Reducing spell resistance

[Bauglir]

The Kingdom of Kalamar's Player Guide has a metamagic feat that gives the caster +2 to the SR check for every level the spell is cast higher - that magic missile cast at level 7 will add 12 to the SR check. A sorcerer can use it as needed on th fly and affect many a creature with SR. Save DC is not affected, unlike the various spell power abilities.

So the sorcerer is consigned to spending a FRA to use level 1 spells which still MIGHT not affect the target, while the other classes are still working at full effectiveness (and has of course burned one of his few feats for this).

Not a great solution

 

[Darklone]

So the sorcerer is consigned to spending a FRA to use level 1 spells which still MIGHT not affect the target, while the other classes are still working at full effectiveness (and has of course burned one of his few feats for this).

Not a great solution

Wow. Someone actually considers a Kalamar feat as not broken.

For the purpose of overcoming SR, this feat works still a lot better than anything else.

Besides: Those NWN spells... Welcome Diablo2!

 

[Fenes 2]

Then there is my number 1 solution to such troubles (works for an overuse of hold person spells as well as for getting sick of undead villains):

Talk to the DM and tell him to stop using such foes/tactics in every adventure! "Hey, DM, I am getting sick of all those SR-creatures. Can't you tone it down and use more creatures vulnerable to magic spells? I have no fun in our campaign when I am reduced to buff the others and twiddle my thumbs, I want to blast something."

If the DM ignores you it is a safe bet that you would better either change characters, or campaigns.

The game is supposed to be fun. If something hampers your fun, change it.

 

[Bauglir]

The trouble is that as you level up SR gets more and more common. Have a flip through the MM and see what % of monsters CR 15 or above have spell resistance.

 

[Fenes 2]

Nothing prevents a DM from altering monsters to better cater to the taste of his or her players. I tailor my mosnters all the time, especially when DR is too high.

 

[Bauglir]

That's true.

It indicates to me that there's a fundamental flaw with the system as-is however if the DM must start making up custom monsters to challenge the pcs fairly.

 

[mmu1]

My biggest problem in running a recent mid-level game (10-11) was how easy the party spellcasters found it to get through SR. A couple of them took Spell Penetration and Greater Spell penetration, and were wrecking everything with SR that they came across.

Sure, a Roper has SR 28 - but so what? A 10th level sorcerer in our party with a spell penetration check of +14 cast a couple of fireballs on one, got through SR with one of them, and fried the sucker single-handed.

No one is freaking out when fighters need to roll 15+ to hit something... With the way you can pump up spell save DCs in this game, SR is absolutely vital, and, if anything, is probably too low in some cases.

 

[SimonMoon5]

IIRC, there is also a spell in Relics & Rituals that lowers a target's SR.

 

[Fenes 2]

That's true.

It indicates to me that there's a fundamental flaw with the system as-is however if the DM must start making up custom monsters to challenge the pcs fairly.

With all the different paths and options PCs have, I would not expect it to be otherwise. And I don't consider lowering SR or DR to fit a party's capabilities making custom monsters.

 

[Shard O'Glase]

My biggest problem in running a recent mid-level game (10-11) was how easy the party spellcasters found it to get through SR. A couple of them took Spell Penetration and Greater Spell penetration, and were wrecking everything with SR that they came across.

Sure, a Roper has SR 28 - but so what? A 10th level sorcerer in our party with a spell penetration check of +14 cast a couple of fireballs on one, got through SR with one of them, and fried the sucker single-handed.

No one is freaking out when fighters need to roll 15+ to hit something... With the way you can pump up spell save DCs in this game, SR is absolutely vital, and, if anything, is probably too low in some cases.

So after 2 feats he still had a sucky chance to suceed. And probably only did it because of the 3e haste with 2 spells. In 3.5 the oportunity cost is much higher if per round you get one chance to penetrate. And even then the roper likely only lost because he is fire vulnerable.

And as for the fihgter needing 15+ to hit well after level 5 or so that's a lot rarer, I mean a lot rarer if you look trough the MM for appropriate CR monsters, and the fighter only(edit in sentence that got deleted by my dumb factor) looses a round of aciton where the wizard looses a round of aciton and a spell, which are in a limited supply. Failing a SR role hurts a spellcaster much more than mising an attack hurts a fighter.

And if the monsters relased are an indication of a 3.5 trend(not nearly enough evidence to say it is) then SR is actually going up.