Beholder Antimagic Overlap [Archive] - Wizards Community

Beholder Antimagic Overlap [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
skroz
09-01-05, 08:32 PM I would have expected someone to have asked this before, but I don't see a reference anywhere, so here goes.

I'm looking for opinions on what happens when two beholders turn their antimagic rays on each other. According to the description of antimagic field, two overlapping antimagic fields have no effect on each other. So if two beholders point their main eyes at the same target, that target is still affected by the effect. That's easy.

If one beholder turns his eye onto another whose antimagic effect is OFF, the argument could be made that the second beholder could not turn it on because the magic that creates it is interrupted. From the text of the beholder's antimagic cone:

"All magical and supernatural powers and effects within the cone are suppressed - even the beholder's own eye rays."

But what if two beholders turn their eye rays on each other simultaneously, or rotate into each other's area of effect? If they both get switched off, they both get switched back on immediately, then off, then on... lather, rinse, repeat. That doesn't make much sense, so... are the effects on or off?

I'm inclined to randomly roll and just pick one that's off while the other is one, but I wanted to know what others thought of the situation. So... what are others' thoughts?
The_Rose
09-01-05, 09:05 PM The multiverse explodes.

Serious answer: They'd probably negate each other, and I would hope that a beholder would be smart enough to realize that it's futile
Bunny, Conqueror Supreme
09-01-05, 09:14 PM So you're wondering what would happen if two beholders antimagicked each other? Lemme get my MM.
Bunny, Conqueror Supreme
09-01-05, 09:20 PM I think they'd just overlap.
skroz
09-01-05, 09:26 PM So, you think that both antimagic fields would be active? In that case, both beholders would lose all of their eye rays, but still have their antimagic cone up. Interesting.
Dalmar
09-02-05, 07:04 PM The anti-magic cones overlap, so neither beholder can use it's eye rays. The anti-magic fields *don't* cancel each other out, so the beholders have to bite each other to death.

At least, that's what it says in Lords Of Madness.
Vanigo
09-03-05, 07:20 PM Well, it's pretty easy under most circumstances: When a beholder is in an AMF, it can't bring up its own AMF, so whichever one gets looked at first is in an AMF and the other isn't. If they look at each other simultaneously, I'd just determine which one is AMFd randomly.

This would still result in them having to bite each other to death, incidentally - the one in an AMF can't use his eye rays, but he can't be hit by eye rays either.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
skroz 09-01-05, 08:32 PM	I would have expected someone to have asked this before, but I don't see a reference anywhere, so here goes. I'm looking for opinions on what happens when two beholders turn their antimagic rays on each other. According to the description of antimagic field, two overlapping antimagic fields have no effect on each other. So if two beholders point their main eyes at the same target, that target is still affected by the effect. That's easy. If one beholder turns his eye onto another whose antimagic effect is OFF, the argument could be made that the second beholder could not turn it on because the magic that creates it is interrupted. From the text of the beholder's antimagic cone: "All magical and supernatural powers and effects within the cone are suppressed - even the beholder's own eye rays." But what if two beholders turn their eye rays on each other simultaneously, or rotate into each other's area of effect? If they both get switched off, they both get switched back on immediately, then off, then on... lather, rinse, repeat. That doesn't make much sense, so... are the effects on or off? I'm inclined to randomly roll and just pick one that's off while the other is one, but I wanted to know what others thought of the situation. So... what are others' thoughts?
The_Rose 09-01-05, 09:05 PM	The multiverse explodes. Serious answer: They'd probably negate each other, and I would hope that a beholder would be smart enough to realize that it's futile
Bunny, Conqueror Supreme 09-01-05, 09:14 PM	So you're wondering what would happen if two beholders antimagicked each other? Lemme get my MM.
Bunny, Conqueror Supreme 09-01-05, 09:20 PM	I think they'd just overlap.
skroz 09-01-05, 09:26 PM	So, you think that both antimagic fields would be active? In that case, both beholders would lose all of their eye rays, but still have their antimagic cone up. Interesting.
Dalmar 09-02-05, 07:04 PM	The anti-magic cones overlap, so neither beholder can use it's eye rays. The anti-magic fields don't cancel each other out, so the beholders have to bite each other to death. At least, that's what it says in Lords Of Madness.
Vanigo 09-03-05, 07:20 PM	Well, it's pretty easy under most circumstances: When a beholder is in an AMF, it can't bring up its own AMF, so whichever one gets looked at first is in an AMF and the other isn't. If they look at each other simultaneously, I'd just determine which one is AMFd randomly. This would still result in them having to bite each other to death, incidentally - the one in an AMF can't use his eye rays, but he can't be hit by eye rays either.