The concept of magic resistance has an
appeal that can be . . . irresistible. But
many DMs who try to use magic resistance
in a playing session find it raising
more problems than it solves: When does
it operate? When, if ever, does it not?
Exactly how does it work? This article
attempts to answer those questions, and
more, about the effects of magic resistance
and how it is used in the AD&D™ game.

Standard magic resistance, which is
what player characters and most monsters
have, simply means that the being concerned
makes a saving throw when subjected
to most magical influences.
(Unconscious or surprised creatures do
not always get a saving throw.) For those
who make the saving throw, it means
somehow dodging the magical blow;
withstanding it through the rage of combat
or the will to win; calling upon
divine intervention to partially deflect the
spell; or perhaps using one’s own
“inborn” magic to dissipate the spell’s
power (in the cases of thieves, fighters,
clerics, and magic-users, respectively).

However, many creatures (demons, devils,
and the like) have a chance of not
being affected at all by a certain magical
force, and this form of magic resistance
may vary according to the level of the
caster hurling the spell at the magicresistant
creature. This sort of “percentage”
magic resistance is explained in the
FIEND FOLIO® Tome and the DEITIES
& DEMIGODS™ Cyclopedia (and less well
so in the Monster Manual). A specialized
form of this magic resistance, possessed
by creatures like nycadaemons, takes into
account the level of the spell, not of the
caster.

Another specialized form is uniform
magic resistance, where the percentage
value listed applies against all spell levels
and all levels of casters. (See Heward,
Keoghtom, and Murlynd in “Greyhawk’s
World,” issue #71.) Note that all magic resistant
creatures are allowed a regular
saving throw (when applicable) if their
magic resistance roll is failed. 

Magic resistance is effective against
magical spells and spell-like abilities that
would otherwise directly affect a creature,
including potions. It applies against
druid, illusionist, and cleric spells as well
as magic-user spells, and the procedure
for determining success (resistance) or
failure (vulnerability) is the same for all
types of magic.

Magic resistance applies only to the
creature or object that possesses it, and to
things the being wears or carries, and has
no range as such. In special cases, such as
when a magic-user has a pseudodragon
familiar, magic resistance is transferable
to someone else even if the two figures
involved are not physically touching.
These cases, of course, are rare in the
extreme.

The Monster Manual implies (on p. 5)
that any spell cast in the presence of a
magic-resistant creature will fail, but this
is false. The effect of the spell has a
chance of failing, but generally only with
However, if the magic-resistant monster
was the fireball?s primary target, the
fireball will fail to go off entirely if the
monster makes its magic-resistance roll. If
its magic resistance fails, the monster
(like any other creature) will get a regular
saving throw against the spell. (The orcs
get to save, too, but would probably get
toasted.) If a spell normally allows no
saving throw (magic missile, for
instance), then the spell will have full
normal effect on the creature if its magic
resistance fails.

When a magic-resistant creature is
potentially able to be affected by magic
cast from an item (a wand, staff, rod, or
similar device), the creature will resist the
magic just as if it came from the casting
of a spell. The level of magic-use can be
determined for certain items; wands operate
at the 6th level of ability, staves at the
8th level, and so forth.

Spells cast from certain items that have
no level of magic use assigned to them
(such as a charm spell cast from a magical
sword) are assumed to come from a
12th-level magic-user (the lowest level of
magic-user who can manufacture magical
items) unless the magic would obviously
come from a higher-level caster (power
word, kill, for instance). Higher-level
spells are assumed to come from a spell
caster of the minimum level needed to
cast such a spell, unless otherwise stated
in the history of the item. A rod that can
cast incendiary cloud, for instance, is
assumed to have been made by a 16thlevel
M-U, the minimum level required to
cast such a spell, unless the item is noted
as having been made by someone of
higher level.

For certain items, like artifacts, it?s up
to the DM to decide the level of the caster
who created the device in order to determine
its spell effects. This may be done
on a case-by-case basis without much
trouble. Generally, very high levels (16+)
of spell use are involved.

Other magical powers (like the effects
of a chime of hunger) do not seem to have
a correlated spell or spell level to match
with them. This is a property of many
non-weapon items like ropes of entanglement,
and of many things that must be
worn or swallowed to be effective
(potions, rings, and assorted miscellaneous
magical items). The effects of these
items will be resisted if the creature they
are used on makes its magic-resistance
roll as if its resistance were uniform; for
example, a night hag is always 65% resistant
to being affected by a rope of
entanglement.

Magic resistance only applies against
spells that would have a direct effect on
the magic-resistant creature ? generally
those effects that threaten to change the
creature in some way. Magic resistance
does not apply against magical armor,
shields, or weapons: a suit of +2 armor
worn by a demon will still work like +2
armor. This is because these items? effects
apply only to the items themselves, and
do not directly affect the wearer.

For the same reason, a magic-resistant
being could use a wand of magic missiles
against other creatures, but might have
trouble shooting the missiles at itself.

By contrast, magic resistance does
apply against any effect that would add a
bonus or penalty to a creature?s normal
saving throw, armor class, ?to hit? roll,
and so forth.

Magic resistance does not negate the
magical bonuses of a weapon ? ever ?
and if a weapon has special powers on
successful hits (e.g., the sharpness or lifedraining
power of some swords), magic
resistance will not help against that
power. If a sword can cast spells like a
wand or similar device, then magic resistance
is usable, and may cancel out the
spell effects.

Magic-resistant creatures have a measure
of control over their ability. In some
cases, a creature can voluntarily nullify
its magic resistance in order to take
advantage of the effects of a beneficial
spell or spell effect. Nullifying one?s own
magic resistance requires total concentration.
Achieving the state of vulnerability
requires one round; the state can be maintained
by continued concentration for as
long as the creature engages in no other
mental activity, and no physical activity
at all. (Knowing how to concentrate in
this fashion is an ingrained trait of all
magic-resistant creatures, and is not a
function of intelligence.)

Voluntary nullification of magic resistance
must be performed by the spell
recipient during the round in which the
casting of the spell is completed, or (in
the case of a magic-using creature
employing innate abilities) in the round
during which the spell-like power is
directed at the intended recipient. The
target creature does not need to maintain
concentration on negating its magic resistance
after the magic gets a foothold.
(When magic resistance ?clicks? back on,
the spell effect is trapped within the
recipient, and the magic will run its
course. Magic resistance works from the
inside out as well as the other way
around.)

During the round (or longer) that a
magic-resistant creature maintains concentration
on negating its resistance, it is
completely vulnerable to any magical
effects (not necessarily beneficial) directed
toward it. Not even a saving throw is
allowed, since any saving throw against
any form of magic is essentially (as
pointed out earlier) just another form of
magic resistance.

Also, it is possible for a magic-resistant
creature to be affected by a magic item,
and to benefit from the wearing or carrying
of such an item. A creature attempting
to put on and make use of a cloak of
displacement or girdle of giant strength,
for instance, must simply touch the item
and then make a normal MR roll. If the
creature’s magic resistance fails (on this
check), the item can be donned and worn,
with all of its effects occurring to the
wearer as if that creature had no magic
resistance. If the magic item is touched,
carried, or worn continually from that
point onward, its effects will keep operating
for at least a week. The creature must
make a MR check once a week, as long as
the item is being worn or carried. If these
“followup” magic-resistance rolls also
fail, the item continues to affect the
bearer.

If the creature does not fail its MR
check at the outset (when first touching
the item), then the creature’s magic resistance
has worked immediately, and the
item becomes ineffective to that creature.
If desired, second and subsequent
attempts can be made by simply releasing
and then re-touching the item in question
(each contact meaning another MR
check). Sooner or later, a creature with
high magic resistance will fail a MR
check (as long as the creature’s effective
magic resistance is less than 100%) and be
able to use the item as described above,
subject to the once-a-week check to see if
the creature’s magic resistance “kicks in”
after the fact.

To illustrate the above, here is an
example of melee involving magic resistance
rolls. A drow cleric and a githzerai
warrior are preparing to attack two mind
flayers. The cleric throws a flame strike
spell targeted on the ground between the
mind flayers, while the githzerai warrior,
who that morning had put on a girdle of
frost giant strength, throws a +3 hand axe
at a mind flayer close to him. The mind
flayers, taken by surprise, still get their
MR rolls; one makes it and lives, while
the other fails, gets no saving throw
afterward due to the surprise condition,
and dies. Because the githzerai failed his
MR roll when the girdle was put on, it
operates at full strength; his axe strikes
the surviving mind flayer and injures it
greatly.

In the next round, the mind flayer gets
initiative, reaches for a wand of magic
missiles on a nearby rock, and uses it to
cast a bolt at the warrior. The githzerai
fails his MR roll and takes full damage
from the bolt, since the magic missile
spell allows for no saving throw. Both
drow and githzerai charge to the attack,
swinging magic weapons that operate
normally without the need for magicresistance
checks. The drow misses her
attack, but the githzerai swings his sword
of sharpness, hits, and severs the mind
flayer’s head from its body (the sword’s
ability is not affected by the mind flayer’s
magic resistance).

The battle over, the drow offers to give
the warrior a cure light wounds; agreeing,
the githzerai concentrates, drops both
his magic resistance and normal saving
throw, and the cleric touches him to
complete the spell. However, unknown to
each of them, a githyanki magic-user
happens by. With surprise, in the same
round that the cure is cast, the magic-user
lets go with a lightning bolt, frying the
githzerai (who was a sitting duck) . . . and
the war goes on.

One other thing should be noted about
magic resistance. It does not allow a creature
to disregard illusions, see beings who
are hidden magically, or otherwise allow
the creature to have any control over
existing magical influences, spells, or
powers that only affect other creatures.
An elf wearing a cloak of elvenkind will
still be as hard for a demon to find as a
human; a devil cannot negate the effects
of a bless spell cast upon its opponents,
or bring down or ignore a wall of force.

There are certain spells, however, that
if cast upon an area may not be triggered
by the passage or touch of a magic resistant
creature. Magic mouths, symbols,
glyphs of warding, and fire traps will not
be activated if the creature makes its MR
roll, but will still be present and may be
activated later.