Buffs for those with Spell Immunity

[Menexenus]

The rules for Spell Immunity say that it functions pretty much the same as Spell Resistance. Since Spell Resistance can be voluntarily dropped to receive beneficial spells, I thought the same would apply to Spell Immunity. So I crafted an encounter for my gaming group in which a spell caster had cast buff spells on his pet Golem.

Well, one of the players caught wind of the fact that the golem was buffed and argued vociferously that such a thing was not allowed. Is he right?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Runestar]

While spell immunity is in essence just infinite sr, I am not sure if it can be lowered the same way sr can (the rules are silent on this). Personally, I would say no.

So to play it safe, your option is to go with buffs that ignore sr, such as mage armour.

 

[frankthedm]

While for the golems it is written as "Immunity to Magic (Ex)" I am pretty sure it is meant to be this entry.

Spell Immunity
A creature with spell immunity avoids the effects of spells and spell-like abilities that directly affect it. This works exactly like spell resistance, except that it cannot be overcome. Sometimes spell immunity is conditional or applies to only spells of a certain kind or level. Spells that do not allow spell resistance are not affected by spell immunity.

Also there is this

Voluntarily Giving up a Saving Throw
A creature can voluntarily forego a saving throw and willingly accept a spell’s result. Even a character with a special resistance to magic can suppress this quality.

 

[Shin Okada]

It can be interpreted in either way. So it is up to each DM IMHO.

Personally, allowing them to lower Spell Immunity by command will be reasonable. I found 3.5e Golems tend to be destroyed by PCs pretty easily without some upgrades. Almost always, Glitterdust takes care of them. It ignores SR, and golems have poor saves. What is worse, they don't have Listen skills and can't take blind-fight feat. So usually, once blinded, they are sandbags.

 

[calighis]

Iron golem in the right circumstance can easily = tpk. I tend to think their inability to receive magic buffs has got to be factored in to their robust Challenge.

 

[irdeggman]

From the FAQ

The entries for all the golems in the MM say that golems
have magic immunity, which is supposed to allow golems to
completely resist most magical and supernatural effects
except for specific ones listed in each golem’s description.
(Most of those heal, slow, or damage the golem.) Can you
cast beneficial spells on a golem? For example, can you turn
a golem invisible? Can you teleport one? Could you cast
darkness on a golem? How about fly or reverse gravity? To
put it another way, if you are not trying to directly cause
damage or drastically alter the golem (such as with
polymorph), will the spell work? Clearly, if you cast
darkness on yourself and the golem attacks you, once it
moves into the area of darkness, it can no longer see you.
But can you cast darkness on the golem? Could a golem use
a magic item, such as a ring of invisibility?

As noted in each golem’s entry, a golem resists any spell or
spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. (In previous
versions of the D&D game, golems were impervious to most
supernatural effects as well, but that is no longer the case.) In
most cases, you can tell if a spell or spell-like ability works on
a golem simply by looking up its spell resistance entry. Let’s
take a quick look at the effects you’ve listed:

Invisibility: You cannot turn a golem invisible with any
version of the invisibility spell. (They all have spell resistance
entries of “yes.”) This immunity to being made invisible
doesn’t mean the golem has any special ability to see or detect
invisible creatures or objects.

Teleport: The spell resistance entry for the various versions
of the teleport spell is “no,” at least for creatures. Note that
when you’re using the teleport spell, you teleport yourself and
other willing creatures. Unless you can command the golem
(and you probably don’t unless you created the golem), it
probably isn’t willing to accompany you and receives a saving
throw to resist.

Darkness: You can’t cast a darkness spell on yourself, on a
golem, or any other creature—only on an object (see the spell
description). Golems have no special ability to see through
darkness (and the spell resistance entry is “no”). The silence
spell provides a better example of how a golem’s magic
immunity (and spell resistance in general) works. You can cast
silence on a creature, and when you do so, spell resistance
applies (see the spell description). A silence spell automatically
fails if you try to cast it on a golem.

Once a silence spell is operating, silence reigns throughout
the emanation the spell creates. If a golem moves into the
emanation, the golem still cannot hear or make any noise.
Fly: You can’t use a fly spell to make a golem fly (the spell
resistance entry is “yes”).

Reverse Gravity: The spell resistance entry is “no,” so it
affects a golem as readily as it affects any other creature or
object.

Note that a golem cannot voluntarily lower its magic
immunity so that it can receive a harmless spell, but a golem’s
magic immunity does not extend to magic the golem uses on
itself (just as spell resistance doesn’t apply to such effects). A
golem can make use of any magic item that works continuously
or is use activated (provided whoever commands the golem is
on hand to put the item on the golem or order the golem to pick
it up). Being mindless, a golem cannot use any item activated
by command, spell, or spell completion.

Note that IMO the key part here is that the golem is mindless and hence can't voluntarily lower it's spell immunity. Which feeds to the reason they can't use command items (or spell or spell completion ones either).

While the FAQ is not always viewed favorably it is something that can be used as point of reference when tabulated reasons (and sources) for or gainst the ruling.

 

[Shin Okada]

From the FAQ

Note that IMO the key part here is that the golem is mindless and hence can't voluntarily lower it's spell immunity. Which feeds to the reason they can't use command items (or spell or spell completion ones either).

Hmm. If you conclude so, Cadaver Collector can do that because they have intelligence score. And while Golems are mindless, they can recognize master's command.

So, IMHO, if we take that FAQ's interpretation, we should better say Magic Immunity is simply different from Spell Resistance and thus cannot be turned off.

 

[irdeggman]

Hmm. If you conclude so, Cadaver Collector can do that because they have intelligence score. And while Golems are mindless, they can recognize master's command.

So, IMHO, if we take that FAQ's interpretation, we should better say Magic Immunity is simply different from Spell Resistance and thus cannot be turned off.

Or to make a "voluntary" action you have to be able to make a "decision" and simply execute a command.

It does not need to be different than SR it can remain the same - the restriction is a result of no Int (and hence no decision capability).

Similar logic has been applied (by others) to an unconscious person not being able to drop his SR because he can't make a voluntary action to do so.

 

[irdeggman]

here is a different example that illustrates my point.

a barbarian continues his rage for a set duration unless he voluntaryily stops (or it is cancelld via spell, etc.).

A barbarian who goes unconscious continues to rage for the set duration because he can't voluntarily stop it. Hence he continues to receive all benefits (and restrictions) of his rage while unconscious. Which is why they don't die immediately when they go unconscious due to their Con being lowered back to normal.

 

[Trouvere]

Note this:

A stone to flesh spell does not actually change the golem’s structure but negates its damage reduction and immunity to magic for 1 full round.

Liberal casting of stone to flesh makes possible a heavily buffed stone golem.