Magic Resistance

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Just a little question I'd like cleared up, it may have been asked before and it scope is partly TOB as well as SOA -

A Wizard Slayer at level 19 has 38% magic resistance. Equipped with the following -

Amulet of Seldarine 10%
Balduran Cloak 25%
Ring of Gaxx 10%
dual wielding -
Flame of North 10%
Sword of balduran 10%

I make his Magic Resistance 103%.

Or perhaps a Monk

Base at 26 level 78% magic resistance? with ring of gaxx, cloak of balduran and seldarine amulet has 123% magic resistance.

What effect will this have in game - does it block all spells - or does it just block magical damage?
If Abi dalsims was cast on a character with a magic res of 120% would they get 20% of the damage in healing, similar to fire damage on characters with over 100% fire resistance?
If for example this character visited Kangaxx could he just laugh at his attempts to imprison them?

Another question as a side note - if a Wizard Slayer dualed to a thief - could he acquire the use any item ability in TOB - and perhaps use carsomyr? for 133%

I know this is going to spark the old - why would you like to ruin the game by powergaming debate of, but I'm not interested in this - I just want to know if anyones tried it?

 

Your wizard slayer can't use those items.

Magic resistance just gives a chance to block spells, therefore if u have over 100% you are immune to magic, resistance to magic damage is another thing

 

It is called Magic Damage Resistance, if you have %120 MDR, anything that does pure magic damage to you like:ABDHW, skulltrap, or Magic Missile, will heal you.

Magic Resistance is your chance of ignoring a hostile spell completely, be it a fireball, ABDHW, charm or confusion effect.

So if you have %100+ MR all spells will fail to affect you.

Note that some spells and abilities are NOT blocked by MR. Sunfire, Firestorm, Dragon Breath, and most notably, the feared Imprisonment.

Hope this helps you.

 

The not blocking friendly healing spells is a change from BG1. It helps but it takes the question out of whether healing spells will work. That was part of the fun in BG1.

 

You can't dual-wield the Flame of the North. It's a two-hander. So your hypothetical magic resistence for the Wizard Slayer would only be 93%.

 

I guess if you're cheating to bring in the cloak, anyone can wear it.... At least, I've never found the cloak legitimitely in the game (only BG1 and it gets taken from you).

I thought magic resistance was based on an 11th level enemy spellcaster. If the enemy spellcaster is higher level, the magic resistance is decreased by 5% per level above 11th. For a lower level spellcaster the resistance is raised by a similar amount. Granted these are old core rules and the BG saga may not follow those rules.

I had a paladin with high magic resistance (70%), I still got hit A LOT by high level enemy spellcasters. I tend to try for immunity where ever possible.

 

Not to mention that a wizard slayer at level 19 would only have 19% MR, not 38. But enough nitpicking! It'd be 74% at level 40 even without items, and the items weren't what he was asking about anyway.

MR is pretty simple. It works a percent of the time equal to your MR pecentage, and when it does it simply makes the spell not affect you at all. For healing from offensive magic, you'd need magic damage resistance as others have pointed out.

 

I read soemthing about getting the cloak of Balduran through importing a character or something like that. Perhaps that's only if you didn't find the helmet or something though. I would have actually prefered the cloak myself.

 

Level has no bearing on MR. A level one character with 100% magic resistance will resist a level thirty mage's spells every time. Where is this rule from, though? I've read a fair few rulebooks and I've never heard of it... in the second edition handbook, at least, MR is completely independent from level.

Also, the thing about resisting healing spells is somewhat illogical, since creatures with MR can lower their MR at will if they wish to be affected by a particular spell.

 

Quibbles aside the question I was asking is if 100%+ MR possible? I didn't spend a lot of time looking into the various items, so apologies for that. It seems to me that 100% is possible - although I'm going to have to try it out myself to make certain perhaps with a Monk rather than a Wizard Slayer.
It is suprising that Imprisonment would work - when it is blocked by a protection from Magic scroll - the very name of which would indicate that imprisonment (be it the spell or the ability) is magical. Just another inconsistency of this marvellous game.

 

The confusion probably stems from 3rd edition Spell Resistance, which is affected by level.

 

100% Magic Resistance is possible. Easiest way to get it is to start with Viconia. She starts with 65% Ring of Gaxx and Balduran's cloak would put her at 100%. Everything above that would just help against Lower Resistance and Pierce Shield because they have to take more away.

Needing only a single strength enhancing item she becomes quite the outright defender very easily. you can get the Shield of the Lost Early on is a nice start. +3 to AC and 5% magic resistance.

With the strength enhancing item you can also give her some of the best armor, which there are plenty of. You can also get a good low AC since she has excellent Dexterity. -7 early on is well in the realm of possible.

The Amulet of Magic Resistance is also a good start until you can get the better ones kalugan's or the Amulet of Seldarine.

You push her Magic Resistance up to 80% just with The combination of the Second Amulet and the shield.

Then my understanding is that the Human Flesh Armor has 20%magic resistance that only evil characters can wear. Viconia is evil. Thus she would have 100%.

Completely legal and findable just in the singular game. It would also give her a -4 AC in just 3 items. Those Being the Human Skin Armor, The Amulet of Seldarine(Or Kuligan's), and Shield of the Lost.

Now if you don't mind creating items(seen often as cheating) or you can discover if there is some secret to having the Balduran's cloak on import then The balduran's is a better choice. It is Also 3 items but does not take up the Armor slot. The Amulet of Seldarine(Or Kuligan's), The Cloak of Balduran, and the Shield of the Lost gives Viconia 105% Magic Resistance, A Lower AC from not using the Armor slot as well as an aditional +1 from the cloak, and an extra +1 bonus to saves above that possible to get for the Amulet of Amulet of Seldarine. With at least a -8AC just from Say Wearing a +1 Full Platemail(Easily outclassed later in the game. specially if you give her priority to armor). I think you'll agree that the second option is the superior choice.

I know that many will argue about the fact that Viconia's strength starts out low. But there are many strength enhancing items in the game. The fighters can easily hold their own until you get two of them. The GoOP and the Hill Giant Strength belt are easy to get early on and relatively easy to find for experienced players. Either works for her. Half of the True Warriors(Fighter, Paladin, Ranger) In the core npc's have strength in the 18's anyway making the GoOP being a minor boost and preferably outdone by at least 19strength anyway if your out to powergame.

So You turn her into a tank. Can have her back up your fighters and fully support them thanks to a single Strength Item and you gain a very powerful protector that can get into battle and heal and when leveled up can actually take control over several of the more annoying enemies to make them fight for you. Specially since she seems almost ready built to wield Crom Faeyr.

[ March 02, 2006, 13:33: Message edited by: starwalker ]

 

No, it comes form the original Dungeon Master's Guide. In AD&D the ability to overcome an enemy's magic resistance WAS based on level (11th level, as I mentioned before, was the point where there were no additions or reductions).

It just makes sense that an arch-mage could overcome magic resistance better/easier than novice.

 

Solaufein is also an excellent choice if you're looking to get an easy 100% MR.

As for countering Horrid Wiltings and the like, the Belt of Inertial Barrier grants 50% resistance to magic damage, IIRC.

The Cloak of Balduran is part of Tactics (And yeah you can probably import it), you have to get it off a Lich in the docks district.

 

And the Mana Bow gets you another 20% magic damage resistance.

 

Oops.

Regarding magic damage resistance, I think Valygar's armor grants an additional 20%. With the Belt and the Bow he would have 90%. Helps in case you don't have Protection From Magical Energy memorized a gazillion times. It's very nice against those demons that like to use Vampiric Touch over and over.

 

Umm, I don't think I've ever made a character reach 100% MR. But are you saying that if you get OVER 100% and you get attacked by magical energy that you'll actually be healed???

 

No. Magic resistance and magic damage resistance are not the same. Anything over 100% magic resistance gives you no additional bonus, your character is just unaffected by spells that check magic resistance (almost all of them). Magic damage resistance is like fire resistance, except that instead of reducing/absorbing fire damage, it reduces/absorbs magic damage, such as that from a magic missile, or a skull trap, or Abi-Dalzim's horrid wilting.

 

Over 100% Magic Damage Resistance such as that gained from the Belt of Inertial Barier and the Mana bow which is a resistance like Fire Resistance or Cold Resistance and would heal you.

Magic Resistance is a bit different and spells never get to the damage stage so you will not be healed. Anything over 100% only has one use. Helping to protect your magic resistance from lower resistance type spells.

If you managed to have 130% Magic Resistance and a mage that can lower Resistance by 35% uses a spell that does so on you. Your resistance would go down to 95% of just outright blocking spells. If you only had 100% and the same spell was cast you would go right down to 65% instead and be much more susceptable.

Valygar's armor is actually 25% to Fire, Cold, and Magic Damage. That would make it 95% with the three Items. I think that is the maximum possible without some kind of mod item.

 

Oh I gotcha now, so in order for you to absorb magic damage (and in the case of you having over 100%) the description needs to say, 'magic damge' not 'magic resistance'? Sorry, it's just I've never really payed much attention to this before!