What Happens if You Dispel Magic on a Bag of Holding?
The Bag of Holding is a quintessential magic item in many tabletop role-playing games, renowned for its ability to store vast amounts of gear within a seemingly normal sack. However, what happens when this seemingly ubiquitous item comes under the influence of a powerful magic-negating spell, such as Dispel Magic? This article delves into the specific mechanics of such a scenario and explores the various nuances surrounding the interaction between Dispel Magic and a Bag of Holding.
The short and direct answer is: If you successfully cast Dispel Magic on a Bag of Holding, the magic item’s properties are suppressed for 1d4 rounds. This means that during this short duration, the bag will cease to function as a Bag of Holding. It would, however, still be a bag. After the 1d4 rounds, the bag will fully regain its magical abilities without any further magical assistance or outside intervention.
How Dispel Magic Interacts With Magic Items
Understanding what happens when Dispel Magic targets a magic item requires looking at the core mechanics of the spell. Unlike older editions of some games, the modern iteration specifies that Dispel Magic primarily targets spells and their effects. It does not inherently alter or negate the magical nature of a magic item. Instead, Dispel Magic can, under specific conditions, temporarily suppress the inherent magical qualities of an item.
The Dispel Check
When Dispel Magic is directed at a magic item, it triggers a special effect. Instead of automatically dispelling an ongoing magical effect, the caster makes a dispel check against the item’s caster level. The Difficulty Class (DC) for this check is 11 + the item’s caster level. If the check is successful, the item’s magical properties are suppressed for 1d4 rounds. This means the bag, during that time, would function only as a regular, non-magical bag. If the check fails, the magic of the item persists unaffected.
What “Suppressed” Means
The term “suppressed” is critical. It indicates that the item’s magic isn’t permanently removed or altered. Rather, the magical abilities of the item are essentially put on hold for the duration of the suppression. During this brief suppression, a Bag of Holding would not provide access to its extradimensional space or hold more items than a regular bag of its size. After the 1d4 rounds have passed, its magic simply resumes normally.
No Permanent Changes
It’s vital to note that Dispel Magic does not permanently affect the Bag of Holding. It is a temporary effect. This stands in contrast to spells like wish, which can fundamentally alter or even destroy a magic item. Dispel Magic only interferes temporarily, providing a limited window of opportunity for opponents to potentially take advantage of the bag’s disabled status, but does not in any way harm the item.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions regarding the interaction of Dispel Magic and a Bag of Holding, along with other relevant questions about both topics.
1. Can Dispel Magic destroy a Bag of Holding?
No, Dispel Magic cannot destroy a Bag of Holding. It can only temporarily suppress its magical abilities. After 1d4 rounds, the bag will function as normal. The item’s existence and magical nature are not permanently changed by the spell.
2. Does Dispel Magic affect the contents of the Bag of Holding?
No, Dispel Magic does not affect the contents within a Bag of Holding. The items are contained within an extradimensional space and are not directly connected to the bag itself. Suppressing the bag’s magic only prevents its function as an extradimensional storage space, but does not change the contents.
3. Can Detect Magic perceive the contents of a Bag of Holding?
Detect Magic cannot perceive the contents inside a Bag of Holding. The contents are located in an extradimensional space, considered to be more than 30 feet away, therefore undetectable by the spell. The bag itself would radiate magic to Detect Magic however.
4. If the Bag of Holding is suppressed, can items be retrieved?
During the period when the Bag of Holding is suppressed by Dispel Magic, items cannot be retrieved normally. The opening would still be there, but the access to the extradimensional storage will be temporarily disabled. The bag functions as a normal sack for the duration.
5. Can Dispel Magic work on cursed items?
Yes and no. Dispel Magic can temporarily suppress a curse on an item, but only if that curse is a spell or was applied by a spell and is unattended. The effect will be the same as any other magic item: 1d4 rounds of suppression. Additionally, many curses are not spells and therefore are not effected by the spell.
6. Can Dispel Magic stop a spell cast from a Bag of Holding?
Yes, Dispel Magic can interrupt a spell cast from an item stored within a Bag of Holding. When a spell is activated from such a source, it becomes a targetable effect, susceptible to the influence of Dispel Magic.
7. What are the limitations of Dispel Magic?
Dispel Magic primarily targets spells and their effects. It does not work on magic items themselves, spell-like abilities, and does not effect any magical effects that are not caused by spells. It can temporarily suppress the function of an item, but does not cause permanent changes or do anything to a non-spell curse.
8. Can a readied Dispel Magic stop a spell from a Bag of Holding?
A readied Dispel Magic can only be used to affect spells that are already in effect. It can prevent a spell from having its intended effect if timed correctly, but it cannot stop the casting of the spell.
9. What happens if you overload or damage a Bag of Holding?
If a Bag of Holding is overloaded, pierced, or torn, it ruptures, and its contents are scattered on the Astral Plane. The bag itself is then destroyed. This is a different scenario to Dispel Magic, which does not damage the bag, but merely suppresses its effects.
10. What happens if you put a Bag of Holding inside another Bag of Holding?
Putting a Bag of Holding inside another Bag of Holding will destroy both instantly, creating a gate to the Astral Plane. This is a dangerous act that should be avoided at all costs.
11. Can Dispel Magic stop a Polymorph spell?
Yes, Dispel Magic can end the effect of a Polymorph spell as long as the polymorph is maintained by a spell. This includes Baleful Polymorph or True Polymorph, but only if the target remains a creature, not if the object has become an object.
12. Can Dispel Magic end Invisibility?
Yes, Dispel Magic can end the effect of an Invisibility spell. As with polymorph, the spell only needs to be present, and does not need to be targeted by the spell to be effected. Additionally, attacking or casting any spell, counterspell included, ends the effect of invisibility as well.
13. How does Dispel Magic compare to Counterspell?
Counterspell is used to stop a spell from being cast, while Dispel Magic targets spells already in effect. They serve different purposes and are used in separate scenarios. Counterspell works on a wider range of spell types and effects, while Dispel Magic is more targeted to removing longer-term or permanent effects.
14. Can you Dispel Magic a Spiritual Weapon?
Yes, Dispel Magic can remove a Spiritual Weapon. It affects ongoing spell effects, such as a spiritual weapon, which are not magic items or spell-like abilities.
15. Can Dispel Magic remove petrification?
Dispel Magic can remove petrification caused by a spell. However, it cannot remove petrification caused by sources that are not spells, such as a gaze or ray effect from a creature. For non-spell petrification, a stronger restoration spell is required, such as Greater Restoration.
Conclusion
Dispel Magic’s interaction with a Bag of Holding is a nuanced and temporary affair. While it can suppress the bag’s magical properties for a short time, it does not permanently alter or damage the item. Understanding these interactions is crucial for players and GMs in order to navigate in-game situations effectively. Knowing the limitations of Dispel Magic and when it is truly effective will significantly improve your strategic approach when using and facing this common and powerful spell. By learning the rules and the various FAQs related to Dispel Magic, you’ll be better prepared to tackle whatever magical challenges come your way.