Penetrating Spells
Of all the various types of defenses a monster can have, spell resistance is one of the most hated—at least amongst spellcasters. It’s one thing if your target succeeds on his saving throw: that’s just the way spells work. It’s also fine if he manages to avoid your touch attack, in part because that’s so rare, and in part because it feels like if you miss with a touch attack, it’s more your fault than the target’s. But when your spell has no effect due to spell resistance, it feels like the opponent is cheating. This is due in part to the fact that spell resistance isn’t very common, and in part because it’s an entire extra layer of defense, on top of those that are normally allowed by the spell. It’s like if a fighter had to roll twice on his attack and take the worse result.
Today’s spells are specifically designed to punish spell resistance. They don’t actually bypass it—there are plenty of spells that do that—but they have additional effects that make them more powerful against creatures that have it, allowing mages to finally “get back” at all those dragons and other spell-resistant monsters that have been thumbing their noses at them for years.
INESCAPABLE DREAD
School necromancy [emotion, fear, mind-affecting]; Level antipaladin 4, bard 3, inquisitor 4, sorcerer/wizard 4, witch 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (the pickled liver of a chicken)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one living creature
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw Will negates, see text; Spell Resistance yes
You fill the target’s mind with existential dread, causing him to become panicked unless he succeeds on a Will save. Even if the target succeeds on his Will save, he is shaken for 1 round/level.
If the target has spell resistance, and you successfully overcome it, the target is not allowed a saving throw, and is automatically treated as failing his saving throw. If you fail to overcome the target’s spell resistance, the spell has no effect, as normal.
OLANDER’S INSIDIOUS FOG
School enchantment (compulsion) [mind-affecting]; Level bard 6, sorcerer/wizard 6, witch 6
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect fog spreads in a 20-ft. radius, 20 ft. high
Duration 30 minutes and 2d6 rounds
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes
This spell functions as mind fog, except as noted here. Any creature affected by Olander’s insidious fog treats his spell resistance, if any, as being 10 lower than it actually is for as long as he is affected by the fog.
REFLECTION BOLT
School evocation [electricity]; Level magus 2, sorcerer/wizard 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect one ray
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance yes, see text
You fire a crackling bolt of electrical energy. You must succeed on a ranged touch attack to hit the target. If the attack hits, it inflicts 2d6 points of electricity damage, plus an additional 2d6 point of electricity damage for every three caster levels you possess beyond 3 (to a maximum of 8d6 at 12th level).
If the target has spell resistance, and you fail to overcome it, then the spell ricochets to another target, instead of having no effect. You may choose another target within medium range of both you and the initial target, and make a new ranged touch attack targeting the secondary target. You suffer a -4 penalty on this attack roll. This spell cannot ricochet in this way more than once, even if the secondary target also has spell resistance.
SPELLFLAME
School evocation [fire]; Level magus 3, sorcerer/wizard 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect one ray
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance Yes
A ray of emerald-green flame flies forth from your fingertip and towards the target. You must succeed on a ranged touch attack. If the attack hits, the target suffers an amount of fire damage equal to your caster level, plus an additional 1d8 points of fire damage for every two caster levels you possess (to a maximum of 5d8+10 at 10th level).
If the target has spell resistance, the spellflame is amplified by that spell resistance like light through a lens. If you successfully overcome the target’s spell resistance, you inflict an amount of fire damage equal to 1d8+1 per caster level you possess (to a maximum of 10d8+10 at 10th level). If you fail to overcome the target’s spell resistance, the spell has no effect, as normal.