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Would the level 7 Ability "Magic Arrow" work against a target with an anti-magic field?

The Magic Arrow Description says:

At 7th level, you gain the ability to infuse arrows with magic. Whenever you fire a nonmagical arrow from a shortbow or longbow, you can make it magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. The magic fades from the arrow immediately after it hits or misses its target.

And the Antimagic Field description says:

The properties and powers of magic items are suppressed in the sphere. For example, a +1 longsword in the sphere functions as a nonmagical longsword. A magic weapon's properties and powers are suppressed if it is used against a target in the sphere or wielded by an attacker in the sphere.

Because it says its for the purpose of magical for the purpose of "resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage" would I still be able to hit a creature with immunity to magical piercing damage?

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Antimagic field supresses the arrow's magic

As you cite, antimagic field means that

A magic weapon's properties and powers are suppressed if it is used against a target in the sphere

and also

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.

Your feature makes the arrow magical. This property is suppressed by the antimagic field, so if a creature in the field, like a lich, is immune to non-magical weapon attacks, the arrow will not hurt it.

There is no clause that excepts something that is magical only for a given purpose from being suppressed. The magic in the arrow is magic, and it is not created by an artifact or deity, so it is suppressed. It cannot be both magical to overcome damage immunity, and not magical at the same time to avoid the effect of antimagic field. Either it is magical and thus suppressed, or it is not magical, and does not work to begin with.


P.S. It is pretty difficult to hurt a lich (or other such creature) in an antimagic field - you will need to find other ways to hurt it, like mundane fire in case of the lich, or you need to drag or lure it out.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ What takes precedence, the fact that it is magic, or the fact that it is magic "for certain purposes" because counting as magic and being magic are different. I think covering that might improve this answer. \$\endgroup\$
    – SeriousBri
    Commented Mar 25 at 16:26
  • \$\begingroup\$ @SeriousBri I added a paragraph on it. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Mar 25 at 16:30
  • \$\begingroup\$ Just from my feel I'd rule that the immunity to nonmagical damage is also suppressed for a lich \$\endgroup\$
    – Hobbamok
    Commented Mar 26 at 8:24
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    \$\begingroup\$ @Hobbamok We have a Q&A on that. As a DM you can of course decide so, if you think it makes more sense. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Mar 26 at 8:48
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    \$\begingroup\$ I am still not sure that "counts as magical for x purposes" means "magical". For example ki empowered strikes. I think it's more a poor way to say "still hurts big things" than really being about magic. Mostly. \$\endgroup\$
    – SeriousBri
    Commented Mar 26 at 12:35

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