Saturday spellcaster strategies #5: lowering resistances

XerxesV

I think the best spell in the game is polymorph other. Turning your enemies into a squirrel is just too fun to pass up. Unfortunately, I can only get it to work on low level hobgoblins, and even that is hit and miss.

Can anyone advise me on the best ways to lower someone's resistances and saves so I can increase the rodent population of the sword coast?

Polymorph has its own save roll, but is it also covered by magic resistance? Is it possible to lower Drizzt until he is susceptible?

You guys recommended using spell trigger and contingencies to cast lots of doom, Malasion and lower resistance. Isn't there an abjuration spell that works also?

Thanks!

Kaltzor

Well, I find the best way to lower resistance is to have multiple casters who can do it...

The Lower Resistance spell stacks so you can remove most if not all resistance enemies have to magic.

Dragon fights became a lot easier after hitting them with 2 Lower Resistances, since then mages we no longer useless.

For spells with saving throw negates, like the polymorph used as an example, I think it is always possible for them to actually fail it, but I think most named enemies have been rendered immune to stuff like instant death and polymorph.

Eudaemonium

I found a Bolt of Ploymorphing on my last playthrough. Just one. I saved it the whole game for that one special enemy.

The Irenicus stole it from me.

lunar

Most tough enemies are immune to polymorph effect, like demons and all bosses. Since it is a spell, it is affected by magic resistance.

3x lower resistance in a spell trigger will lower most enemy's resistance. Alternatively you can cast magic resistance with a lov lvl cleric, it sets the magic resistance so if you cast it with a lvl 9 cleric on a dragon with %70 mr, you will set its mr to %18, quite useful.

Note that current bg:ee version (not beta patch) has a bugged polymorph other spell that may not work even though when it should.

ZanathKariashi

Lower Resistance and Pierce Magic (weaker lowering effect, but also removes spell protections) are technically Alteration, Abjuration, so should be available to all mages, regardless of specialization...but I can't remember if EE uses proper dual-schools or not. (BG2 largely dropped it, while BG1 and IWD used for it some, but not all spells that should've had it, like Chromatic Orb and Melf's MM supposed to be Evocation, Alteration or Horrid Wilting being Necromancy, Alteration).


Though there aren't very many choices available that haven't already been covered. Glitterdust is supposed to have a save debuff, but it was apparently left off and has just been decided to be not implemented correctly.



And surprisingly enough, the Cleric's Magic resistance spell is NOT cheese when using it in that manner (though forcing it on a hostile target is supposed to require a save vs spells and a touch attack), the spell really is meant to pull double duty as both a Defensive and offensive spell.

(If 18% MR doesn't sound too useful, keep in mind, in PnP MR never stacks with anything. Only the best value is used, and most MR items only grant between 5% and 10%, barring rare high level stuff like a Mantle of Magic Resistance (40% MR, +2 all saves), or very specialized things like the Paladin holy sword effect's 50% MR vs Evil casters.

XerxesV

Brilliant. Thank you! I never think outside the box with cleric spells. I'll have to do a cleric/Mage solo run to practice.

Corvino

Casting magic resistance to lower the resistance of a high MR enemy as @lunar suggests is very useful. It also doesn't turn neutral foes hostile, so you can cast it quite safely on Drizzt, Firkraag or whoever you choose before initiating a fight.

XerxesV

Corvino said:

Casting magic resistance to lower the resistance of a high MR enemy as @lunar suggests is very useful. It also doesn't turn neutral foes hostile, so you can cast it quite safely on Drizzt, Firkraag or whoever you choose before initiating a fight.

Ooooooo nice

nano

Here Drizzt, let me buff you in case any enemy wizards attack while we're talking... sorry, I'm kinda new at this... oh, look, enemy wizards! With wands of paralyzation!

Cowled_wizard

I think the topic needs a bit more discussion.
For example, just as a reminder, if you are fighting leeches, lower magic resistance, it is 5th lvl, and so it might not work.
Furthermore, it what order do you cast spells? Casters with high magic resistance are a pain in the ass. First you need to eliminate the defenses in order to get the lower resistance spell in. In those cases, 6th lvl spell ¨pierce¨ and 8th lvl spell ¨pierce shield¨might be a better option.

Endgame groups can be specially painful for wizards do deal with. A group of 6 drow with high mr and some with spell protections are just too many to lower their mr, In those cases, imho the wizard has either: use spells that avoid mr (as far as i know, comet, dragon breath and sunfire, but sunfire hurts ur team as well) or just conjurations and buffing teammates.

lunar

Cowled_wizard said:

I think the topic needs a bit more discussion.
For example, just as a reminder, if you are fighting leeches, lower magic resistance, it is 5th lvl, and so it might not work.
Furthermore, it what order do you cast spells? Casters with high magic resistance are a pain in the ass. First you need to eliminate the defenses in order to get the lower resistance spell in. In those cases, 6th lvl spell ¨pierce¨ and 8th lvl spell ¨pierce shield¨might be a better option.

Endgame groups can be specially painful for wizards do deal with. A group of 6 drow with high mr and some with spell protections are just too many to lower their mr, In those cases, imho the wizard has either: use spells that avoid mr (as far as i know, comet, dragon breath and sunfire, but sunfire hurts ur team as well) or just conjurations and buffing teammates.

Liches generally don't have great magic resistance, they have excellent save vs spells, though. IIRC Comet spell does not bypass magic resistance, but Dragon Breath does it by design. Sunfire also bypasses magic resistance and is the cheapest solution to pesky drow. I think the designers named the spell 'sun' because well, drows hate the sun, rightfully. Fire storm spell (priest lvl 7) also bypasses mr and fries drow, as well as Avenger's Chain Lightning. (not mage meteor swarm or chain lightning, oddly.)

Cowled_wizard

interesting stuff lunar... ill never use comet again then.... on the other hand, im gonna try to use firestorm way more... wish manual said which spells do bypass mr and which dont.

bbear

@lunar: Of the many games of BG2, I never knew that Avenger's Chain Lightning bypasses magic resistance.

All dragons in BG2 have MR 60% or less, so 2-3 charges of lower resistance should do the trick. Make sure to cast greater malison and doom before hand. Lower resistance ignores all spell protections, so you can safely target anyone except invisible enemies.

For liches, any spells above lvl 5 should work. A lich is giving you a tough time? Cast creeping doom on a lich summon. The pest will spread to the improved invisible/misled lich if nearby.