Forcecage vs. Antimagic Field: A Deep Dive into D&D’s Interaction of Spells

The interaction between Forcecage and Antimagic Field in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition is a complex one, frequently debated among players and Dungeon Masters alike. The short answer is no, Forcecage is immune to Antimagic Field. While most spells are suppressed within an Antimagic Field, certain exceptions exist, and Forcecage falls into that category. This stems from the fact that Forcecage explicitly mimics Wall of Force, and some spells like it, such as Prismatic Sphere and Prismatic Wall, are unaffected by Antimagic Field (see the individual spell descriptions).

Understanding the Core Mechanics

To truly understand why Forcecage resists Antimagic Field, we need to break down how each spell functions individually and then analyze their interaction.

Forcecage: Imprisonment Made Real

Forcecage is a 7th-level conjuration spell that creates an immobile, invisible cage of force around a creature or area. It’s a powerful tool for isolating enemies or protecting vulnerable allies. Its key features are:

• Imprisonment: It traps creatures within its confines, preventing escape by nonmagical means.
• Ethereal Blockage: It extends into the Ethereal Plane, preventing ethereal travel.
• Spellcasting Restriction: As the spell explicitly states, spells cannot be cast to the other side of it.
• Durability: It’s effectively immune to damage, owing to its composition of magical force.
• Disintegrate Vulnerability: Its sole weakness lies in the Disintegrate spell, which can instantly destroy it.
• No Dispel Magic: It cannot be dispelled by Dispel Magic.

Antimagic Field: Nullifying Magic

Antimagic Field is an 8th-level abjuration spell that creates a mobile sphere of antimagic. Within this sphere, spells and other magical effects are suppressed, rendering them temporarily inactive. The key aspects of Antimagic Field are:

• Suppression: Spells and magical effects, except those created by an artifact or a deity, are suppressed within the sphere.
• Non-Protrusion: Spells can’t protrude into the field.
• Duration Preservation: Suppressed spells have their durations continue to count down.
• Counterspell Vulnerability: The casting of Antimagic Field can be countered.

The Decisive Factor: Explicit Spell Descriptions

The critical point of contention lies in the wording of the Antimagic Field spell itself. It states that “Spells and other magical effects… are suppressed in the sphere,” except for effects created by artifacts, deities, or those detailed within the spell descriptions for certain spells. The phrase “see the individual spell descriptions” is crucial, because this phrase is also stated in the description for the spell Forcecage.

Since Forcecage is immune to Antimagic Field, that means it remains unaffected when cast within or against an Antimagic Field. The cage maintains its form, trapping creatures inside.

Forcecage’s Resilience

Forcecage‘s resilience against Antimagic Field is a testament to its potent nature. It’s not just a simple magical effect; it’s a specific and powerful conjuration that is intentionally designed to withstand magical negation. The vulnerability to Disintegrate provides a necessary countermeasure, preventing it from being an insurmountable obstacle.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can Dispel Magic affect Forcecage?

No, Dispel Magic is ineffective against Forcecage. The spell description explicitly states that it cannot be dispelled in this way. However, if a creature inside attempts to teleport or use interplanar travel, they must succeed on a Charisma saving throw to exit the cage.

2. What happens if Forcecage is cast inside an Antimagic Field?

Forcecage is unaffected by Antimagic Field. The cage will appear and function as normal, trapping creatures within its boundaries.

3. Can you cast spells through Forcecage?

No, the spell explicitly states that spells cannot be cast to the other side of it.

4. Can you Counterspell Antimagic Field?

Yes, the casting of Antimagic Field can be Counterspelled. This prevents the field from ever coming into effect.

5. What happens to a familiar inside an Antimagic Field?

A familiar wink out of existence in an Antimagic Field, being suppressed in an Antimagic Field, the spell is still in effect. You can still ‘dismiss’ this back to the pocket dimension and re summon outside the field, as long as you’re not in it yourself.

6. Does True Polymorph end inside an Antimagic Field?

No. True Polymorph is still an active spell on the target, and would be suppressed but not removed by an antimagic field. However, if the target within the antimagic field hits 0 hit points, or otherwise dies, the effect of True Polymorph would end should their body be removed from the antimagic field.

7. Can you use Ki in an Antimagic Field?

No, you cannot. While in an anti-magic field, you’ve still got the energy but you can’t manipulate it.

8. Can Detect Magic sense an Antimagic Field?

Yes. Detect Magic would sense a Moderate or Strong Abjuration aura when looking at the Antimagic Field(AMF), but nothing within the field.

9. Can Forcecage trap a dragon?

Forcecage is either a 10′ or 20′ cube. Any creature that is completely within the area is trapped and anything too large or only partially within the area (which at DMs discretion could easily include the wingspan and tail of a dragon) to fit is pushed away from the center until it is completely outside.

10. Does sunlight go through Wall of Force, since Forcecage is similar?

Yes, because a wall of force is invisible. This means that light from one side passes through it to the other side.

11. Is Forcecage vulnerable to damage?

Magical force is effectively immune to damage. However, the Disintegrate spell has the specific ability to instantly destroy creations made of magical force, which Forcecage is.

12. How do you stop an Antimagic field?

Usually, an antimagic field has a source of some kind (a beholder’s central eye, a magic item, the spell of the same name), and eliminating that source should work. But in the absence of that, there is no consistent way to eliminate the field.

13. Are psionics affected by Antimagic field?

Yes. Therefore, we can conclude that Psionics do not work inside an Antimagic Field.

14. Can you Divine Smite in an Antimagic field?

No. Antimagic Field is described as working against “Spells and other magical effects”, thus Divine Smite wouldn’t work within an Antimagic Field. (The damage boost from Improved Divine Strike, however, would still take effect as it is not described as magical and does not use spell slots.)

15. Is Forcecage consumed by ruby dust?

Earlier versions of forcecage consumed 1,500 gp worth of ruby dust. Ideally, the ruby dust made forcecage feel like a trap set for a powerful foe at great expense. The latest version works without the recurring expense.

Strategic Implications

Understanding the interaction between Forcecage and Antimagic Field has significant strategic implications for both players and DMs:

• For Players: If you’re facing enemies relying on Antimagic Field, Forcecage becomes a valuable tool for bypassing their defenses and isolating key targets.
• For DMs: Be mindful of the potential power of Forcecage against your encounters. If you’re using Antimagic Field as a key element of your strategy, consider incorporating creatures or methods that can counter or circumvent Forcecage, such as access to the Disintegrate spell or the ability to teleport outside the cage before it’s fully formed.

Conclusion

The rules of D&D are always up for debate. Hopefully this has cleared up any confusion about Forcecage and Antimagic Field. For more insights into game-based learning and how D&D can be used for educational purposes, be sure to visit the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org.