I’m currently running a group of 5 level six characters. Each of them is allowed one rare item. Most of the group took weapons, but the Bladesinger took a cloak of displacement. They recently ran into a monster that was immune to non-magical weapons and psychic damage (a nerfed iron golem: lower HPs, lower damage, lower To-Hit, no breath weapon). The Bladesinger attacked with his non-magical sword and I told him it clanked off harmlessly. He then cast shadow blade, which does psychic damage, and I once again told him that it clanked off harmlessly. Needless to say, he was not happy. So here is my question: he claims that Bladesinging makes his sword magical. I told him that Bladesinging lists 4 very clear benefits (boost to AC, increased walking speed, advantage to acrobatics, and bonus to concentration checksj and that making the weapon magical isn’t one of them. He is adamant that his sword be considered magical. Who is correct?
You are. Nothing about invoking the Bladesong grants a sword magical properties as it relates to damaging creatures with such resistances or immunities. The solve for this is for the player (who is a wizard) to cast a spell like Magic Weapon or just get some magic swords.
You are right that bladesinging doesn't make a weapon magical, but
He then cast shadow blade, which does psychic damage, and I once again told him that it clanked off harmlessly.
This was not handled well. You should describe it differently to make it clear that some types of magical weapons didn't work either. If I were the player and I heard that I would just feel like the DM was purposely preventing me from participating in the fight.
Shadow blade was ineffective because it does psychic damage and golems are immune to psychic damage. That said, I would probably (a) have the immunity manifest differently (say, it passes through the golem without effect) and (b) give the character an arcana check to realize why.
If the sword is not a magic item or under the effect of a spell it is not magical. Cantrips like booming blade count as magical.
An item under the effect of a spell is not necessarily magical; if you use telekinesis to throw a nonmagical object, it remains a nonmagical object and does damage like one. In general spells that cause items to behave like magic weapons (such as shillelagh) say so explicitly. Booming blade is an edge case; I wouldn't take offense at a DM ruling either way (however, the thunder damage it causes at level 5+ would go against resistance to thunder damage).
Shadow blade was ineffective because it does psychic damage and golems are immune to psychic damage. That said, I would probably (a) have the immunity manifest differently (say, it passes through the golem without effect) and (b) give the character an arcana check to realize why.
If the sword is not a magic item or under the effect of a spell it is not magical. Cantrips like booming blade count as magical.
An item under the effect of a spell is not necessarily magical; if you use telekinesis to throw a nonmagical object, it remains a nonmagical object and does damage like one. In general spells that cause items to behave like magic weapons (such as shillelagh) say so explicitly. Booming blade is an edge case; I wouldn't take offense at a DM ruling either way (however, the thunder damage it causes at level 5+ would go against resistance to thunder damage).
telekinesis doesn't really throw things as part of the spell but catapult does and that damage is magical (excluding object effects not part of the spell). Typically spell damage is only not magical if it creates a creature with an attack that doesn't say that attack is magical. E.g polymorph, summoning, animate objects ect... Otherwise any damage listed in a spell is magical.
Shadow blade was ineffective because it does psychic damage and golems are immune to psychic damage. That said, I would probably (a) have the immunity manifest differently (say, it passes through the golem without effect) and (b) give the character an arcana check to realize why.
If the sword is not a magic item or under the effect of a spell it is not magical. Cantrips like booming blade count as magical.
An item under the effect of a spell is not necessarily magical; if you use telekinesis to throw a nonmagical object, it remains a nonmagical object and does damage like one. In general spells that cause items to behave like magic weapons (such as shillelagh) say so explicitly. Booming blade is an edge case; I wouldn't take offense at a DM ruling either way (however, the thunder damage it causes at level 5+ would go against resistance to thunder damage).
telekinesis doesn't really throw things as part of the spell but catapult does and that damage is magical (excluding object effects not part of the spell). Typically spell damage is only not magical if it creates a creature with an attack that doesn't say that attack is magical. E.g polymorph, summoning, animate objects ect... Otherwise any damage listed in a spell is magical.
I'm just curious what makes you think that the damage caused by the item thrown using the catapult spell is magical?
Animate objects causes a bunch of objects to animate and attack. The objects affected have to be non-magical to start with. Just because a spell is animating them doesn't necessarily make the damage they do magical.
Conjure animals summons spirits in form of animals. They would not exist except for the spell but the sage advice compendium specifically says that their damage is not magical.
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I’m currently running a group of 5 level six characters. Each of them is allowed one rare item. Most of the group took weapons, but the Bladesinger took a cloak of displacement. They recently ran into a monster that was immune to non-magical weapons and psychic damage (a nerfed iron golem: lower HPs, lower damage, lower To-Hit, no breath weapon). The Bladesinger attacked with his non-magical sword and I told him it clanked off harmlessly. He then cast shadow blade, which does psychic damage, and I once again told him that it clanked off harmlessly. Needless to say, he was not happy. So here is my question: he claims that Bladesinging makes his sword magical. I told him that Bladesinging lists 4 very clear benefits (boost to AC, increased walking speed, advantage to acrobatics, and bonus to concentration checksj and that making the weapon magical isn’t one of them. He is adamant that his sword be considered magical. Who is correct?
You are. Nothing about invoking the Bladesong grants a sword magical properties as it relates to damaging creatures with such resistances or immunities. The solve for this is for the player (who is a wizard) to cast a spell like Magic Weapon or just get some magic swords.
You are right that bladesinging doesn't make a weapon magical, but
This was not handled well. You should describe it differently to make it clear that some types of magical weapons didn't work either. If I were the player and I heard that I would just feel like the DM was purposely preventing me from participating in the fight.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
Shadow blade is a spell. It is magical
If the sword is not a magic item or under the effect of a spell it is not magical. Cantrips like booming blade count as magical.
Shadow blade was ineffective because it does psychic damage and golems are immune to psychic damage. That said, I would probably (a) have the immunity manifest differently (say, it passes through the golem without effect) and (b) give the character an arcana check to realize why.
An item under the effect of a spell is not necessarily magical; if you use telekinesis to throw a nonmagical object, it remains a nonmagical object and does damage like one. In general spells that cause items to behave like magic weapons (such as shillelagh) say so explicitly. Booming blade is an edge case; I wouldn't take offense at a DM ruling either way (however, the thunder damage it causes at level 5+ would go against resistance to thunder damage).
telekinesis doesn't really throw things as part of the spell but catapult does and that damage is magical (excluding object effects not part of the spell). Typically spell damage is only not magical if it creates a creature with an attack that doesn't say that attack is magical. E.g polymorph, summoning, animate objects ect... Otherwise any damage listed in a spell is magical.
I'm just curious what makes you think that the damage caused by the item thrown using the catapult spell is magical?
Animate objects causes a bunch of objects to animate and attack. The objects affected have to be non-magical to start with. Just because a spell is animating them doesn't necessarily make the damage they do magical.
Conjure animals summons spirits in form of animals. They would not exist except for the spell but the sage advice compendium specifically says that their damage is not magical.