Can the Immovable Rod be broken?











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I was looking into the immovable rod (as an option for pinning someone), and there were no specifics for if it could break or how to do it.



The immovable rod has a weight limit of 8,000 pounds before it deactivates and falls to the ground, or it can be moved up to 10 feet after succeeding on a DC 30 Strength Check.



Are there ways to break the immovable rod?










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  • 1




    What do you mean by pinning someone and how do you plan on using the rod?
    – NautArch
    Nov 21 at 21:10








  • 1




    Welcome to rpg.se! Please take a look at the tour, it's a useful introduction to the site.
    – goodguy5
    Nov 21 at 21:20






  • 1




    Related: Can a magical net be destroyed?
    – Sdjz
    Nov 21 at 21:49






  • 3




    Just for some real life consideration: a (high grade) 6" steel bolt is rated for 3 to 4 tons, which is pretty much your 8000 pound limit. Your rod would have a considerably larger diameter than a bolt, but it would likely not be made of steel. Assuming the two cancel each other out, that would mean that your immovability would deactivate before the rod physically breaks.
    – Flater
    Nov 22 at 8:16

















up vote
16
down vote

favorite












I was looking into the immovable rod (as an option for pinning someone), and there were no specifics for if it could break or how to do it.



The immovable rod has a weight limit of 8,000 pounds before it deactivates and falls to the ground, or it can be moved up to 10 feet after succeeding on a DC 30 Strength Check.



Are there ways to break the immovable rod?










share|improve this question









New contributor




Alarak the Sorcerer is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
















  • 1




    What do you mean by pinning someone and how do you plan on using the rod?
    – NautArch
    Nov 21 at 21:10








  • 1




    Welcome to rpg.se! Please take a look at the tour, it's a useful introduction to the site.
    – goodguy5
    Nov 21 at 21:20






  • 1




    Related: Can a magical net be destroyed?
    – Sdjz
    Nov 21 at 21:49






  • 3




    Just for some real life consideration: a (high grade) 6" steel bolt is rated for 3 to 4 tons, which is pretty much your 8000 pound limit. Your rod would have a considerably larger diameter than a bolt, but it would likely not be made of steel. Assuming the two cancel each other out, that would mean that your immovability would deactivate before the rod physically breaks.
    – Flater
    Nov 22 at 8:16















up vote
16
down vote

favorite









up vote
16
down vote

favorite











I was looking into the immovable rod (as an option for pinning someone), and there were no specifics for if it could break or how to do it.



The immovable rod has a weight limit of 8,000 pounds before it deactivates and falls to the ground, or it can be moved up to 10 feet after succeeding on a DC 30 Strength Check.



Are there ways to break the immovable rod?










share|improve this question









New contributor




Alarak the Sorcerer is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











I was looking into the immovable rod (as an option for pinning someone), and there were no specifics for if it could break or how to do it.



The immovable rod has a weight limit of 8,000 pounds before it deactivates and falls to the ground, or it can be moved up to 10 feet after succeeding on a DC 30 Strength Check.



Are there ways to break the immovable rod?







dnd-5e magic-items






share|improve this question









New contributor




Alarak the Sorcerer is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











share|improve this question









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Alarak the Sorcerer is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited Nov 22 at 1:30









V2Blast

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asked Nov 21 at 20:57









Alarak the Sorcerer

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New contributor





Alarak the Sorcerer is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.






Alarak the Sorcerer is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.








  • 1




    What do you mean by pinning someone and how do you plan on using the rod?
    – NautArch
    Nov 21 at 21:10








  • 1




    Welcome to rpg.se! Please take a look at the tour, it's a useful introduction to the site.
    – goodguy5
    Nov 21 at 21:20






  • 1




    Related: Can a magical net be destroyed?
    – Sdjz
    Nov 21 at 21:49






  • 3




    Just for some real life consideration: a (high grade) 6" steel bolt is rated for 3 to 4 tons, which is pretty much your 8000 pound limit. Your rod would have a considerably larger diameter than a bolt, but it would likely not be made of steel. Assuming the two cancel each other out, that would mean that your immovability would deactivate before the rod physically breaks.
    – Flater
    Nov 22 at 8:16
















  • 1




    What do you mean by pinning someone and how do you plan on using the rod?
    – NautArch
    Nov 21 at 21:10








  • 1




    Welcome to rpg.se! Please take a look at the tour, it's a useful introduction to the site.
    – goodguy5
    Nov 21 at 21:20






  • 1




    Related: Can a magical net be destroyed?
    – Sdjz
    Nov 21 at 21:49






  • 3




    Just for some real life consideration: a (high grade) 6" steel bolt is rated for 3 to 4 tons, which is pretty much your 8000 pound limit. Your rod would have a considerably larger diameter than a bolt, but it would likely not be made of steel. Assuming the two cancel each other out, that would mean that your immovability would deactivate before the rod physically breaks.
    – Flater
    Nov 22 at 8:16










1




1




What do you mean by pinning someone and how do you plan on using the rod?
– NautArch
Nov 21 at 21:10






What do you mean by pinning someone and how do you plan on using the rod?
– NautArch
Nov 21 at 21:10






1




1




Welcome to rpg.se! Please take a look at the tour, it's a useful introduction to the site.
– goodguy5
Nov 21 at 21:20




Welcome to rpg.se! Please take a look at the tour, it's a useful introduction to the site.
– goodguy5
Nov 21 at 21:20




1




1




Related: Can a magical net be destroyed?
– Sdjz
Nov 21 at 21:49




Related: Can a magical net be destroyed?
– Sdjz
Nov 21 at 21:49




3




3




Just for some real life consideration: a (high grade) 6" steel bolt is rated for 3 to 4 tons, which is pretty much your 8000 pound limit. Your rod would have a considerably larger diameter than a bolt, but it would likely not be made of steel. Assuming the two cancel each other out, that would mean that your immovability would deactivate before the rod physically breaks.
– Flater
Nov 22 at 8:16






Just for some real life consideration: a (high grade) 6" steel bolt is rated for 3 to 4 tons, which is pretty much your 8000 pound limit. Your rod would have a considerably larger diameter than a bolt, but it would likely not be made of steel. Assuming the two cancel each other out, that would mean that your immovability would deactivate before the rod physically breaks.
– Flater
Nov 22 at 8:16












2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes

















up vote
23
down vote













Magic items can be destroyed unless specified otherwise



The rules for magic items do not say that they can't be destroyed. In fact, they specify under the Magic Item Resilience heading:




Most magic items, other than potions and scrolls, have resistance to all damage.




This implies that they at least can be damaged. Now, how much damage would need to be dealt to destroy the rod will be up to the GM. One source he/she could draw on is the Object Hit Points rules in the Dungeon Master's Guide.



Antimagic



If the goal is to destroy a magic item, an antimagic field will remove the damage resistance as:




Within the sphere, ... magic items become mundane







share|improve this answer



















  • 1




    Might as well add the link to the question we have on this issue while at it (I edited it in, feel free to revert)
    – Sdjz
    Nov 21 at 21:46






  • 2




    I don't think the damage needed is up to the GM. The IR specifies it's an iron rod. Iron means it has an AC of 19. A rod is 2-3 feet long and 1 inch thick, which puts it in the small category. small objects have 1d6 HP if fragile and 3D6 HP if resilient, though I don't know what the rules on those are.
    – Nzall
    Nov 22 at 12:29










  • @Nzall The reason I said it's up to the GM is because the object HP rules are entirely optional for use: "you can assign an Armor Class and hit points to a destructible object" (emphasis mine). Furthermore, as you state, whether or not the rod takes 3d6 or 1d6 damage is up to GM discretion.
    – David Coffron
    Nov 22 at 17:20




















up vote
12
down vote













When it comes to Magic Items in 5th Edition D&D, there's generally only two categories of items that matter with respect to their fragility:




  • Most Magic Items have "resistance to damage" (DMG Chapter 7: Treasure, "Magic Items"), and like all objects, have hit points (determined by the DM)

  • Artifact-quality Magic Items are nearly unbreakable, and have special conditions for destroying them (think The One Ring from LotR, needing to be thrown into the caldera where it was made)


An Immovable Rod counts as a non-artifact magical item, so it obeys those first rules, in that it has hit points and damage resistance. In addition to deactivating upon bearing a load greater than 8000 pounds, the rod could straight-up break if it takes too much damage—how much exactly would be determined by your DM.






share|improve this answer





















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    2 Answers
    2






    active

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    2 Answers
    2






    active

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    active

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    active

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    up vote
    23
    down vote













    Magic items can be destroyed unless specified otherwise



    The rules for magic items do not say that they can't be destroyed. In fact, they specify under the Magic Item Resilience heading:




    Most magic items, other than potions and scrolls, have resistance to all damage.




    This implies that they at least can be damaged. Now, how much damage would need to be dealt to destroy the rod will be up to the GM. One source he/she could draw on is the Object Hit Points rules in the Dungeon Master's Guide.



    Antimagic



    If the goal is to destroy a magic item, an antimagic field will remove the damage resistance as:




    Within the sphere, ... magic items become mundane







    share|improve this answer



















    • 1




      Might as well add the link to the question we have on this issue while at it (I edited it in, feel free to revert)
      – Sdjz
      Nov 21 at 21:46






    • 2




      I don't think the damage needed is up to the GM. The IR specifies it's an iron rod. Iron means it has an AC of 19. A rod is 2-3 feet long and 1 inch thick, which puts it in the small category. small objects have 1d6 HP if fragile and 3D6 HP if resilient, though I don't know what the rules on those are.
      – Nzall
      Nov 22 at 12:29










    • @Nzall The reason I said it's up to the GM is because the object HP rules are entirely optional for use: "you can assign an Armor Class and hit points to a destructible object" (emphasis mine). Furthermore, as you state, whether or not the rod takes 3d6 or 1d6 damage is up to GM discretion.
      – David Coffron
      Nov 22 at 17:20

















    up vote
    23
    down vote













    Magic items can be destroyed unless specified otherwise



    The rules for magic items do not say that they can't be destroyed. In fact, they specify under the Magic Item Resilience heading:




    Most magic items, other than potions and scrolls, have resistance to all damage.




    This implies that they at least can be damaged. Now, how much damage would need to be dealt to destroy the rod will be up to the GM. One source he/she could draw on is the Object Hit Points rules in the Dungeon Master's Guide.



    Antimagic



    If the goal is to destroy a magic item, an antimagic field will remove the damage resistance as:




    Within the sphere, ... magic items become mundane







    share|improve this answer



















    • 1




      Might as well add the link to the question we have on this issue while at it (I edited it in, feel free to revert)
      – Sdjz
      Nov 21 at 21:46






    • 2




      I don't think the damage needed is up to the GM. The IR specifies it's an iron rod. Iron means it has an AC of 19. A rod is 2-3 feet long and 1 inch thick, which puts it in the small category. small objects have 1d6 HP if fragile and 3D6 HP if resilient, though I don't know what the rules on those are.
      – Nzall
      Nov 22 at 12:29










    • @Nzall The reason I said it's up to the GM is because the object HP rules are entirely optional for use: "you can assign an Armor Class and hit points to a destructible object" (emphasis mine). Furthermore, as you state, whether or not the rod takes 3d6 or 1d6 damage is up to GM discretion.
      – David Coffron
      Nov 22 at 17:20















    up vote
    23
    down vote










    up vote
    23
    down vote









    Magic items can be destroyed unless specified otherwise



    The rules for magic items do not say that they can't be destroyed. In fact, they specify under the Magic Item Resilience heading:




    Most magic items, other than potions and scrolls, have resistance to all damage.




    This implies that they at least can be damaged. Now, how much damage would need to be dealt to destroy the rod will be up to the GM. One source he/she could draw on is the Object Hit Points rules in the Dungeon Master's Guide.



    Antimagic



    If the goal is to destroy a magic item, an antimagic field will remove the damage resistance as:




    Within the sphere, ... magic items become mundane







    share|improve this answer














    Magic items can be destroyed unless specified otherwise



    The rules for magic items do not say that they can't be destroyed. In fact, they specify under the Magic Item Resilience heading:




    Most magic items, other than potions and scrolls, have resistance to all damage.




    This implies that they at least can be damaged. Now, how much damage would need to be dealt to destroy the rod will be up to the GM. One source he/she could draw on is the Object Hit Points rules in the Dungeon Master's Guide.



    Antimagic



    If the goal is to destroy a magic item, an antimagic field will remove the damage resistance as:




    Within the sphere, ... magic items become mundane








    share|improve this answer














    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer








    edited Nov 21 at 21:46









    Sdjz

    10.2k34992




    10.2k34992










    answered Nov 21 at 21:29









    David Coffron

    31.9k2109220




    31.9k2109220








    • 1




      Might as well add the link to the question we have on this issue while at it (I edited it in, feel free to revert)
      – Sdjz
      Nov 21 at 21:46






    • 2




      I don't think the damage needed is up to the GM. The IR specifies it's an iron rod. Iron means it has an AC of 19. A rod is 2-3 feet long and 1 inch thick, which puts it in the small category. small objects have 1d6 HP if fragile and 3D6 HP if resilient, though I don't know what the rules on those are.
      – Nzall
      Nov 22 at 12:29










    • @Nzall The reason I said it's up to the GM is because the object HP rules are entirely optional for use: "you can assign an Armor Class and hit points to a destructible object" (emphasis mine). Furthermore, as you state, whether or not the rod takes 3d6 or 1d6 damage is up to GM discretion.
      – David Coffron
      Nov 22 at 17:20
















    • 1




      Might as well add the link to the question we have on this issue while at it (I edited it in, feel free to revert)
      – Sdjz
      Nov 21 at 21:46






    • 2




      I don't think the damage needed is up to the GM. The IR specifies it's an iron rod. Iron means it has an AC of 19. A rod is 2-3 feet long and 1 inch thick, which puts it in the small category. small objects have 1d6 HP if fragile and 3D6 HP if resilient, though I don't know what the rules on those are.
      – Nzall
      Nov 22 at 12:29










    • @Nzall The reason I said it's up to the GM is because the object HP rules are entirely optional for use: "you can assign an Armor Class and hit points to a destructible object" (emphasis mine). Furthermore, as you state, whether or not the rod takes 3d6 or 1d6 damage is up to GM discretion.
      – David Coffron
      Nov 22 at 17:20










    1




    1




    Might as well add the link to the question we have on this issue while at it (I edited it in, feel free to revert)
    – Sdjz
    Nov 21 at 21:46




    Might as well add the link to the question we have on this issue while at it (I edited it in, feel free to revert)
    – Sdjz
    Nov 21 at 21:46




    2




    2




    I don't think the damage needed is up to the GM. The IR specifies it's an iron rod. Iron means it has an AC of 19. A rod is 2-3 feet long and 1 inch thick, which puts it in the small category. small objects have 1d6 HP if fragile and 3D6 HP if resilient, though I don't know what the rules on those are.
    – Nzall
    Nov 22 at 12:29




    I don't think the damage needed is up to the GM. The IR specifies it's an iron rod. Iron means it has an AC of 19. A rod is 2-3 feet long and 1 inch thick, which puts it in the small category. small objects have 1d6 HP if fragile and 3D6 HP if resilient, though I don't know what the rules on those are.
    – Nzall
    Nov 22 at 12:29












    @Nzall The reason I said it's up to the GM is because the object HP rules are entirely optional for use: "you can assign an Armor Class and hit points to a destructible object" (emphasis mine). Furthermore, as you state, whether or not the rod takes 3d6 or 1d6 damage is up to GM discretion.
    – David Coffron
    Nov 22 at 17:20






    @Nzall The reason I said it's up to the GM is because the object HP rules are entirely optional for use: "you can assign an Armor Class and hit points to a destructible object" (emphasis mine). Furthermore, as you state, whether or not the rod takes 3d6 or 1d6 damage is up to GM discretion.
    – David Coffron
    Nov 22 at 17:20














    up vote
    12
    down vote













    When it comes to Magic Items in 5th Edition D&D, there's generally only two categories of items that matter with respect to their fragility:




    • Most Magic Items have "resistance to damage" (DMG Chapter 7: Treasure, "Magic Items"), and like all objects, have hit points (determined by the DM)

    • Artifact-quality Magic Items are nearly unbreakable, and have special conditions for destroying them (think The One Ring from LotR, needing to be thrown into the caldera where it was made)


    An Immovable Rod counts as a non-artifact magical item, so it obeys those first rules, in that it has hit points and damage resistance. In addition to deactivating upon bearing a load greater than 8000 pounds, the rod could straight-up break if it takes too much damage—how much exactly would be determined by your DM.






    share|improve this answer

























      up vote
      12
      down vote













      When it comes to Magic Items in 5th Edition D&D, there's generally only two categories of items that matter with respect to their fragility:




      • Most Magic Items have "resistance to damage" (DMG Chapter 7: Treasure, "Magic Items"), and like all objects, have hit points (determined by the DM)

      • Artifact-quality Magic Items are nearly unbreakable, and have special conditions for destroying them (think The One Ring from LotR, needing to be thrown into the caldera where it was made)


      An Immovable Rod counts as a non-artifact magical item, so it obeys those first rules, in that it has hit points and damage resistance. In addition to deactivating upon bearing a load greater than 8000 pounds, the rod could straight-up break if it takes too much damage—how much exactly would be determined by your DM.






      share|improve this answer























        up vote
        12
        down vote










        up vote
        12
        down vote









        When it comes to Magic Items in 5th Edition D&D, there's generally only two categories of items that matter with respect to their fragility:




        • Most Magic Items have "resistance to damage" (DMG Chapter 7: Treasure, "Magic Items"), and like all objects, have hit points (determined by the DM)

        • Artifact-quality Magic Items are nearly unbreakable, and have special conditions for destroying them (think The One Ring from LotR, needing to be thrown into the caldera where it was made)


        An Immovable Rod counts as a non-artifact magical item, so it obeys those first rules, in that it has hit points and damage resistance. In addition to deactivating upon bearing a load greater than 8000 pounds, the rod could straight-up break if it takes too much damage—how much exactly would be determined by your DM.






        share|improve this answer












        When it comes to Magic Items in 5th Edition D&D, there's generally only two categories of items that matter with respect to their fragility:




        • Most Magic Items have "resistance to damage" (DMG Chapter 7: Treasure, "Magic Items"), and like all objects, have hit points (determined by the DM)

        • Artifact-quality Magic Items are nearly unbreakable, and have special conditions for destroying them (think The One Ring from LotR, needing to be thrown into the caldera where it was made)


        An Immovable Rod counts as a non-artifact magical item, so it obeys those first rules, in that it has hit points and damage resistance. In addition to deactivating upon bearing a load greater than 8000 pounds, the rod could straight-up break if it takes too much damage—how much exactly would be determined by your DM.







        share|improve this answer












        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer










        answered Nov 21 at 21:32









        Xirema

        12.6k23777




        12.6k23777






















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