Magic Resistance Doubt

Games Discussion Ars Magica
1

Hi!

This weekend in one of our game sessions something came up and we couldn't quite decide on whether magic resistance applied or not.

A magus cast Circling Winds of Protection. She was attacked by a magical creature with might. Does the spell have to penetrate the creature's might to have its defensive effects? We ended up ruling that yes it did, but it ate up quite a bit of our time before we could decide. >.<

Any thoughts?

2

I'd rule it to be an effect on the magus - in other words, no.

3

Well, just to give an example of the incredible amount of consensus this forum has in regards to the rules, as the second respondent in the thread, I shall disagree with the first response! :stuck_out_tongue:

I've never seen that spell as targeting the person casting it, but rather, as a Touch-range spell causing an effect in the wind around the target. Since the wind is being created and/or moved through magic, in order to strike a being with Magic Resistance with any force, it must penetrate their Magic Resistance.

4

They'd be affected by the required perception effect - that's simply putting stuff between you and the target. The species created by the dust storm are a natural side effect, and don't interact with magic might. As such, they can block perception just fine.

For the blown-back part, yes. For 2 reasons.

  1. It's a creo effect, which means the summoned air is magical - and temporary. As such, when it attempts to affect a being with Magic Might, it has to overcome that resistance, or else be stopped cold in its tracks.
  2. It's also a rego effect. The air is (basically) being continuously telekinetically flung around by magic - As such, when that magic comes into contact with the skin of the other magical creature, it has to overcome the resistance of the Magic Might in order to push them back.
5

It's a creo effect. It's range Touch, Target Individual. The Individual part refers to the amount of air created (or "made better"), not where it's being targeted.

EDIT - If I read you correctly, it sounds like what you're saying is that an effect cast on a magi on themselves, but affects something else, can ignore magic Might. I'm pretty sure that's not the case. Otherwise, you could get around magic resistance with a damage aura. (ie, "cloak of flames", or something like that. Cast it on yourself, then walk up to a might 40 frost giant. By your interpretation, they can't resist it - but I'm pretty sure that's not how magic resistance works.)

6

How is the magical creature attacking? If the issue is with it firing an arrow from a bow or seeing through the dust, that's not really the being being directly affected and so magic resistance shouldn't come into play. Or is it in melee? The being knocked down part is active magic pushing the creature, so that should be resisted. Then there is the question of how much of the -3 to melee is from the visibility issue and how much from the getting buffeted issue.

7

It was a snake (a big snake hehe) lunging and trying to bite her. Not any ranged attack or power or anything. :smiley:

I am pretty convinced we were right in making the effect have to penetrate now, although the point about the perception effect still working makes sense. Thank you all!

8

This guy is exactly correct on all points.

If you're going up against magical creatures, you need tons of Penetration for pretty much everything that isn't dropping a rock on their heads. Magic resistance is primarily a game of legal loopholes.
An exception to this is Second Sight, which doesn't require penetration from my recollection.

Hedge magicians have a lot of trouble making head way against anything with decent resistance for this reason. Like magi, which is a major reason they got wiped out. The math is stacked agonist them in generating it.