I am DM for my group, and I have plans to provide the Minotaur fighter of the group with this combination of magic items later in the campaign, and would like to confirm how the mechanics for the two work together.
Matalotok is a warhammer from Baulder's Gate: Descent into Avernus, and its relevant ability is:
You are immune to cold damage while holding Matalotok. Whenever it deals damage to a creature, the hammer radiates a burst of intense cold in a 30-foot-radius sphere. Each creature in that area takes 10 (3d6) cold damage.
The White Dragon Mask is from Rise of Tiamat (the online supplement I think), and the relevant portion of its abilities is:
Damage Absorption You have resistance against cold damage. If you already have resistance to cold damage from another source, you instead have immunity to cold damage. If you already have immunity to cold damage from another source, whenever you are subjected to cold damage, you take none of that damage and regain a number of hit points equal to half the damage dealt of that type.
With that out of the way, my question is this: If you attack and deal damage with Matalotok, the burst of cold damage that is released upon dealing damage, if not for the cold immunity, would that damage apply to the wielder of the weapon, and would that interact with the Damage Absorption from the White Dragon Mask?
My thoughts are that they would work together like so:
- Fighter attacks enemy
- Fighter hits enemy, dealing damage
- Matalotok does burst of cold damage
- Fighter is immune due to Matalotok
- White Dragon Mask turns immunity into absorption
- Cold burst hits fighter because it is in the radius
- Fighter heals for half of the cold damage dealt
Is this the correct way these items would interact, or am I interpreting this interaction incorrectly? Would Matalotok deal the "damage" to the wielder in order to trigger the Dragon Mask?