Spell Resistance

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Gable Morninglord
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Spell Resistance

Post by Gable Morninglord » Wed Apr 25, 2018 4:54 am

How does spell resistance work on Arelith, and how can it be increased?

I have heard some talk of it's importance, but have never heard anyone really expand on it. I have also not seen many items, or enchanted items that grant any sort of additional SR points.

How useful is it to a mundane fighter or rogue type of character? Would it be worth investing heavily into it?
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Baron Saturday
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Re: Spell Resistance

Post by Baron Saturday » Wed Apr 25, 2018 5:18 am

Think of SR as AC vs spells, and the opposing AB is d20 + caster level (+ bonus from spell penetration feats, if applicable) of the person casting the spell. So if you've got a level 12 caster chucking a ray of frost at a level 12 monk (with SR 22), that means that the caster has to roll a 10 or higher to beat the monk's SR.

The problem is, there aren't many reliable sources of SR. Most items with SR only have 10-12, and it doesn't stack (except for a monk's SR and the Improved SR feat), so SR on an item is mostly useless, since even a level 1 caster will beat 12 SR half the time. Some subraces (like Drow) have SR, but those mostly cap at 32, so an epic level caster will beat it pretty easily.

The only worthwhile sources of SR are from the cleric/druid Spell Resistance spell, which gives SR equal to caster level +12, capping out at 42, but that can be removed with a variety of spells in turn. The most reliable source of SR is a monk's Diamond Skin, which gives SR equal to monk level +10, and that SR can't be removed or reduced. Spell Resistance scrolls are fairly useless, as they are cast at level 9, giving only 21 SR.

In short: SR is generally not something for fighters or rogues to bother with.
Last edited by Baron Saturday on Wed Apr 25, 2018 2:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Cortex
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Re: Spell Resistance

Post by Cortex » Wed Apr 25, 2018 5:46 am

Headband of Protection gives 26 or so SR? I don't remember it by memory. But it's good enough that a fair few people favor having one to counter scrolls like WoF.
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Baron Saturday
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Re: Spell Resistance

Post by Baron Saturday » Wed Apr 25, 2018 5:52 am

Cortex wrote:
Wed Apr 25, 2018 5:46 am
Headband of Protection gives 26 or so SR? I don't remember it by memory. But it's good enough that a fair few people favor having one to counter scrolls like WoF.
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flower
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Re: Spell Resistance

Post by flower » Wed Apr 25, 2018 10:51 am

It allows you, especially with subrace SR, to resist wands / scrolls....

...anyway! as most pvps start with disjunction, your SR will be broken enough for scrolls to také effect...

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afreshstart
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Re: Spell Resistance

Post by afreshstart » Wed Apr 25, 2018 12:13 pm

Is using more than 1 scrolls really a good idea? You can get awaywith one but more than it seems a bit risky

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Re: Spell Resistance

Post by susitsu » Wed Apr 25, 2018 1:53 pm

Yeah, there's a lot of scenarios that keep getting described where the person is actually just dead in the water for doing what they did.

As for SR, in my mind, it's generally irrelevant or enough to stop wands and scrolls. That leaves you with le Drow PCs, druids, clerics, and builds that are focused on being a monk instead of just six levels.

Different sources also do not stack.

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Re: Spell Resistance

Post by RedGiant » Wed Apr 25, 2018 2:08 pm

Correction: Monk SR cannot be lowered or reduced.

Correct on the most reliable source...just think there was an uninintentional opposite there.

Also, there is a great difference between PvP and PvE. Most responses here consider the former, while even modest amounts of SR can do wonders for the latter...especially in the early to mid career.
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Baron Saturday
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Re: Spell Resistance

Post by Baron Saturday » Wed Apr 25, 2018 2:26 pm

Good catch on the monk thing, thank you!

I did forget about the relationship between SR and spells cast from items, where even lower amount of SR can be moderately useful.

Having never played a character with SR on Arelith, I can't speak to it's effectiveness in PvE.
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Re: Spell Resistance

Post by Ebonstar » Wed Apr 25, 2018 5:40 pm

SR in PvE is like seeing magic missles by the dozen hurl toward your character, and then a snarky grin as they simply dissipate into a cloud of poof with no effect as you lay a beatdown on the caster.

it works very well, from the Drow standpoint, although not everytime
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Re: Spell Resistance

Post by flower » Thu Apr 26, 2018 6:44 am

RedGiant wrote:
Wed Apr 25, 2018 2:08 pm
Correction: Monk SR cannot be lowered or reduced.

Correct on the most reliable source...just think there was an uninintentional opposite there.

Also, there is a great difference between PvP and PvE. Most responses here consider the former, while even modest amounts of SR can do wonders for the latter...especially in the early to mid career.
The difference is on mid levels once you hit epic levels and do epic places, SR in PVE is mostly irrelevant because of high level casters (or them having penetration feats).

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