What kind of cracked out spell is this?

[Nail]

I agree with your points except that I think at those levels SR will be much more common than you think. I suppose we could do some kind of analysis on this -- Nail might do it as he seems to be crazy on analyses --

Hey!

I'll get on that. Seriously. (Although I'm sure it's been done by others before. Link, anyone?)

My sense is that about 1/3 of the higher level monsters (CR 12+) have SR. Often, SR = CR+10......I think. Actually, now that I think about it, SR is often linked to HD, not CR. Fiendish creatures, for example. Monsters that appear in Dungeon magazine, for another.

 

[Infiniti2000]

SR is recommended to be CR+12 in the MM. This means that for the same CR-level opponent, they get roughly a 50% chance (it's actually 45%) to overcome the SR. It's not based on HD, and shouldn't be.

 

[Nail]

SR is recommended to be CR+12 in the MM. This means that for the same CR-level opponent, they get roughly a 50% chance (it's actually 45%) to overcome the SR. It's not based on HD, and shouldn't be.

Well......

CREATING A CELESTIAL CREATURE
“Celestial” is an inherited template .......

—Spell resistance equal to HD + 5 (maximum 25).

and

CREATING A HALF-FIEND
“Half-fiend” is an inherited template that can be added to any living, corporeal creature ......

—Spell resistance equal to creature’s HD + 10 (maximum 35).

and the pattern with demons......

VROCK HD:10d8 CR:9 SR 17
HEZROU HD:10d8 CR:11 SR:19
NALFESHNEE HD:14d8 CR:14 SR:22
MARILITH HD:16d8 CR:17 SR:25
BALOR HD:20d8 CR:20 SR:28

....seems to be SR = CR+8

Etc.

 

[Infiniti2000]

I'm merely referring to the back of the MM where it provides guidelines on how to create new monsters. Not having the book with me, I'm remembering CR+12 but I could be off a little (it could be CR+11). Obviously, some creatures are different, but it was the guideline in the RAW.

 

[Nail]

Sure, sure. And it's a great guideline.

Too bad they didn't use it when creating the core monsters, eh?

In the MM there are 58 monsters with SR (specifically excluding all true dragons).

There are 287 non-dragon, non-animal, non-vermin monsters in the MM.

So 20% of "the rest" have SR. The vast majority of those are outsiders (as you'd expect).

 

[ARandomGod]

SR is recommended to be CR+12 in the MM. This means that for the same CR-level opponent, they get roughly a 50% chance (it's actually 45%) to overcome the SR. It's not based on HD, and shouldn't be.

That's a very good idea. And it's why I think the "arcane mastery" feat is awesome. Always taking a ten on caster level checks (like SR?) Very nice. Keep assay resistance scrolls on hand just for those specific higher level cases, and go.

 

[Nail]

....Finally made it thru the data. Yuck....there really is no good database out there that I'm able to use easily in Xcl other than a partial one I found here here .


FYI: The core monsters (MM) don't follow the "SR=CR+12 guideline" for anything other than Devils. Oh, and the

Spoiler

Tarrasque and Hound Archon

.....

Every other monster in the MM has "some other" SR. The more common form is "SR=CR+8"...although there are lots of exceptions.

Either way, the Assay Resistance spell essentailly means you get to ignore SR for "appropriate challenges" at your level. Take that as you will.

 

[Infiniti2000]

!

Well, that's somewhat disheartening, but not entirely unexpected. I had hoped there were only few exceptions (like ropers), with the average being around the guideline. So, it looks like Saeviomagy is probably right in that the reason the archmage IMC uses AR a lot is due to the campaign itself.

I know, I'll just strip every monster of SR!

 

[VorpalStare]

From p. 300 in the MM, the guideline is SR = CR + 11.

 

[Aust Diamondew]

I agree that any spell that lowers or effectively lowers SR is questionable. I'm going to test out assay resistance using the players in my current game and see how bad it actually is. I think it'd be fine if it were a standard action to cast but a free action needs play testing.