How to make your spells ignore magic resistance.

[Lark]

Attention, cheese ahead!

Every spell, that is not party friendly can be made to ignore magic resistance.

I'll explain how. First I'd like to give an example. Perhaps you have noticed, that spells you cast at yourself will always affect you. Equip Viconia to raise her magic resistance to 100%. Have Aerie cast Flamestrike at Viconia - Viconia will resist. Then let Viconia cast Flamestrike at herself - she will get hurt.

Thesis I: Spells, that you cast at yourself ignore your magic resistance.

Now let us look a peculiar spell. You will probably know, that Sunfire will ignore magic resistance (if used by the party). What makes this spell so special? The spell will do the following:
-It produces a fireball with a damage cap of 15d6.
-It sets your resistance to fire and magic fire to 100% for a short time.
-It is automatically aimed at the caster.
-It will as a matter of fact ignore magic resistance.

Thesis II: Spells that you cast at yourself will not only ignore your own magic resistance, they will completely ignore magic resistance.

Now let me give another example. Let Aerie cast Holy Smite at Viconia - Viconia will resist. Now let Viconia cast Holy Smite at herself - Viconia will still resist. What has happened? Viconia will not have cast really at herself, but instead at the ground beneath her feet. Every spell that lets you target the ground doesn't let you target a person. Be it that you aim at the portrait or the avatar, you will still hit the ground. [To clarify this I will give another example: Everyone will probably have experienced the following situation: A party member is affected by fear and runs wildly around; You cast Resist Fear at his portrait , but once you have finished casting, the panicked character is far, far away, and your spell travels unselessly at the place, where the character has been at the beginning of the casting.] In order to be able to target a person, and thus yourself with a spell it mustn't allow you to target the ground.

So we are looking for spells that fulfill the following conditions:

-They must not be party friendly
-They must not let you target the ground. (In order to be able to target yourself)
-They should affect more than one person. (Well that is not really a necessity, but we are trying to [ab]use the fact, that spells targeted at yourself will ignore magic resistance, by letting others (preferably enemies) share in the effect.)
Most area spells are targeted at the ground (e.g. Fireball, Holy Smite), and those that are not, are usually party friendly (e.g. Hold Person, Insect Plague).

So, are there any such spells?

There is one such spell, Lightning Bolt. Unfortunately it is far to unpredictable (even more unpredictable than it is already) if you cast it at yourself. Move Viconia and Aerie to a small room. Let Aerie cast Protection from Lightning at herself, then let her fire a Lightning Bolt, again at herself – Viconia will get fried by the rebounds. Magic resistance will not help her.

Is this really the only spell that can be used in this fashion?

It is, but there are ways.
1)Triggers don't let you target the ground.
2)Contingencies can be set to target: self.
3)There are some area spell casting devices, that don't let you target the ground.(e.g. the Fireball of the Book of Infinite Spells, the Wand of Frost)

Move Aerie next to Viconia. Let Aerie prepare a Spell Sequencer with three Holy Smites, then let her fire it at herself – Viconia will get blasted. Magic resistance will not help her.

There are many more examples, what to do to magic resistant foes. Protect yourself from magic damage. Fill a Sequencer with three skulltraps and visit some mindflayers. Fill a Minor Sequencer with two Stinking Clouds and see that Firkraag is not immune to the sleep effect. Protect yourself from fire, then show those drow what a Chain Contingency filled with three Fire Clouds can do. See some Golems stuck by your Sequencer of Web, Web, Web. And much more. Courtesy to UU: Sequencer with Mirror Image, Skull Trap, Skull Trap, Chain Contingency with Sun Fire, Delayed Blast Fireball, Delayed Blast Fireball. Of course, all of the above targeted on self.

But only spells, that are not party friendly will work this way. Move Aerie next to a hostile Mindflayer. Let Aerie load a Chain Contingency with three ADHWs, set to target: self. Trigger the Chain Contingency – The Mindflayer will be unscathed.

Conclusion: Any spell, that is not party friendly, will ignore magic resistance, if you target it at yourself.

Prize question: Knowing all this, how do you make a Meteor Swarm ignore magic resistance?


Best regards,
Lark.

P.S.: Comments are welcome.
P.P.S.: I have nothing against Viconia, she is just the only available character with sufficient magic resistance.
P.P.P.S.: This is my first posting here. Cheers Ironworks!

[ 09-09-2006, 11:48 AM: Message edited by: Lark ]

[Iron Greasel]

Impressive bit of research you have done there.

And welcome to Ironworks.

[Harkoliar]

hes from Germany.. they need to do things very logical manner .

welcome to IW [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Armen]

very nice - welcome indeed to Ironworks

[Kyrvias]

Wow, that's one hell of a first post. Kudos.

On a related note, what you say makes sense... Time for testing!