The 5th edition rules for the state of being petrified the following, "A petrified creature is transformed, along with any non-magical object it is wearing or carrying, into a solid inanimate substance (usually stone)." It doesn't really specify if the magic items drop to the ground and are ejected from the new stone object or are they trapped within the stone. This has come up in my play group since the group wizard was turned to stone by a basilisk. If not ejected then the other characters must break apart the stone to get to the magic items if they are unable or unwilling to cast greater restoration upon the petrified teammate. To keep the game going we ruled that the items were trapped within the stone. What do you think should be the ruling on this?
I would trap them in the stone bag or stone clothes as well. Relatively easy to get out. I might make them roll a check (slight of hand or tool check, advantage if mason or dwarf) to not damage the creature though.
I’d also put it in the stone. But I’d make clear to them that if they damage the statue, they are damaging the character (as I understand the rules, could be wrong here).
So if they poke a hole in a bag to get something out, the bag will have a hole in it when the character is in-petrified. Similarly, if the character is, say, holding a staff, and they chip of a finger to get at the staff, the finger will be gone when they are in-petrified.
If you want to be nice, or if they are newer players, you can just tell them about it outright. If not, maybe call for an arcana check.
I wonder if a house rule that the magic items are turned to stone too. That would certainly provide more incentive for a group of player characters to go to the trouble of rescuing an unfortunate team mate. Either way could lead to some fun evening of play when the group finds a bunch of statues and a medusa or something similar. Would they realize that they could chip away at statues to find treasure within? If the house rule were implemented then would they do greater restoration upon the stony victims only to find they brought forth a foe much worse than the medusa who did the world a favor turning it to stone. Thanks for the previous replies everyone.
Hmm. By RAW, it may not drop to the ground but it is not stoned. This has not come up in my games, but to be nice it would take an action to obtain the item. To be funny and evil, it would depend on what item the party is trying to loot from old stoney.
I'd rule that if they were worn or carried, they aren't transformed, but they may be trapped depending on where they are (a sword held by the petrified character would be encased in a stone hand, but a cloak of protection draped over the PC's shoulder would likely not be trapped, or only trapped by the worn clothing around it.
freeing the item would require breaking the stone, most likely, and would be damaging to either the PC or the PC's equipment depending on what is broken.
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The 5th edition rules for the state of being petrified the following, "A petrified creature is transformed, along with any non-magical object it is wearing or carrying, into a solid inanimate substance (usually stone)." It doesn't really specify if the magic items drop to the ground and are ejected from the new stone object or are they trapped within the stone. This has come up in my play group since the group wizard was turned to stone by a basilisk. If not ejected then the other characters must break apart the stone to get to the magic items if they are unable or unwilling to cast greater restoration upon the petrified teammate. To keep the game going we ruled that the items were trapped within the stone. What do you think should be the ruling on this?
I would trap them in the stone bag or stone clothes as well. Relatively easy to get out. I might make them roll a check (slight of hand or tool check, advantage if mason or dwarf) to not damage the creature though.
I’d also put it in the stone. But I’d make clear to them that if they damage the statue, they are damaging the character (as I understand the rules, could be wrong here).
So if they poke a hole in a bag to get something out, the bag will have a hole in it when the character is in-petrified. Similarly, if the character is, say, holding a staff, and they chip of a finger to get at the staff, the finger will be gone when they are in-petrified.
If you want to be nice, or if they are newer players, you can just tell them about it outright. If not, maybe call for an arcana check.
I wonder if a house rule that the magic items are turned to stone too. That would certainly provide more incentive for a group of player characters to go to the trouble of rescuing an unfortunate team mate. Either way could lead to some fun evening of play when the group finds a bunch of statues and a medusa or something similar. Would they realize that they could chip away at statues to find treasure within? If the house rule were implemented then would they do greater restoration upon the stony victims only to find they brought forth a foe much worse than the medusa who did the world a favor turning it to stone. Thanks for the previous replies everyone.
Hmm. By RAW, it may not drop to the ground but it is not stoned. This has not come up in my games, but to be nice it would take an action to obtain the item. To be funny and evil, it would depend on what item the party is trying to loot from old stoney.
No Gaming is Better than Bad Gaming.
I'd rule that if they were worn or carried, they aren't transformed, but they may be trapped depending on where they are (a sword held by the petrified character would be encased in a stone hand, but a cloak of protection draped over the PC's shoulder would likely not be trapped, or only trapped by the worn clothing around it.
freeing the item would require breaking the stone, most likely, and would be damaging to either the PC or the PC's equipment depending on what is broken.