Chain Lightning, Spell Resistance and Improved Evasion

[shadowthorn]

1. What happens when the primary target of Chain Lightning has spell resistance, and the caster fails to penetrate it? Does the spell end there, or does the spell somehow play about the primary target's body and arc to secondary targets?

2. What happens when the primary target has Improved Evasion and makes his save? Does the spell arc to secondary targets?

I would think the spell might affect the secondary targets in the first example, above, but that the spell would end in the circumstances described in the second example.

Is there an official ruling on this I've missed? If not, what do you think?

Thanks.

 

[Infiniti2000]

1. SR does not end the spell, the creature with SR is simply unaffected by the spell: "If the caster fails the check, the spell doesn’t affect the creature." Therefore, the chain lightning would continue.

2. With evasion, the target simply takes no damage. The description (particularly in terms of mechanics) is not much clearer than that. Additionally, the chain lightning description says "After it strikes..." It does not say, "After it damages..." More importantly, chain lightning has no contingency for not striking the initial creature. The spell does not explicitly end even if it failed to strike "one object or creature initially". It will still arc to other targets.

 

[Warmage-in-Onley]

I've played Chain Lightning as dealing exactly half (rounded down) damage to its secondary targets as its primary, i.e., if primary takes 52 points then secondary takes 26 points. So, the easy answer is if primary takes 0 points of damage then secondary takes 0 damage. A sticky question is whether primary damage reduced due to a successful save also reduces secondary (pre-save) damage. Again, I'd have to say secondary damage is reduced by the primary target's succesful save (which makes Chain Lightning primarily a useful single target spell with greatly reduced multi-target capability).

 

[Knight Otu]

When Spell Resistance Applies

Each spell includes an entry that indicates whether spell resistance applies to the spell. In general, whether spell resistance applies depends on what the spell does:

Targeted Spells: Spell resistance applies if the spell is targeted at the creature. Some individually targeted spells can be directed at several creatures simultaneously. In such cases, a creature’s spell resistance applies only to the portion of the spell actually targeted at that creature. If several different resistant creatures are subjected to such a spell, each checks its spell resistance separately.

Successful Spell Resistance

Spell resistance prevents a spell or a spell-like ability from affecting or harming the resistant creature, but it never removes a magical effect from another creature or negates a spell’s effect on another creature. Spell resistance prevents a spell from disrupting another spell.

Chain Lightning
Evocation [Electricity]
Level: Air 6, Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Targets: One primary target, plus one secondary target/level (each of which must be within 30 ft. of the primary target)
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes
This spell creates an electrical discharge that begins as a single stroke commencing from your fingertips. Unlike lightning bolt, chain lightning strikes one object or creature initially, then arcs to other targets.
The bolt deals 1d6 points of electricity damage per caster level (maximum 20d6) to the primary target. After it strikes, lightning can arc to a number of secondary targets equal to your caster level (maximum 20). The secondary bolts each strike one target and deal half as much damage as the primary one did (rounded down).
Each target can attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage. You choose secondary targets as you like, but they must all be within 30 feet of the primary target, and no target can be struck more than once. You can choose to affect fewer secondary targets than the maximum.
Focus: A bit of fur; a piece of amber, glass, or a crystal rod; plus one silver pin for each of your caster levels.

I'd say that in case 1 the spell still arcs normally, as it does in the second case.

Hm, one might make a case that the secondary bolts deal no damage, as the primary bolt dealt no damage either (half as much damage as the primary one).

 

[TYPO5478]

1. SR does not end the spell, the creature with SR is simply unaffected by the spell: "If the caster fails the check, the spell doesn’t affect the creature." Therefore, the chain lightning would continue.

I agree, though since the spell did no damage to the primary target, neither would it damage any secondary targets.

Additionally, the chain lightning description says "After it strikes..." It does not say, "After it damages..."

Correct. However, a successful Reflex save made with Evasion avoids the attack; therefore, the lightning did not "strike" its target.

More importantly, chain lightning has no contingency for not striking the initial creature.

Of course it does. You just mentioned it. "After it strikes..." If the lightning doesn't strike the primary target, the "after it strikes" condition cannot be fulfilled. The same way that, after you pay for them, you can take your groceries home from the store. If you don't pay for them, you don't get to take them home.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I agree, though since the spell did no damage to the primary target, neither would it damage any secondary targets.

Remember, there is (sometimes) a distinction between damage dealt, and damage taken.

Reflex Half: The spell deals damage, and a successful saving throw halves the damage taken (round down).

The primary bolt deals 1d6/level damage; if you save, the damage taken is half of that. The secondary bolt deals half the damage that the primary bolt did.

Let's say the caster rolls 30 damage, and the primary target fails his save but has Electricity Resistance 10. The damage dealt is 30; the damage taken is 20.

The secondary bolt deals half as much damage as the primary bolt did; the primary bolt dealt 30 points of damage, even though only 20 points of damage were taken; the secondary bolt therefore deals 15.

(Interestingly, while the description of a Reflex Half saving throw states that damage taken is halved, the description of Evasion refers to effects that allows damage dealt to be halved.)

However, a successful Reflex save made with Evasion avoids the attack; therefore, the lightning did not "strike" its target.

Evasion states nothing about avoiding the attack, merely that no damage is taken from the attack. It struck to no effect.

Chain Lightning is a Target spell with no attack roll required; it doesn't miss. The saving throw (or Evasion) simply reduce the damage taken by the target that it automatically strikes.

-Hyp.