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A Rakshasa has the following trait:

Limited Magic Immunity. The rakshasa is immune to spells of 6th level or lower unless it wishes to be affected. It has advantage on saving throws against all other spells and magical effects.

Meanwhile, Animate Objects states:

Objects come to life at your command. Choose up to ten nonmagical objects within range that are not being worn or carried.

I'm curious if a Rakshasa would be immune from the attacks of these living objects created by Animate Objects as, while the items themselves are nonmagical, they move only because of a magic spell effect.

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A Rakshasa's Limited Immunity does not grant them immunity from the 5th level spell Animated Objects, but it is immune to the damage given by those Animated Objects, for a different reason (non-magical damage immunity).

Limited Magic Immunity does not apply to Animated Objects because the spell itself is not dealing the damage - it is done by the constructs created by the spell (another example of a spell that the Rakshasa is not immune to would be Conjure Elemental.)

The Limited Magic Immunity is for direct spell effects against it that consist of spells with attack rolls or saves. This is supported by the next sentence

It has advantage on saving throws against all other spells and magical effects

The reason they are immune to the damage caused by Animated Objects is because Raksasha have Damage immunity to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons (MM, 257) and Animated Objects give non-magical damage.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ (1/2) Surely the "all other spells and magic effects" refers to spells and magic effects not of 6th level or below, ie. of 7th level and above, rather than 'spells that don't have attack rolls or saves'. Also, if 'Limited Magic Immunity does not apply to Animated Objects because the spell itself is not dealing the damage', how does that reconcile with Crawford's tweet that they are immune to weapon damage from a weapon made magic by the magic weapon spell? Isn't it... \$\endgroup\$
    – Kirt
    Mar 1, 2022 at 4:53
  • \$\begingroup\$ (2/2) the weapon, not the spell itself that is doing damage in that case as well? [Note that 'Crawford is wrong and his tweet is not official' is a fine answer, I just think the point should be addressed.] \$\endgroup\$
    – Kirt
    Mar 1, 2022 at 4:54
  • \$\begingroup\$ As to the "all other" referring to higher level spells, not different kinds of spells and effects, that seems to match your answer here \$\endgroup\$
    – Kirt
    Mar 1, 2022 at 5:16
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No.

Rakshasa are immune to spells of 6th level or lower, not to attacks. Since an animated object is for all intents and purposes a creature (specifically, they are constructs), and the the Rakshasa are not immune to attacks, there is no reason to believe that they would be immune to attacks from animated objects.

In other words, the spell Animate Objects doesn't target the Rakshasa. It targets inanimate objects and brings them to "life." Those constructs created from the spell then attack the Rakshasa. This is, in effect, no different from a golem attacking a Rakshasa.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ How does this reconcile with Crawford's tweet that they are immune to weapon damage from a weapon made magic by the magic weapon spell? Wouldn't your argument be that the magic weapon spell doesn't target the Rakshasa, it targets the weapon, and the Rakshasa is not immune to weapon attacks? [Note that 'Crawford is wrong and his tweet is not official' is a fine answer, I just think the point should be addressed.] \$\endgroup\$
    – Kirt
    Mar 1, 2022 at 4:57

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