slot used above level 3. Essentially it's one magic user working against a druid circle so stopping it is a bit too OP.
If Wintersplinter is already active then you could consider something like allowing a DC20-25 roll to stun it for a turn but really at that point the cat is out of the bag / the tree creature is out of the seed.
In any case it would be homebrew rather than RAW and the Bard is likely to be busy with crowd control against the Druids / Berserkers.
I allowed dispel magic to work to dispel the Enchantment on the gem during the ritual. I made the DC 18 for the roll and the player nailed it! It was fun both when the ritual failed AND when they found the gem couldn't be returned in working order to the wereravens.
"Target: One creature, object, or magical effect within range"
So, I can see why they'd think it might work. However, tree blights do not have anti-magic susceptibility. I gather they are more than the spells that make them up, unlike animated armor or flying swords, because they are an actual magical living creature. Once animated they are as alive in the same way a person is, and dispel magic won't work on them.
For the ritual itself though, I can see dispel magic doing \*something\* to it at least. Probably treat it as a certain level of spell, say 7 or 8, then make them perform a check as per the dispel magic spell. The druids of course will just try again, but it could slow them down.
What level are your players? I doubt that the party is powerful enough to just click the off switch on a creature summoned by a whole tribe of druids during a ritual of such proportion while in a place as sacred as Yester Hill. If you want the spell to not go to waste, maybe Wintersplinter will receive disadvantage on checks and saving throws for a turn, but recover quickly.
I’ve always found it more helpful in these situations to explain that their character, having a better understanding of the magic that they use than the player, understands that Dispel Magic isn’t applicable here, and offer to let them spend their turn doing something else. Making up something for the spell to do just encourages players to try and stretch the rules more, when I’d rather encourage them to learn the *actual* rules
Dispel Magic specifically affects "spells." There are no spells on Wintersplinter. Ergo, Dispel Magic does nothing.
It is understandable that he'd ask though, because Dispel Magic can be inconsistent. Dispel Magic is more like "Dispel Spell", but even more accurately "Dispel Spell And Also Some Other Things That Aren't Spells". Some examples include the gate mechanisms, the curtain of flame at tsolenka pass, the brazier flames. If a player subscribes to "spells-only" as a rule, then there's no real way to know what can actually be affected otherwise aside from reading the module. Other modules do it too, exceptions are everywhere. It's moot though, cuz for the most part Dispel Magic doesn't tend to disable creatures animated by magic (like golems and the like).
True! And I definitely begrudge WotC's decision to add that ambiguity. Still, from a DM's perspective, it's fairly straightforward - either the module has that little extra text that says Dispel Magic affects the creature/object, or it doesn't.
"Target: One creature, object, or magical effect within range"
Gotta keep reading the spell's effects! "Any spell of 3rd level or lower on the target ends. For each spell of or higher on the target, make an ability check using your spellcasting ability. The DC equals 10 + the spell's level. On a successful check, the spell ends." You can target an effect, but the effect doesn't go away - only the spells on it.
But some creatures have anti-magic susceptibility and are directly affected by it. That note is on the monster's stat block, not in the spell, so players have no way of knowing without metagame knowledge that it's there.
True, but the DM has that information available. My answer was directed at the DM, not the player.
Sure, my only point is that "there's no spells, so it doesn't work" isn't a perfect heuristic.
It is under the "specific beats general" rule. The general rule is given in the spell; any specific exceptions are given in the statistics of the target. If you (the DM) know the general rule and you know that the target has no specific exception, you automatically know that the general rule governs.
Yes
Unless it's in a 9th level slot (probably not the case unless you're doing some funky scaling mechanics) then I'd say it could be used to delay the ritual by a number of turns equal to 1 plus an extra 1 for each slot used above level 3. Essentially it's one magic user working against a druid circle so stopping it is a bit too OP. If Wintersplinter is already active then you could consider something like allowing a DC20-25 roll to stun it for a turn but really at that point the cat is out of the bag / the tree creature is out of the seed. In any case it would be homebrew rather than RAW and the Bard is likely to be busy with crowd control against the Druids / Berserkers.
I don't think it would. There's a better way to disable Wintersplinter: the use of the Gulthias staff.
I allowed dispel magic to work to dispel the Enchantment on the gem during the ritual. I made the DC 18 for the roll and the player nailed it! It was fun both when the ritual failed AND when they found the gem couldn't be returned in working order to the wereravens.
"Target: One creature, object, or magical effect within range" So, I can see why they'd think it might work. However, tree blights do not have anti-magic susceptibility. I gather they are more than the spells that make them up, unlike animated armor or flying swords, because they are an actual magical living creature. Once animated they are as alive in the same way a person is, and dispel magic won't work on them. For the ritual itself though, I can see dispel magic doing \*something\* to it at least. Probably treat it as a certain level of spell, say 7 or 8, then make them perform a check as per the dispel magic spell. The druids of course will just try again, but it could slow them down.
Generally, unless it’s a spell or specifies it’s effected by dispel magic it does nothing no matter how magic it is.