D&D 4E Should Spell Resistance make it into 4e

[EricNoah]

On a related topic, Counterspelling needs to be extremely retooled. "Readying an action to counterspell in case the enemy starts casting a spell, in hopes that I also have the spell available" is a tad specific.

Yep, very much in agreement here.

 

[Agamon]

I'll reply with a quote from someone very wise...or at least, very smart:

"Thrice-cursed Spell Resistance! It's almost like the universe is trying to deliberately force some form of arbitrary equality between those of us who can reshape matter with our thoughts and those who cannot."

 

[Agamon]

On a related topic, Counterspelling needs to be extremely retooled. "Readying an action to counterspell in case the enemy starts casting a spell, in hopes that I also have the spell available" is a tad specific.

Yeah. Most useless core rule evar.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I think Spell Resistance is great (although it would be better putting it back to being Magic Resistance). I think it is a very necessary mechanism, and the only real problem was the decision to allow all conjuration spells to bypass it...

I don't have any problem with dispel magic or antimagic either.

 

[FireLance]

In line with the idea that Spell Resistance should provide a bonus to saving throws, there should also be more levels of "success" when it comes to saves. The current system of full effect or partial/half effect is what makes the current incarnation of Spell Resistance appear useful - when you want to give a creature the chance to avoid being affected by a spell, and evasion and/or mettle seems thematically inappropriate, Spell Resistance looks like a good option. Varying degrees of success will complicate saving throws slightly (you'd need to check against two numbers for full/half/none), but it also removes the Spell Resistance mechanic. Those who like more granularity (like me) can even work off the base system to introduce additional levels of success, such as full/three-quarters/half/one-quarter/none.

 

[zoroaster100]

I'd like Spell Resistance to disappear in 4E as well, unless drastically changed. I think it should probably just be a bonus to saves and DR against spell damage as described by the OP above. Dispell magic should be changed to be automatic rather than a level check, except mabe that it should not work against spells cast by a caster 4 or more levels higher (or some other number of levels higher).

 

[Lanefan]

Spell Resistance (or Magic Resistance) is fine except when everything has it, then it's overkill.

Dispel Magic needs to be one of those spells you only cast if you have to...make it a big area of effect (get rid of targetted version) so you risk hitting your own people with it as well as the enemy.

Anti-magic or Null Magic needs to probably be used a bit more often, along with true Disenchant effects.

Counterspell: I solved this by making Counterspell itself a spell (yes, even in a 1e setting)! MU-2, casting time immediate, counters spell in process of being cast. Casting time of target spell must be longer than that of Counterspell...I put this in to avoid Counterspell wars and M:tG-like spell stacks. I forget right now what range etc. I gave it... One of the better ideas 3e provided.

Lanefan

 

[JiffyPopTart]

Spell Resistance (or Magic Resistance) is fine except when everything has it, then it's overkill.

I agree. SR for demons and devils and the like I can understand. SR for drow I can't wrap my head around. Granted it used to be that way, but whats the rationale? There are WAAAAY too many monster with SR that it kinda makes most spellcasting against high-level monsters pointless unless your caster is totally tricked out to both get past saves (increase DC feats) AND get past SR (increase those rolls).

The fact wizards get so few feats combined with the fact you have to spend 4-5 feats to get good at those rolls means you either pigeonhole every caster into taking the same feats to be relevant in later levels or you doom the caster to being outclassed in later levels by everyone that DOESN'T have to spend an extra 2-3 feats to be able to harm most high-level monsters.

I say replace SR with special defences along these lines...

Light Magic Resistance: +4 bonus to saves against spells and spell like abilities.
Moderate Magic Resistance: +8 bonus to saves against spells and spell like abilities.
Heavy Magic Resistance: +12 bonus to saves against spells and spell like abilities.
Epic Magic Resistance: +20 bonus to saves against spells and spell like abilities.

Combine that with liberal use of the evasion-like abilities for the other two save types and yo have a winner that frees up the wizards to diversify a bit.

DS

 

[BryonD]

I'd like SR to stay.
But there are certainly could be alternate methods for it.
I think a simple bonus to saves would be bland because in the end it doesn't add anything that simple luck couldn't provide. Perhaps at least add that if the save is made the spell has no effect at all. Often this is no addition, but at least in some cases it would help.

I also agree that conjuration spells are the real issue here, not SR.

 

[ThirdWizard]

In some form it needs to stay. Giving bonuses to saves won't work because we'll then tie spell immunity to the save mechanic, which would be problematic. I suppose some kind of % effectiveness would work, but it would be even more complex. It would be a fairly simple thing for damage spells, I guess, making them do less die damage, but that wouldn't work for non-damage spells.