You launch a green ray at a target you can see within range. The target can be a creature, a nonmagical object, or a creation of magical force, such as the wall created by Wall of Force.
A creature targeted by this spell makes a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 10d6 + 40 Force damage. If this damage reduces it to 0 Hit Points, it and everything nonmagical it is wearing and carrying are disintegrated into gray dust. The target can be revived only by a True Resurrection or a Wish spell.
This spell automatically disintegrates a Large or smaller nonmagical object or a creation of magical force. If such a target is Huge or larger, this spell disintegrates a 10-foot-Cube portion of it.
Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. The damage increases by 3d6 for each spell slot level above 6.
* - (a lodestone and dust)
So on a successful savning throw nothing happens or half damage ?
Doesn't say they take half damage on a successful save, so nothing happens.
I've never been able to accept that the ray is green. In my mind a good disintegration ray should be red or white, never green, especially when finger of death already exists as a zombie and necromancy version of disintegrate that should be green and zombie/necromancy themed.
I would rule that a clump of hair cut off and stored somewhere safe could later be used as a valid source for a druid to cast reincarnate to get around the True Resurrection or Wish limitation. Rules as Written explicitly state that the target can only be revived by Wish and True Resurrection but that's because no body remains to revive. Since Reincarnate only requires a piece of the body (the hair) it should work imo
I mean Reincarnation doesn't even revive it calls the soul into a new body
Why are magical items safe from spells? Magical items are not indestructible. Only artifacts are.
Kinda gives me an evil wizard Avada Kedavra vibe of dusting your enemies.
How come there's no text saying you die, it says the only way to resurrect a disintegrated creature is with certain spells, but not that they had to have died from this spell. Obviously, you're dead, but there is no text saying you are dead. Say you succeed 3 death saving throws or even roll a nat 20. You are now a living, very useless, pile of ash. Mechanically you need a new body either way, but it's sorta funny to imagine a character who has been turned to dust, but is still kicking (not really since they don't have legs).
It's pretty obvious from the text that the creature dies. There's no need to play devil's advocate.
So can I use Disintegrate once to disable a magic item and a second time to destroy its base?
No. This spell does not "disabled" magic items; in fact it can't target magic items at all.