Spell resistance is making me cry

[H0L7]

for a warmage whats the best way to get past spell resistance

lvl13 warmage
char
race: Vroot
str +2
con +4
dex +5
int +9
wis +4
cha +6

1 feat available but id like later feat selections too

One of my party members has plenty of cash so gimme item suggestions too

i appreciate the help

[TheOOB]

Well, spell penetration and greater spell penetration are great if you have the feat slots. Otherwise try getting an item that allows you to use assay resistance(Complete Arcane I believe).

[Edan]

You can also try boosting your caster level.

The only thing that comes to mind right off the top of my head is an Orange Ioun Stone, but they cost 30,000gp and only give +1.

Magic Item Compendium might have more stuff, but I lack that book.

[Arbitrarity]

Warmage... yuck. As a wizard, you could get the SpC's Assay Spell resistance, but I'm not sure if you can get that as warmage. Use SR: No spells? Warmages don't have many.

Fortify spell metamagic is +1 adjustment per +2 on checks to overcome SR. Meh.

[UserClone]

You could try Fortify Spell (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Fortify_Spell,all), if you're just desperate to connect when it comes to certain encounters. I could certainly see it being useful.

[Reel On, Love]

Use the Orb spells. They're SR: No.

[UserClone]

Yeah, he's right. I'd only bother with Fortify spell for like an AOE situation with multiple SR baddies grouped together.

[dspeyer]

There's some pretty good warmage spells that ignore SR: stinking cloud and orb of X for example. You can also pick up forcecage as advanced learning.

[jcsw]

If you're looking to boost caster level the Bead of Karma off the Strand of Prayer beads (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#strandofPrayerBeads) will boost your caster level by +4 for 10 minutes a day, it costs 20,000 gp on it's own so you could try getting your DM to let you buy a strand "Missing everything but the bead of karma"

[FlyMolo]

If you're looking to boost caster level the Bead of Karma off the Strand of Prayer beads (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#strandofPrayerBeads) will boost your caster level by +4 for 10 minutes a day, it costs 20,000 gp on it's own so you could try getting your DM to let you buy a strand "Missing everything but the bead of karma"

Used magic item lots: Suppling players with what they need since 1840.

One bead items, one charge wands, and cursed items.

[Reinboom]

If you're looking to boost caster level the Bead of Karma off the Strand of Prayer beads (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#strandofPrayerBeads) will boost your caster level by +4 for 10 minutes a day, it costs 20,000 gp on it's own so you could try getting your DM to let you buy a strand "Missing everything but the bead of karma"


the beads of karma and summons can be activated by any character capable of casting divine spells.

He would have to multiclass in to a divine class in order to use it. (There seems to be no restrictions upon utilizing it for arcane, you just have to be divine to activate it).

Boosting Caster Level (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=615672) is a good place to look.

[Iku Rex]

You want a Third Eye: Penetrate (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/items/universalItems.htm#penetrate). There's an almost identical version in the MIC that explicitly works on caster level.
8000 gp, +2 spell resistance rolls.

[serow]

There's Spell Rehearsal tactical feat from Race of the Dragon, which cumulatively increases your SR check by 2 every time you cast the same spell, as one of its options.

Not particularly optimal, but it's interesting.

[Nebo_]

I'd say that your biggest problem is your Level Adjustment. I don't know what a Vroot is and I don't really want to know, because it sounds ridiculous, but with stats like that it must have an enormous level adjustment, which eats into your caster levels. The best way to deal with spell resistance is to buy off the level adjustment or kill the character and make one that doesn't suck.

[Edea]

I'd say that your biggest problem is your Level Adjustment. I don't know what a Vroot is and I don't really want to know, because it sounds ridiculous, but with stats like that it must have an enormous level adjustment, which eats into your caster levels. The best way to deal with spell resistance is to buy off the level adjustment or kill the character and make one that doesn't suck.

Yeah, Google's got nothin' on a PC Vroot, mostly just tech site listings.

OP: You're not playing a Vrock, are you? Cause if so, that is going to **** your character over all the way down to the Abyss. I don't think they even GIVE an LA for those.

[Irreverent Fool]

Robes of the Archmagi give the wearer +2 to overcome SR.

As a warmage, I think you're pretty much hosed. Find interesting way to use your spells... like destroying the surrounding area.

My sorcerer and his party had a climactic encounter with a dragon at the end of a story arc (cliche I know, but it is Dungeons & Dragons after all). Despite my best efforts, the sorcerer could not manage to beat the dragon's spell resistance. I sat thinking as the party was rapidly expending resources and fighting what seemed to be a losing battle. Then I remembered that the DM had mentioned a gigantic chandelier (we were in a giant-sized hall in a ridiculously large castle) hanging several hundred feet above. A simple zip upward into range followed by a disintigrate spell once the beast was in position gave us the most wonderful 1000lb object falling 300 feet onto an unsuspecting enemy ever.

[H0L7]

I'd say that your biggest problem is your Level Adjustment. I don't know what a Vroot is and I don't really want to know, because it sounds ridiculous, but with stats like that it must have an enormous level adjustment, which eats into your caster levels. The best way to deal with spell resistance is to buy off the level adjustment or kill the character and make one that doesn't suck.

{Scrubbed}

everyone else thank you for your help i took assay with my higher learning

this char is actually a gestalt bard13 factotum3/warmage10 hes primarily a knowledge/skill monkey its nice to blast {Scrubbed} the surrounding baddies between buffs and the obscene int and cha make the warmage a good option with edge

Vroot are a type of Nerra native to the plane of mirrors [Fiend Folio] Technically he is a shattered Vroot

[Talic]

First, that's a bit... harsh of a response, considering that everyone here is mostly trying to find the problem (and there is one). It's generally considered bad form, when someone makes a post criticizing a character build, to make a post criticizing the person directly.

Second, the point is valid. LA Buyoff is not available at level 1. It's only slowly available as you gain levels, based on the total LA of the class.

Further, if you're having a problem with spell resistance, as a caster, that points to a character flaw. Many options will likely be thrown out to find that flaw, whether it's LA, poor feat selection, poor spell selection, etc.

For example, with your build, Practiced Spellcaster may be a good feat, as it boosts caster level by 4 for a single caster class (pushing warblade up to 13, and allowing for a PrC level without impacting the CL of warblade). There are better blaster options that synergize with bard more (Seeker of the Song, I believe, that or Sublime chord, can't remember which... whichever one gets refrains as a swift action), but your concept is valid.

Other things that would help are spells that don't allow spell resistance. As others said, the various Orb spells are great for this.

Greater synergy would also exist in a build which featured bard and warlock, as light armor casting and charisma focus are ideal to both classes. Other options include:

Bard 13 // Warlock 13 (or appropriate themed PrC's also)
Bard 13 // Fighter 1/Sorceror 12 (Fighter is the armored caster variant from Complete Mage)

Factotum + Practiced spellcaster can be slipped in there as well. Generally, Warmage edge is not an incredibly large source of extra damage, and other classes would better be able to add to the build's concept of blasting.

[Chronicled]

{Scrubbed}

[H0L7]

gestalt the char is level 13 the classes overlap with bard as the primary this is not an epic level character.
everyone has a template or some ecl3+ race we got free buy off. We even have a Toric Gold Dragon though hes only lvl4

the factotum 3 lvls gives all dex and str skills your int bonus we need that skill monkey.

on the orb spells where can i find a rule saying that they are not subject to spell resistance because that would basically solve my problem.

[Irreverent Fool]

for a warmage whats the best way to get past spell resistance

lvl13 warmage
char
race: Vroot
str +2
con +4
dex +5
int +9
wis +4
cha +6


I know it's off topic, but... these stat bonuses can't be from your race alone. A Vroot would have
Dex +4
Con +2
Wis +4
Cha +6

[Talic]

gestalt the char is level 13 the classes overlap with bard as the primary this is not an epic level character.
everyone has a template or some ecl3+ race we got free buy off. We even have a Toric Gold Dragon though hes only lvl4

the factotum 3 lvls gives all dex and str skills your int bonus we need that skill monkey.

on the orb spells where can i find a rule saying that they are not subject to spell resistance because that would basically solve my problem.

In the spell description. It says:

SR: None.

Though unless I am incredibly mistaken, the Tauric template is not eligible to gold dragons. That class requires a large quadruped that is either an animal or a magical beast, and a gold dragon is neither. On top of that, the first age category which has the required size is Very young, with 11 hd, and a LA of +5. Even with a free LA buyoff, that's a lot of HD for a campaign.

[H0L7]

thank you for the spell info

and no those arent from teh race alone those are just teh totla ability modifiers the char has. we ran into a room with 1000000 dire vampiric monkeys and 1000000 typewriters that had been there for something like a billion years so we found some tomes and manuals

[Irreverent Fool]

on the orb spells where can i find a rule saying that they are not subject to spell resistance because that would basically solve my problem.

They start on pg. 150 of the Spell Compendium and as Talic points out the spell description of 'Orb of Acid, Lesser' which is referenced by all the other Orb spells does in fact say 'Spell Resistance: None'.

Edit: To nitpick, you're normally limited to a maximum of +5 inherent bonus to any ability score and such bonuses overlap rather than stacking. For example, if you were to gain a +2 inherent bonus and later gain a +1 inherent bonus, you would effectively still only have the +2 bonus. But I'm starting to get the feeling that RAW isn't really your playstyle so I'll leave you alone about it.

[Talic]

I know it's off topic, but... these stat bonuses can't be from your race alone. A Vroot would have
Dex +4
Con +2
Wis +4
Cha +6


I assume he means modifiers:

str +2 (Str score = 14-15)
con +4 (con = 18-19)
dex +5 (dex = 20-21)
int +9 (Int = 28-29)
wis +4 (wis = 18-19)
cha +6 (cha = 22-23)

Before racial, that would be:
Str 14-15
Dex 16-17
Con 16-17
Int 28-29
Wis 14-15
Cha 16-17

Assume a int stat item at +6, and 3 level boosts in int, and that puts it down to Int 19.

Still an OP game, but within semi-reasonable standards.

Equivalent of a 58 point buy, with a +1 inherent boost from a tome added in.

[Nebo_]

{Scrubbed}

everyone else thank you for your help i took assay with my higher learning

this char is actually a gestalt bard13 factotum3/warmage10 hes primarily a knowledge/skill monkey its nice to blast {Scrubbed} the surrounding baddies between buffs and the obscene int and cha make the warmage a good option with edge

Vroot are a type of Nerra native to the plane of mirrors [Fiend Folio] Technically he is a shattered Vroot

First: Reported.

Second, as Talic already said, you can't buy off LA at level 1.

Third: Do you see the three lost levels of Warmage? That's three caster levels you're missing.

Fourth: Any campaign where you're running a Warmage isn't a high powered campaign, it's probably just one where people spam templates and get lots of gold.

[Telonius]

Cheapest option is probably going to be a widget of x/day Assay Spell Resistance.

[Person_Man]

{Scrubbed}

everyone else thank you for your help i took assay with my higher learning

this char is actually a gestalt bard13 factotum3/warmage10 hes primarily a knowledge/skill monkey its nice to blast {Scrubbed} the surrounding baddies between buffs and the obscene int and cha make the warmage a good option with edge

Vroot are a type of Nerra native to the plane of mirrors [Fiend Folio] Technically he is a shattered Vroot

There is no reason to flame. I consider it especially poor taste to flame another regular, especially when they make a reasonable suggestion, and certainly when you're new to the forums. Perhaps in the future, you may wish to take a different tact.

A Bard 13//Factotum 3/Warmage 10 is quite sub-optimal.

A general guideline is to never give up caster levels. A Whatever 13//Caster 13 would have a much easier time, because it's caster level (which you use for SR checks) would be 3 higher, and it would have access to spells 2 levels higher. And even with LA buyoff, you still end up a few levels behind a PC that doesn't use LA, which could put you at a severe disadvantage compared to ECL appropriate enemy casters.

Consider Factotum 13//Warmage 13. Cunning Surge + full spellcasting is huge. Otherwise, just follow the advice others have given - use no SR spells, take Practiced Spellcaster, and be mindful of your environment (chandeliers, stalactites, bodies of water, etc) so that you can use it to your advantage.

[SolkaTruesilver]

Hum, last time I played a Wizard, I took Elven Spell Lore to help me going around spell resistance. It allows me to re-roll caster level check 3 times/day (along other bonuses. I chosed to be able to substitute any elemental damage for Force Damage. Find me 1 monster who has Force Resistance. The DM was not happy:smalltongue:)

[H0L7]

I apologize for my earlier rudeness

this character is not primarily a damage dealer he is first a knowledge monkey(bard) secondly a buffer third a skill monkey(factotum) and lastly a blaster honestly to this point he has been able to deal fairly heavy damage with little effort while still having his buffs going (lingering and song of the heart) he has taken 2 leadership feats which at this cha bonus and the fact that our toric is a paladin with the same leaves us with more gold than god not to mention a small city.

as of yet this char has yet to fail on any front of his skill set. Hes only going to need to make it to lvl 16 bard as hes wearing the lordly vestments.

i would like suggestions for the 4 as of yet unassigned levels I was thinking something to boost the warmage caster level preferably with some more perks too

[Irreverent Fool]

I assume he means modifiers...
(snip)
Equivalent of a 58 point buy, with a +1 inherent boost from a tome added in.

Well that makes more sense. I just naturally assume that anyone who isn't me is wrong until proven otherwise. You seem to have proven otherwise. :smallbiggrin:


i would like suggestions for the 4 as of yet unassigned levels I was thinking something to boost the warmage caster level preferably with some more perks too

As a warmage, I would suggest pretty much anything that expands your limited spell list. Fiend-Blooded isn't an AWFUL choice and has some neat perks. Or you could go for something like Incantrix.

[H0L7]

i made a separate post about the later class levels

also please include which book the class you mention is in