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Magic resistance

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Not to be confused with Resistance to Magical damage.
This page is about the statistic allowing a creature to resist spells. For the priest spell that can affect this statistic, see Magic Resistance (spell).

Magic resistance (MR) is a – sometimes natural – status effect applied to a creature which determines the chance that a spells cast on the creature will outright fail and spell effects not be applied. Generally speaking, friendly spells and potions are not affected by MR, while hostile spells are. But this is not always true. For example, in the original Baldur's Gate 1 (Baldur's Gate (1998)
Content from the original Baldur's Gate main campaign Tales of the Sword Coast (1999)
Content from the original Baldur's Gate campaign Tales of the Sword Coast) magic resistance could protect characters from healing spells.

Even if the MR check fails, a saving throw may still prevent the spell. For example, a hostile wizard casts Charm Person on Gorion's Ward and she fails the Magic Resistance check. A save vs. spell check is now rolled and if she succeeds, she will not be charmed.

Against spells which create multiple projectiles (like Magic Missile or Flame Arrow), MR is checked individually for each projectile.

Some races, such as the drow, have inherent magic resistance. Many items grant a certain, often accumulative magic resistance to their wearer or consumer.

Enemy magic resistance can be lowered with the following spells: Lower Resistance, Pierce Magic, Pierce Shield, Magic Resistance (if spell output determined by formula [caster level]*2% is lower than creature's natural magic resistance). Those themselves cannot be stopped by MR.

Some spells bypass magic resistance. These include Bolt of Glory, Dragon's Breath, Fire Storm, Implosion, Shocking Grasp, Imprisonment, Energy Drain, Contagion, Deafness, Teleport Field, False Dawn (on undead), Blade Barrier and Globe of Blades, Fireshield and Aura of Flaming Death, the damage of Earthquake, Chain Lightning when cast by an Avenger, Lower Resistance and other spells that target MR, Breach, spells that attack/strip magical defenses, spells like True Sight that dispel invisibility / illusions, spells that summon weapons or throwable projectiles like Melf's Minute Meteors, Sol's Searing Orb or Shillelagh, the unconsciousness effect of Comet, the death effect of Slay Living, and Time Stop. In the non EE games, Sunfire and Glitterdust also bypass MR. See also Category:Bypass Magic resistance.

Regarding the mechanics, Magic Resistance does not protect you from entire spells, but from those effects contained within the spells that are tagged to respect Magic Resistance. For most spells, all components are tagged uniformly (blue and white spells ignoring MR, and red spells usually respecting it). But there are exceptions. For example, when hit by a Sunray, a Lich's MR might protect him from the 3D6 points of general damage because they are tagged as respecting MR. The 1000+14D6 points of undead-specific bonus damage themselves ignore MR, but they are contained in an effect which respects MR. Therefore, they are also subject to MR. But MR cannot protect the lich from the extra (level)D6 points of undead-specific damage which are tagged to bypass MR.

Even if Magic Resistance does not help, it is still possible to become immune to most spells, either by using an appropriate spell protection spell or by using the rare Protection From Magic scrolls. Immunities to certain spell levels (Potion of Magic Blocking, innate immunities of Liches and Rakshasas) also completely block spells, even those that bypass MR.

Magic resistance also applies to some effects tied to innate abilities or items, but not to others; this differs from case to case. For example, Jester Song ignores MR, but a Blackguard's Aura of Despair is blocked by MR. An item can also have different applications for multiple effects, e.g. Celestial Fury blindness bypasses MR, but its lightning strike does not.

Magic resistance can be above 100%, up to 127%. Resistance over 100% provides no direct benefits, but is an additional layer of protection against Lower Resistance. The limit matters. A character with 100% MR who drinks a Potion of Magic Protection (+50% MR) before being hit with two level20 Lower Resistance spells (2* -30% MR) will have 67% MR. But if the character instead gets hit by the two Lower Resistance spells before drinking the potion, the MR will be 90%.

Improving magic resistance[]

Permanent bonuses[]

Equipment[]

Armor[]

Robes[]

Weapons[]

Amulets[]

Rings[]

Shields[]

Boots[]

Cloaks[]

  • Cloak of BalduranBaldur's Gate I
    Classic & Enhanced
    This icon indicates content from all games of the 1st Baldur's Gate instalment – all editions and expansions. This may include The Black Pits.

Temporary bonuses[]

Potions[]

Spells[]

Abilities[]

Shapeshift

Magic Damage Resistance (MDR)[]

Magic resistance is different from resistance to magical damage: magic(al) damage resistance reduces (positive) or amplifies (negative) the damage a creature would take if a spell dealing magical damage gets through the former and is applied after any reduction from a saving throw (if one applies). [1]

For example, let's say a character with 50% magic resistance is hit by a Skull Trap. If the MR check succeeds, no damage will be taken. If the MR check fails, a saving throw is performed to determine whether full or half damage is to be applied, and finally Magic Damage Resistance is applied. If MDR is negative more damage is applied than what's left after the saving throw.

Magic Damage Resistance has a hard cap of 127 in either direction. A Magic Damage Resistance over 100% means the character is healed when taking magical damage.

References

  1. ↑ Technically, this applies to spell abilities and item effects with effect opcode 12 (DAMAGE). The damage type of the effect must be set to 64 (MAGICAL).
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