[RPG] How does the Resilient Sphere spell interact with the Antimagic Field spell

antimagic-fielddnd-5espells

Resilient sphere's description states that

Nothing–not physical objects, energy, or other spell effects–can pass through the barrier, in or out

While antimagic field's description negates any magical effects within the field (-sphere).

The relevant sections of the antimagic field description are:

  1. Spells and other magical effects, except those created by an artifact or a deity, are suppressed in the sphere and can't protrude into it.

  2. Areas of Magic. The area of another spell or magical effect, such as fireball, can't extend into the sphere. If the sphere overlaps an area of magic, the part of the area that is covered by the sphere is suppressed. For example, the flames created by a wall of fire are suppressed within the sphere, creating a gap in the wall if the overlap is large enough.

Which would win if the areas of effect overlapped? Both say "effects cannot protrude", but antimagic field specifically cancels any spell effect.

  1. What if the resilient sphere is already cast and another caster casts antimagic field nearby?
  2. What if the antimagic field is already cast and another caster casts resilient sphere nearby?
  3. What if the caster casts resilient sphere, then antimagic field?
  4. What if the caster casts antimagic field, then resilient sphere?
  5. What if someone within resilient sphere moved into antimagic field?
  6. What if the creature targeted by resilient sphere moved into antimagic field? Are both spheres suppressed?

Logically, the antimagic field should cancel the sphere in all scenarios, but I'm looking for more RAW answer.

Best Answer

Antimagic Field pretty much trumps all

I think the best way to understand Antimagic Field is to think of it in terms of a vacuum. Calling it a field can be misleading because we may think it implies that something is there actively doing something (suppressing magic). But it's actually a void, a black hole, an area...

...divorced from the magical energy that suffuses the multiverse.

In game terms the area has no spell effects. Yes, it is a spell and the caster is doing magic, but the resultant area, devoid of magic and all, presents no spell effects to be interacted with. As such, it bypasses anything that claims protection from spell effects.

My best support for this is that Dispel Magic, which targets creatures, objects, and magical effects, has no effect on Antimagic Field. And that one Antimagic Field doesn't negate a second (which itself also affects spells and magical effects).

As for Resilient Sphere, I agree that logically Antimagic Field should cancel it and hopefully this will satisfy why. Simply put, nothing is actually passing through the barrier. There isn't anything to the Antimagic Field to pass through the barrier. As the areas overlap, the magic that supports the existence of the Resilient Sphere is pulled out from under it. Perhaps that magic is turned 90-degrees to our plane of existence or ported to some demiplane, but regardless, it's just gone. Any portion of the Sphere affected would be suppressed only to return as the overlap diminishes.

Related Topic