Resist Energy, Mass

[Nail]

You're missing the point.
A dragon, for example, will be at least as intelligent as the party members. The DM should be as well. Find ways around the parties defenses and then they'll have to get more creative as well. Everyone gains.

Dragons might even have Spellcraft, and thus know about the Resist Energy...

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

Find ways around the parties defenses and then they'll have to get more creative as well. Everyone gains.

The problem is that potentially every major encounter will face this problem. How many times does the DM have to come up with a workaround to deal with the P being immune until it just becomes total cheese?

 

[Brother MacLaren]

Dragons don't always have Spellcraft as a class skill, and many of them are NOT "at least as intelligent as the party members" -- at least, not compared to the smartest party member. Figure that in a part of 5th-level PCs (where this spell first appears), the wizard will have a 16-17 Int. Not many dragons are that smart, and the ones that are will TPK a 5th-level party with or without Mass Resist Energy.

 

[Nail]

How many times does the DM have to come up with a workaround to deal with the P being immune until it just becomes total cheese?

Good question. I'm currently wrestling with this same sort of problem (ToB:Bo9S manuever Moment of Perfect Mind makes Will save spells useless once per encounter).

The trick - as always - is to come up with a solution that's fun for both you and your group. Occasionally the thing is more trouble than it's worth, and so you ban it.

I don't think Mass Resist Energy falls into that last category.

 

[Bad Paper]

I'm a fan of dispel magic, so I generally hope that the party is resistant to that energy type, so that I can still nail them with it on round 2.

I have considered house-ruling mass resist energy to offer weaker resistance--say, 5/10/15 instead of 10/20/30. Come on, 30 is just stupid ridiculous!

 

[IanB]

Starting at about 15th level, my Clr would put this on as many people as possible, of as many energy types as possible, the night before we'd enter a big dungeon.

By 17th level, all PCs in my party were immune to all energy types.

Fun times......

OK, I'll bite. Assume a party of 4 individuals. That's 5 6th level spells per person (acid, cold, electricity, fire, sonic.) A 17th level cleric has 10 spell slots of 6th level or higher, not counting domain spells. That's only enough to cover 2 people, so you need to have 10 *more* spell slots of 6th level or higher from your wisdom bonus. In order to have those bonus slots, you need a wisdom of *40*. And that's only if you want to give up ALL your non-domain spellcasting of 6th level or higher. No heal, no greater dispelling, no LOTS of stuff. Granted, night before, etc., but that pre-supposes no nighttime encounters.

And if your group has more than 4...

Something seems off here.

 

[Rystil Arden]

OK, I'll bite. Assume a party of 4 individuals. That's 5 6th level spells per person (acid, cold, electricity, fire, sonic.) A 17th level cleric has 10 spell slots of 6th level or higher, not counting domain spells. That's only enough to cover 2 people, so you need to have 10 *more* spell slots of 6th level or higher from your wisdom bonus. In order to have those bonus slots, you need a wisdom of *40*. And that's only if you want to give up ALL your non-domain spellcasting of 6th level or higher. No heal, no greater dispelling, no LOTS of stuff. Granted, night before, etc., but that pre-supposes no nighttime encounters.

And if your group has more than 4...

Something seems off here.

Doesn't the crazy Energy Immunity spell last all day? If so, Extend Spell is your friend

 

[Alpha Polaris]

I'm a fan of dispel magic, so I generally hope that the party is resistant to that energy type, so that I can still nail them with it on round 2.

I have considered house-ruling mass resist energy to offer weaker resistance--say, 5/10/15 instead of 10/20/30. Come on, 30 is just stupid ridiculous!

Why do you care, since you're going to dispel it anyway

 

[Nail]

... but that pre-supposes no nighttime encounters.

Commune is a wonderul thing.