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2014-10-11, 02:58 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2014
Using Baleful Utterance on Creatures
I have a player in a game I am involved in who is trying to argue that Baleful Utterance/Shatter can be used on creatures as it says "a single solid object weighing up to 10 pounds per level can be shattered." as well as the portion saying "or damages a crystalline creature." saying it even uses a creature as an example. Can anybody clarify this? I am almost 100% sure that this is not how the spell works but am having difficulty explaining it. Thanks everyone!
Last edited by WhiteMorphious; 2014-10-11 at 03:01 AM. Reason: forgot a word in the title
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2014-10-11, 03:14 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2014
- Location
- California
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Re: Using Baleful Utterance on Creatures
"Object" has a definition in the rules. Living creatures are excluded from that definition. Shatter/Baleful Utterance can target crystalline creatures because the spell specifically says it can; note its "target" line.
Rhymes with "Protracted."
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2014-10-11, 03:15 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2013
- Gender
Re: Using Baleful Utterance on Creatures
If it's a Crystalline creature, then it's affected by shatter. Creatures and objects are distinct and separate categories under the rules. In order to be affected, a thing must be either a) a crystalline creature or b) not a creature, but rather an object.
Baleful Utterance, however, doesn't say "Has all of the effects of the Shatter spell". It says "You speak a single syllable of the Dark Speech (described in Book of Vile Darkness), affecting an object or area as if by a shatter spell". You can *explicitly* only affect an object or area with Baleful Utterance, according to the rules for using the shatter spell against an object or area, but not the rules for using shatter against a crystalline creature. It's not that big of a nerf though. How often do crystalline creatures come up really?
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2014-10-11, 03:18 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2010
Re: Using Baleful Utterance on Creatures
Originally Posted by d20srd Special Abilities, under nonabilities
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2014-10-11, 03:30 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2014
Re: Using Baleful Utterance on Creatures
Thanks a ton everyone! This was exactly what I was looking for!