[RPG] Will casting Dispel Magic on one construct from Animate Objects end the animation of all the constructs

animated-objectsdnd-5espells

Animate objects states a condition for ending the animation and control of the constructs:

Each target animates and becomes a creature under your control until the spell ends or until reduced to 0 hit points.

Dispel magic says:

Choose one creature, object, or magical effect within range. Any spell of 3rd level or lower on the target ends. For each spell of 4th level or higher on the target, make an ability check using your spellcasting ability. The DC equals 10 + the spell's level. On a successful check, the spell ends.

If a character casts dispel magic on one of ten tiny constructs animated by animate objects, does that end the animate objects spell, and thereby end the animation of the other 9 constructs as well?

Best Answer

Dispel Magic would work on One Construct At a Time

Dispel Magic's text has makes a crucial distinction:

Choose one creature, object, or magical effect within range. Any spell of 3rd level or lower on the target ends. (PHB p. 234, bold added)

The later description of higher level spells is subject to the same restriction: specifically, it ends spells on a target, but may not end the entire spell.

Jeremy Crawford has issued some guidance on this matter:

Dispel magic ends spells on a target, not on every target affected by the same spell.

And has further clarified elsewhere:

When you use dispel magic to target a magical effect within range, you're choosing a discrete effect that you're aware of, often one created by a spell. If a spell has put an ongoing effect on multiple creatures, each of those creatures bears a discrete, targetable effect.

As such, a casting of Dispel Magic on a construct of Animate Objects would cause that object to become inanimate, but would not end the spell's effects on other targets.

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