Talk:Spell Ward (3.5e Skill Trick)

Comments

The forewarned edit comment makes me think that this was supposed to require a check of some kind to activate. Was that left out on purpose?

Per SRD:Spell Resistance and Spell Immunity, SR does not stack with other sources. The part where you add half your ranks to existing SR goes against that, and I don't know if it's intentional or not. It could also open up situations where you get much worse (because your normal SR is less than half your ranks) or much better SR than this skill trick would give you. If you want stacking, it might be better to say that this SR stacks with any existing SR you have, but can not raise your total SR over your spellcraft ranks +3 (or whatever limit you think appropriate and/or fair).

And I think this is probably a H level trick, not a M one. - Tarkisflux ^Talk 20:48, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

Nope, no check at all. This is a static boost. --Luigifan18 (talk) 20:52, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

Setting max to double spellcraft opens up situations where they are basically magic immune. A SRD:Drow with this trick can have an SR equal to 11 + level (racial) + level (spellcraft ranks) + 3 (more spell craft ranks) = 14 + 2 x level. By level 10 that's 34 SR, and a level 10 caster can't hurt them with spells that allow SR except on a 20 if they also have +4 to their caster level checks somehow. A level 30 character (relevant since you like Epic) is up to 74, and basically off the rails entirely. Is this an acceptable mechanical effect? - Tarkisflux ^Talk 21:10, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

No, I'll tone it down. I want the bonus to be meaningful, but as you pointed, ×2 is too much. Is 1.5× reasonable? I'm just worried that anything less than the actual Spellcraft value won't allow sufficient room for a creature's existing spell resistance, and anything less won't allow for the Spellcraft boost. --Luigifan18 (talk) 22:03, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

1.5 times would just delay the onset of near magic immunity, not eliminate it. If you want something meaningful over all levels and to never have that problem, you might want to use a static boost instead, maybe 7 + ranks. Then at level 1 you have 11 SR, at level 10 you have 20 SR, and so on. At every level you have an even chance of ignoring a spell from a caster of your level who hasn't been investing in breaking through SR. For the stacking, maybe just increase the cap to 10 + ranks or 12 + ranks. Or tune from those numbers, based on what you think an appropriate failure chance for an equal level caster with or without SR penetration investment throwing spells at you should be. As long as it's a X + ranks setup, it won't balloon into crazy town. - Tarkisflux ^Talk 22:09, 31 October 2012 (UTC)