Interesting Dispel Magic Questions

[schm0]

Other spells, such as the shield spell, affect only
you. These spells have a range of self. "

The Range on Spirit Guardians is "Self", the only target can be the cleric. A spell with a Range of self, can only affect the caster, but that does not mean that others may not suffer from the effects of the spell.

The conclusion that you reach is only attainable if you ignore the italicized sentences. A conclusion reached while ignoring critical information is by definition an incomplete conclusion.

Which is why, I reject it.

Dispel Magic is a horribly written spell, hopefully future versions are better. Spell Descriptions as a whole need to be modernized, and made clearer.

I'm not ignoring the text. I'm saying that it is irrelevant. A range of "self" does not mean that the magical effect resides on the caster (i.e. shadow blade, spirit guardians, etc.) It just means that "self" is the target of the spell, and thus it is created there.

I'm talking about the magical effect that is created, which is the only thing that matters for dispel magic. Dispel magic doesn't care where the spell is created, it only cares about the nature of the magical effect, because that is what it targets. As I wrote before:

Consider the following examples:

• Armor of Agathys creates a magical effect in the form of a protective magical force on the creature, which means the creature is the valid target of dispel magic.
• Spirit Guardians creates a magical effect in the form of spirits that fly around the creature, which means the magical effect is the valid target of dispel magic.
• Nystul's Magic Aura (when cast on an object) creates a magical effect in the form of an illusion on the object, which means the object is the valid target of dispel magic.

Hence, shadow blade creates a magical effect in the form of a sword of solidified gloom, which means the object is the valid target of dispel magic.

I agree with Pex, as well. This is a mostly semantic argument that could only possibly occur if the spell effect were imperceptible, the spell could not be identified, and detect magic is not available. In (almost?) all of the cases we are talking about, the spell effects are obvious and casting the spell should be similarly so.

EDIT: magical effect