Tossing a weapon to avoid DM

[KyleSchmelz]

So let's say I'm fighting a big nasty monster and he's gearing up to destroy my fancy magical mace. He starts a long incant, "I call upon the blah blah blah to unravel your magics, Magic Destroy Magic, Celestial, Target Mace". Let's say I drop my weapon before he finishes the incant (before he starts the actual verbal for the ability, which technically starts at "Magic" if I understand things correctly) and before he throws the packet. The packet hits me within about two seconds of me dropping the mace. Is my weapon still affected by the Destroy Magic effect? I feel like there's a rule about this but the closest thing I can find is under the disarm description:

Nor can you avoid [a disarm] by dropping the weapon to the ground or throwing your weapon up in the air just before the packet is about to hit you, thus claiming that the weapon was not in your possession at the point of contact of the spell.

It doesn't say anything about dropping the weapon under shatter or destroy, nor can I find a general rule about dropping items to avoid effects.

 

[Draven]

If he says Mace before he finished his incant, I'd say dropping it is totally legit. I start running the heck away when I hear an incant start, I can't see why you can't drop your weapon.

With disarm, the last word is the target and the packet is in the air, so it's harder to really gauge if you were successful in removing the target.

But if he says Mace halfway through...yeah, I wouldn't call any shenanigans.

 

[Alavatar]

With disarm, the last word is the target and the packet is in the air, so it's harder to really gauge if you were successful in removing the target.

To clarify, the incantation must be finished before the packet is thrown, as with all packet effects.

But, Disarm is supposed to prevent you from being able to hold the object specified for a specific amount of time. Therefore, not holding for a brief second while you get hit by a Disarm effect is against the intent of the Disarm so you still cannot hold the thing for the time stated in Disarm.

Destroy Magic, however, is instantaneous so if asked on the field (without an ARC clarification) I would rule not having the target in your possession when hit by the Destroy Magic means the target is not affected.

 

[Avaran]

To clarify, the incantation must be finished before the packet is thrown, as with all packet effects.

^---Emphasis...

Destroy Magic, however, is instantaneous so if asked on the field (without an ARC clarification) I would rule not having the target in your possession when hit by the Destroy Magic means the target is not affected.

For what it's worth, I'd rule the same...unless the packet actually hit the mace, in which case...bye-bye mace.

 

[norman b]

There was a similar discussion on the Alliance Seattle boards regarding disarm/shatter and thrown weapons. I would have to say that i find it cheesy for you to toss off your magic item just to avoid a DM. I am aware that the RAW for shatter doesnt prevent this nor does the RAW for DM prevent it, but i feel its in line with disarm.

 

[Draven]

To be fair, Norm, there's a difference between "cheesy" and "illegal."

Also, as Seth pointed out, there's a difference in intention. Disarm is to make you drop your weapon (so dropping it for one second to avoid dropping it for five is definitely not the same as dropping it for a second to avoid it's complete annihilation).

Anyhow, I haven't seen any marshal state that it's illegal, so if we want to discuss the cheese factor, that's probably for a different place. The question appears answered, I figure.