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Example :

Heat Metal can only be cast at a manufactured metal object, then lasts for up to 1 minute. If its target is in contact with a creature, the caster can use a bonus action on subsequent turns to cause damage with it.
Animate Objects turns objects into construct type creatures.

What happens when Animate Objects is cast on a heated shield?
Does the shield cool off?
Can the first caster use their bonus action to deal damage?

In general does Animate Objects end ongoing spells, curses, or effects affecting its targets?
Do they come back when Animate Objects ends?

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    \$\begingroup\$ Related: "Is a spell suppressed or removed when the target temporarily becomes invalid?" \$\endgroup\$ – Medix2 Oct 29 at 21:38
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Medix2 Thank you! I think this is the answer. Would it be better to delete this question, or have it marked as a duplicate? \$\endgroup\$ – Cerise St Hilaire Oct 29 at 21:59
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    \$\begingroup\$ @CeriseStHilaire The answer there says that it may vary by specific circumstance. This question is one such circumstance and may have a different answer. I think it's worth leaving it open, even if just to confirm that, yes it does follow the general case. \$\endgroup\$ – linksassin Oct 30 at 1:42
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    \$\begingroup\$ This is quite worth an answer because a similar question talked about letting an animated rope grapple a target, but what about an animated piece of heated flexible metal piping? Would the grappled target also take damage? \$\endgroup\$ – SeriousBri Oct 30 at 11:53
  • \$\begingroup\$ @SeriousBri Yes, I'm trying to find combos for a Bard+Sorcerer duo, and was thinking about a heated heavy chain wrapping around an enemy or something like that. (Our DM is pretty busy so I'd rather check here if my plan is not against RAW before describing it in session) The question about A.O. in combat here. \$\endgroup\$ – Cerise St Hilaire Oct 30 at 12:39
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The rules are a little vague on the matter and Sage Advice doesn't seem to offer any help, either. However, lead rules Jeremy Crawford has weighed in on this kind of issue several times in an unofficial capacity:

Tweet:

Does Charm Person spell ends if Polymorph is cast on the charmed humanoid? Or does Polymorph suppress the spell called Charm Person until the human form returns?

There's no rule governing what happens when a valid spell target temporarily becomes an invalid target. A good rule of thumb is that the spell is suppressed while the target is invalid. #DnD

Tweet

So a druid under the effect of Dominate Beast reverts and is still dominated that makes perfect sense....

[Here Crawford contradicts the logic of the statement above, thereby confirming the message of the first tweet:] In #DnD, the exceptional trumps the general. (No longer being a valid target trumps condition carryover.)

The combination of these tweets suggests that if a target of an effect stops becoming a valid target for that effect (eg, animated objects becoming creatures are no longer considered "objects" for heat metal), then the initial effect is at least suppressed for the duration that the entity is not a valid target.

Situationally, it may make more sense for the spell/effect to simply end (or some other result). Ultimately, it falls to the DM.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Do we know if Crawford was relying on any direct experience with this situation, or if it's just off-the-cuff speculation on his part? \$\endgroup\$ – Mark Wells Oct 30 at 22:10
  • \$\begingroup\$ @mark I'm not sure I'm tracking. He's speaking in, what I would consider, something like a rules-as-intended context. I have watched him DM a handful of sessions but don't know that he has dealt with this specific question in that role. Can you help me understand why it matters if he has or not? \$\endgroup\$ – Rykara Oct 30 at 22:54
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An object affected by Heat Metal is not a valid target

When casting a magical effect, such as Heat Metal on an object, that object becomes a magical object for the spells duration.

Animate object specifies

Choose up to ten nonmagical Objects within range

Therefor, you could not cast Animate Object on an object already under the affect of Heat Metal.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Do you have a reference for the 'that object becomes a magical object' rule? I'm unfamiliar with it. It seems odd to me that spells like Shillelagh would need to specify that the weapon also becomes magical for the duration if this rule was the norm. I also disagree that you can cast Heat Metal on an Animated Object. Animate Objects converts an object to a creature. Creatures are not valid targets for the Heat Metal spell. \$\endgroup\$ – CertainlyNot Oct 30 at 17:40
  • \$\begingroup\$ I do not have a reference for it, but I think intuitively the item could not be considered 'nonmagical'. Shillelagh is not a fair comparison in my eyes as magical weapons are specifically significant for resistances and so is specifically denoted. For an object I'd assume if 'detect magic' would identify it as magical that would not be considered 'nonmagical'. Great point about casting heat metal, I hadn't considered that the objects are now constructs so I removed that part of the answer. \$\endgroup\$ – Max Colledge Oct 30 at 20:51
  • \$\begingroup\$ Without a reference, I would disagree that the object should be considered magical. While Heat Metal affects the object, it does not imbue the object with the ability to create magical effects. All magical objects have the ability to actively or passively create a magical effect. For example, +1 sword magically improves your ability to hit (passive) or a Wand of Fireballs allows you to cast Fireballs (active). The object affected by Heat Metal does not gain this property to create a magical effect. \$\endgroup\$ – CertainlyNot Oct 30 at 22:06

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