FRCS question

skymage · Dec 20, 2002

is the archmage's arcane fire high arcana subject to spell resistence. i thought i read somwhere that it wasn't, but i can't for the life of me remember where. that combined with the fact that i think it should be resistable just confuses me.

Mordane76 · Dec 20, 2002

As raw arcane energy, I think it is -- even Spellfire is subject to SR, IIRC, so I doubt that Arcane Fire would be any different.

Keth Ogreslayer · Dec 20, 2002

I thought it was unaffected by spell resistance because it's a supernatural ability. I don't have my book with me, so i could be wrong, though.

Mordane76 · Dec 21, 2002

Here's the easy way to make the decision --

Looking at MM2 and the definitions of Spell-Like and Supernatural, If it's Spell-Like, then it's subject to SR. If it's Supernatural, then it's not.

skymage · Dec 21, 2002

thanks for the replys and i think there is no arguing that it is SU and SR is no defense against SU abilities.

it would have taken me forever to think of looking at the description of SR to figure it out.

thanks again

kreynolds · Dec 21, 2002

Mordane76 said:
...even Spellfire is subject to SR, IIRC...

Nope. It's a supernatural ability. See page 19 of MaoF.

skymage · Dec 21, 2002

i just remembered where i got the notion that arcane fire is unresistable. i'm reading elminster in hell and he took out alot of devils without a single one resisting him. so my logic was that he was blasting away with arcane fire while using silver fire to fly. i had no real rules to back up my assumption.

now i know that my assumption is correct.

but after reading another post a new question has come to me

would a polymorph/shapechagned/wildshaped archmage still be able to use arcane fire?

it is SU and you lose SU abilities while in other forms. i feel this only appllies to natural SU abilities not ones from class levels, but by the rules as i understand them you lose all SU regardless.

i'll probly post this question in house rules to get some opinions on it and maybe a few house rules.

thanks again to all who posted

dkilgo · Dec 21, 2002

skymage said:
would a polymorph/shapechagned/wildshaped archmage still be able to use arcane fire?

it is SU and you lose SU abilities while in other forms. i feel this only appllies to natural SU abilities not ones from class levels, but by the rules as i understand them you lose all SU regardless.

i'll probly post this question in house rules to get some opinions on it and maybe a few house rules.

thanks again to all who posted

If you had the appropriate feat (I can not recall which ones) you could use it.

I could be wrong. I often am. I am a rules jedi in training. Please forgive me, masters.

Mordane76 · Dec 21, 2002

Sorry -- I didn't have MoF with me when I looked up the SU versus SP abilities part, all I had was MM2; the Spellfire part was off the top of my head.

As for the SU abilities in other forms, when you're in another form, you still retain class abilities, right? If you do retain these abilities, then I'd say you retain Arcane Fire in alternate forms because it is a class ability, not a true supernatural ability due to race, unless of course someone can point out to me a place where you lose access to all supernatural abilities.