Spell Resistance and "friendly fire"

[Quinnman]

From SRD:

The terms “object” and “harmless” mean the same thing for spell resistance as they do for saving throws. A creature with spell resistance must voluntarily lower the resistance (a standard action) in order to be affected by a spell noted as harmless. In such a case, you do not need to make the caster level check described above.

Also from SRD:

Voluntarily Giving up a Saving Throw: A creature can voluntarily forego a saving throw and willingly accept a spell’s result. Even a character with a special resistance to magic can suppress this quality.

So my question is this (soon to be the DM of a Drow-campaign):
Would this mean that

A) It is allways a standard action to lower spell resistance (and also forego a saving throw)

or

B) It is a free action, unless the spell is "harmless", then it is a standard action

or

C) Something different...

A "cure"-spell has SR: yes (harmless).... but a "Silence"-spell has SR: yes

Both can be relevant spells to have cast on you... but is lowering SR a standard action in both cases? And is your SR then "down" until your next action?
The same question goes for saves actually... is it also a standard action to forego a saving throw... (if it is, then my group have played it wrong all these years!)

Am a little perplexed... ... and need to know this for sure before we start, as I am sure it will come up

Thanx!

 

[mikebr99]

Hi there.
It's a std. action to drop SR... and a free action to forego a save.


Mike

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

RE: Spell Resistance:

It's always a Standard Action. It's down until you raise it again, which happens as a free action on your next turn (unless you want to keep it down, in which case it's another standard action).

A creature can voluntarily lower its spell resistance. Doing so is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Once a creature lowers its resistance, it remains down until the creature’s next turn. At the beginning of the creature’s next turn, the creature’s spell resistance automatically returns unless the creature intentionally keeps it down (also a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity).

RE: Saves:

It's a free action to voluntarily fail a save, just like its a free action to involuntarily fail a save.

 

[Deset Gled]

It's a free action to voluntarily fail a save, just like its a free action to involuntarily fail a save.

A quick nitpick: voluntarily (or involuntarily) failing a save is not a free action. It is not an action at all.

 

[Quinnman]

ok

Thanx guys

 

[Li Shenron]

Spell Resistance:

It's always a Standard Action. It's down until you raise it again, which happens as a free action on your next turn (unless you want to keep it down, in which case it's another standard action).

I agree with this way, tho it seems to me that the issue is not 100% clear by the rules. IMO it's fine to require a standard action to lower it for a whole turn, and then it is automatically up again on the beginning of your next turn.

The whole thing is a little pain to handle however, we once played too a group of all drow and we had issues like "can an uncouncious PC lower his SR to receive a Cure Wound spell?". Then we often forgot that if you lower SR, it stays low also for the enemy spells! But can the others notice you're lowering your SR and take advantage of it?

We almost thought it would have been better if SR was just always active no matter what.

 

[Quinnman]

"can an uncouncious PC lower his SR to receive a Cure Wound spell?".

That´s actually a good question... hadn´t thought about that... kinda makes having SR a mixed blessing if the last minute cure spell fizzles because of it... hehehe (good thing I´m the DM

How would you rule this my fellow EN-worlders...?

 

[mikebr99]

That´s actually a good question... hadn´t thought about that... kinda makes having SR a mixed blessing if the last minute cure spell fizzles because of it... hehehe (good thing I´m the DM

How would you rule this my fellow EN-worlders...?

I would say that it is a conscious effort to bring it down... by default it is always up. So, unless you drop it before you go unconscious... you are SOL.


Mike