How does Magic Circle against Evil work?

[Zeppo]

I have a bit of a problem with the wording:

All creatures within the area gain the effects of a protection from evil spell, and no nongood summoned creatures can enter the area either. You must overcome a creature’s spell resistance in order to keep it at bay (as in the third function of protection from evil)...

So, when a nongood summoned creature tries to enter the area and you fail to overcome its spell resistance, can it then have bodily contact with any character inside the spell area, or do the characters still have individual protection against it (i.e. the critter needs to win another SR check whenever it tries to hit a new character)?

In other words, does the 10' barrier replace the individual barrier from PfE (as regards nongood summoned creatures), or does it create another layer of protection?

 

[MarkB]

It's buried pretty deeply in the definition of Spell Resistance, but I think this line clinches it:

Check spell resistance only once for any particular casting of a spell or use of a spell-like ability. If spell resistance fails the first time, it fails each time the creature encounters that same casting of the spell. Likewise, if the spell resistance succeeds the first time, it always succeeds. If the creature has voluntarily lowered its spell resistance and is then subjected to a spell, the creature still has a single chance to resist that spell later, when its spell resistance is up.​

Both the barrier and the individual Protection From Evil effects are part of the same spell, and once a creature's Spell Resistance has succeeded against that spell, it succeeds automatically thereafter - so if the summoned creature successfully uses Spell Resistance to penetrate the barrier, it will not be deterred by the individual Protections.

 

[Zeppo]

Yeah, that's probably a sane way of looking at it. Thanks!

 

[Belzbet]

It's buried pretty deeply in the definition of Spell Resistance, but I think this line clinches it:

Check spell resistance only once for any particular casting of a spell or use of a spell-like ability. If spell resistance fails the first time, it fails each time the creature encounters that same casting of the spell. Likewise, if the spell resistance succeeds the first time, it always succeeds. If the creature has voluntarily lowered its spell resistance and is then subjected to a spell, the creature still has a single chance to resist that spell later, when its spell resistance is up.​

Both the barrier and the individual Protection From Evil effects are part of the same spell, and once a creature's Spell Resistance has succeeded against that spell, it succeeds automatically thereafter - so if the summoned creature successfully uses Spell Resistance to penetrate the barrier, it will not be deterred by the individual Protections.

That isnt the problem yes magic @ evil stops summons BUT THE NUMBER ONE MOST OVERPOWERED LEVEL 1 spell is protection from evil, etc... That is because it makes PC's IMMUNE TO ENCHANTMENTS, so Op it is ridiculous even a level 1 PC ca have immunity to enchantments because of protection from evil.... Yes enchantments should be used sparringly against PC's BUT when you do want to use an enchantment then protection from evil is the trump card and summoned monsters shouldnt be your worry since a Dm shouldnt make or break an encounter depending on what creatures are summoned... Also if the PC's are using this to good effect then REWARD THEM (they are going the right thing if they are always protected from evil)