D&D 5E MM: How many high levels monsters have some form of magic resistance?

[Skyscraper]

I have no experience playing those levels, but I admit that this list is a bit unsettling.

 

[DEFCON 1]

This is one of the reasons I worry about high-level play for casters. Going from ~five 8-9th level spells/day in prev editions to a single spell/day is really gonna suck when legendary monsters can 'choose' to save 3x/day and beyond that everything has some form of energy and magic resistance. I don't know for a fact, just a bit leery.

Except odds-are there's a good chance you could have 2 to 4 characters in the party with 8th and 9th level spells. So that's 4 to 8 spells of those levels that the legendary monsters will have to try and save their way through. Even with 3 insta-saves... there's still plenty of magic they're going to be nailed with.

5+ high level spells per character would means upwards of 10 to 20 of those spells per day at a party's disposal (or to be really truthful... 20 to 40 spells per day when you account for the 8 hour rest in the middle of the afternoon the groups would inevitably take). That's exactly where the idea of high-level casting being unbalanced in previous editions came from.

 

[Nachti]

Except odds-are there's a good chance you could have 2 to 4 characters in the party with 8th and 9th level spells. So that's 4 to 8 spells of those levels that the legendary monsters will have to try and save their way through. Even with 3 insta-saves... there's still plenty of magic they're going to be nailed with.

5+ high level spells per character would means upwards of 10 to 20 of those spells per day at a party's disposal (or to be really truthful... 20 to 40 spells per day when you account for the 8 hour rest in the middle of the afternoon the groups would inevitably take). That's exactly where the idea of high-level casting being unbalanced in previous editions came from.

You dont meet a legendary creature just outside the town. You often crawl into a dungeon with multiple fights on the way. Intelligent bosses also throw a punch of minions on you, before engaging infight.

I´ll rather cast foresight, maze or conjure spells then wasting 3 spells on legendary resistance and get another two resisted.

 

[Chocolategravy]

Well one thing is you gotta let this high level creatures survive on their own. Relying on liars and minions to stop Big Spells makes their CR false since they suck alone outside their lair.

Then their CR is already false because they'd suck if the party had another Ranger instead of a neutered Wizard, so never come up against the resistance.

 

[Chocolategravy]

Except odds-are there's a good chance you could have 2 to 4 characters in the party with 8th and 9th level spells. So that's 4 to 8 spells of those levels that the legendary monsters will have to try and save their way through. Even with 3 insta-saves... there's still plenty of magic they're going to be nailed with.

Encounters are balanced assuming 6-8 fights per day. That means you're at best getting 1 spell of those levels per fight.

 

[Minigiant]

Then their CR is already false because they'd suck if the party had another Ranger instead of a neutered Wizard, so never come up against the resistance.

Well that's my point.

High level creatures need to be strong on their own, that's why most have Magic Resistance or Legendary Resistance.
Relying of Minions or Liars makes its CR false.

The stereotypical D&D party has 1/3 full casters. Many times it is more. Then there are partial casters. A full caster typically has enough slots for 4-5 Big Spells (at level 15, you have a 8th a 7th, a 6th, and 2 5th). With a 6-8 medium encounter day and good spell management of the party, a each caster in the group could have 1 Big Spell left if the solo is the very last enemy that day.

You gotta mitigate that power somehow.

 

[EroGaki]

So from the looks of things, my wizard (assuming he reaches high levels) will be relying mostly on passive buffs rather than direct effects, since magic will prove to be rather ineffective against the majority of high end monsters...

Yay.

 

[keterys]

Out of curiosity, what is the average chance of making an appropriate (caster gets to target, so no Str saves on giants kinda thing) save for those creatures with magic resistance?

That is to say, how many have a +2 in the relevant save, the caster's save DC is 19, so advantage turns it from 80% chance to fail to 64% chance to fail?

 

[IgnatiusJ.Reilly]

Innate advantage on saving throws versus magic is a bit over the top really. Targets already get a save every round to break the debuff or controlling affect. Not to mention that casters have few spell slots and are limited to one concentration spell effect at a time. However, I do like the Legendary Resistance (3/Day) if the creature didn't already have advantage on the role in the first place.

 

[mcintma]

So from the looks of things, my wizard (assuming he reaches high levels) will be relying mostly on passive buffs rather than direct effects, since magic will prove to be rather ineffective against the majority of high end monsters...

Yay.

This is my as-yet unproven suspicion. The nerf from 2 high level slots to 1 came late in the playtest. Knowing from experience (prev editions) how spells can look amazing on paper but fizzle in real game after resistances, saves, immunities, party positioning, distraction, DM interpretations, etc. It may be as you say, casters will simply not take save-able spells in high slots. Which is a bit unfun as you'll see the same spells over and over.

Now I know the cantrips doing 4d8 at high levels is aimed at making the caster feel useful if/when his 8-9th level slot fizzles, but that's a little jarring for me personally ("You have shrugged off my Imprisonment spell, foul Balor, but my cantrip shall destroy you - in time!") and I wonder about the ubiquitous energy immunities/res.