toucanbuzz
No rule is inviolate
I like the idea and system, definitely have considered adding it back to my games. Look also at Dragon Magazine #218 (Skip Williams, p56). Good article on how old-school magic resistance worked and my suggestions are influenced by it. My suggestions make it a big wordier, which is counterproductive, but hit the "troubleshooting" pointed out by Skip.
Creatures with Magic Resistance (MR) have a chance to completely ignore spells and spell-like effects from other creatures or items. A spell-like effect directly mimics the effect of a spell but does not include innate abilities such as paralyzing gazes or breath weapons.
MR only applies to magic that directly damages, restricts, changes, or targets the creature and requires no action by the creature with MR to use. Magic that indirectly affects the creature, such as changes in light, the shape of the environment, or summoned creatures is not affected by MR. For example, a drow elf with MR could attempt to ignore the damage of a wall of fire because walking through the fire would directly damage the drow, but MR would not allow it to see through the opaque feature of the wall because that creates an indirect change in the environment, nor could it walk through a wall of stone. MR does not apply to a creature's own spells, abilities, or when it uses a magic item to generate a spell-like effect.
A creature with MR can, as a free action on any turn, voluntarily suppress its magic resistance until the start of its next turn.
MR success negates only the portion of the spell affecting the creature. A fireball would still affect others in the area, a lightning bolt would continue on its course, and magic missiles targeting others would streak to their targets.
[Thoughts on permanent or pre-existing spells? It originally applied and I really think outright dispelling is bad].
If a pre-existing magical effect on an area or item is subject to being suppressed or dispelled, such as an arcane lock, MR can be used to attempt to temporarily ignore the effect as applies to the creature but not actually dispel the spell. The drow would merely attempt to open the door and check its MR. A wall of force, however, cannot be dispelled and could not be bypassed with MR. Similarly, protection from evil would not cease to function around a demon with MR because it does not directly restrict or target the demon.
Creatures with Magic Resistance (MR) have a chance to completely ignore spells and spell-like effects from other creatures or items. A spell-like effect directly mimics the effect of a spell but does not include innate abilities such as paralyzing gazes or breath weapons.
MR only applies to magic that directly damages, restricts, changes, or targets the creature and requires no action by the creature with MR to use. Magic that indirectly affects the creature, such as changes in light, the shape of the environment, or summoned creatures is not affected by MR. For example, a drow elf with MR could attempt to ignore the damage of a wall of fire because walking through the fire would directly damage the drow, but MR would not allow it to see through the opaque feature of the wall because that creates an indirect change in the environment, nor could it walk through a wall of stone. MR does not apply to a creature's own spells, abilities, or when it uses a magic item to generate a spell-like effect.
A creature with MR can, as a free action on any turn, voluntarily suppress its magic resistance until the start of its next turn.
MR success negates only the portion of the spell affecting the creature. A fireball would still affect others in the area, a lightning bolt would continue on its course, and magic missiles targeting others would streak to their targets.
[Thoughts on permanent or pre-existing spells? It originally applied and I really think outright dispelling is bad].
If a pre-existing magical effect on an area or item is subject to being suppressed or dispelled, such as an arcane lock, MR can be used to attempt to temporarily ignore the effect as applies to the creature but not actually dispel the spell. The drow would merely attempt to open the door and check its MR. A wall of force, however, cannot be dispelled and could not be bypassed with MR. Similarly, protection from evil would not cease to function around a demon with MR because it does not directly restrict or target the demon.
