Usefulness Question (SR and Fear Effect) [Archive] - Wizards Community

Usefulness Question (SR and Fear Effect) [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Vash_HS
06-26-07, 04:45 PM I was thinking of taking Awaken Spell Resistance and Fearful Presence for my Dragonwrought Kobold.

However I was thinking that perhaps SR = Level would not be all that useful seeing as how (if I recall correctly) the creature I encounter get a bonus to break through around the amount as my Kobold's SR. So essentially unless they rolled a 1 the SR the spell would automatically penetrate the SR. So, is this true? Is SR = total level worthwhile?

Also, for Fearful Presence, the DC would be 10+ .5 (total levels). Would this be useful to have at mid to upper levels (5-15)? Or would essentially everyone be immune to this ability?
Thiez
06-26-07, 04:57 PM It'll always be useless against enemy boss primary spellcasters, and usually against lower level casters too. But it can be useful against monsters with SA's, and very low-level mages, and almost anything cast from an item
tarkin
06-26-07, 05:02 PM If you gain SR, (as opposed to having it built into your race or class), what SR does is mainly protect you against magic items (except for Staves).

This is no small thing. Magic traps for example almost always have a low caster level.

It also helps against non-pure casters (Paladins/Rangers/fighter-mages/etc.)
ShinAkuma2
06-26-07, 05:36 PM What tarkin says holds true.

But yeah, against full casters, if they're appropriate CR, they'll be at least of your level, or maybe a couple down if he's part of a large group. If your SR = your level, and his caster level = his level, well, he can't fail at all. Not even a Natural One helps here; that's only saves and attack rolls, not checks.
Vash_HS
06-26-07, 07:33 PM What tarkin says holds true.

But yeah, against full casters, if they're appropriate CR, they'll be at least of your level, or maybe a couple down if he's part of a large group. If your SR = your level, and his caster level = his level, well, he can't fail at all. Not even a Natural One helps here; that's only saves and attack rolls, not checks.

Thanks, that what I thought. So the only Dragon feat that looks semi useful is Awaken Frightful Presence. Will a DC of 10+.5 actual level be useful or will my PC only be scaring cannon fodder?
ShinAkuma2
06-26-07, 08:02 PM Hm...I don't know enough about the feat to be sure.

Does it work just like a real Dragon's Frightful Precense? That is, "On a failure, creatures with 4 or less HD become panicked for 4d6 rounds and those with 5 or more HD become shaken for 4d6 rounds"?

Anything with less than 4HD is practically ignorable by the time you're 10+ in level. Anything with 5 or more HD will probably make the save, except for really multiclassed Fighters with bad Wisdoms, and even then, Shaken is only -2 to any roll...Nice, but I don't know if it's worth the feat.

Does the feat at least add your Cha like the real ability does? Otherwise, your lvl 14-15 DC will be 17, a joke for anything with a "Good"-rate Will save.
Thiez
06-26-07, 08:03 PM Is that save DC 10 + .5 HD + (Cha/Con) mod, or just 10 + .5 HD ?

Either way it's nice to have if it doesn't cost you any actions and has no limits on its use. Otherwise it stinks. If it's continual and limitless, take it. Else, you need to think it over really carefully.
Morwen
06-26-07, 08:18 PM The Awaken Frightful Presence feat is completely useless to you, actually. It specifies that only racial hit dice are used in the save DC calculation and for determining the radius of the effect, which means that the save DC will only be 10+Cha, and the radius will only be 5 feet.

Also, creatures are only affected if they have fewer HD than your racial HD. So you can't affect anyone, either.

The Awaken Spell Resistance feat also says only racial HD are counted. So that won't do anything for you either.

Assuming your DM doesn't let you count class levels as racial HD, for some reason.
Morwen
06-26-07, 08:23 PM On the other hand, if you take a class that gives you a breath weapon (or otherwise gain a breath weapon), the metabreath feats are very neat :)
Vash_HS
06-26-07, 08:40 PM On the other hand, if you take a class that gives you a breath weapon (or otherwise gain a breath weapon), the metabreath feats are very neat :)

I'm trying to find something useful about the Dragonwrought besides the Venerable route. But it looks like all the Dragon feats are crap (no breath weapon since he's not a spell caster). Thanks for the help.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Vash_HS 06-26-07, 04:45 PM	I was thinking of taking Awaken Spell Resistance and Fearful Presence for my Dragonwrought Kobold. However I was thinking that perhaps SR = Level would not be all that useful seeing as how (if I recall correctly) the creature I encounter get a bonus to break through around the amount as my Kobold's SR. So essentially unless they rolled a 1 the SR the spell would automatically penetrate the SR. So, is this true? Is SR = total level worthwhile? Also, for Fearful Presence, the DC would be 10+ .5 (total levels). Would this be useful to have at mid to upper levels (5-15)? Or would essentially everyone be immune to this ability?
Thiez 06-26-07, 04:57 PM	It'll always be useless against enemy boss primary spellcasters, and usually against lower level casters too. But it can be useful against monsters with SA's, and very low-level mages, and almost anything cast from an item
tarkin 06-26-07, 05:02 PM	If you gain SR, (as opposed to having it built into your race or class), what SR does is mainly protect you against magic items (except for Staves). This is no small thing. Magic traps for example almost always have a low caster level. It also helps against non-pure casters (Paladins/Rangers/fighter-mages/etc.)
ShinAkuma2 06-26-07, 05:36 PM	What tarkin says holds true. But yeah, against full casters, if they're appropriate CR, they'll be at least of your level, or maybe a couple down if he's part of a large group. If your SR = your level, and his caster level = his level, well, he can't fail at all. Not even a Natural One helps here; that's only saves and attack rolls, not checks.
Vash_HS 06-26-07, 07:33 PM	What tarkin says holds true. But yeah, against full casters, if they're appropriate CR, they'll be at least of your level, or maybe a couple down if he's part of a large group. If your SR = your level, and his caster level = his level, well, he can't fail at all. Not even a Natural One helps here; that's only saves and attack rolls, not checks. Thanks, that what I thought. So the only Dragon feat that looks semi useful is Awaken Frightful Presence. Will a DC of 10+.5 actual level be useful or will my PC only be scaring cannon fodder?
ShinAkuma2 06-26-07, 08:02 PM	Hm...I don't know enough about the feat to be sure. Does it work just like a real Dragon's Frightful Precense? That is, "On a failure, creatures with 4 or less HD become panicked for 4d6 rounds and those with 5 or more HD become shaken for 4d6 rounds"? Anything with less than 4HD is practically ignorable by the time you're 10+ in level. Anything with 5 or more HD will probably make the save, except for really multiclassed Fighters with bad Wisdoms, and even then, Shaken is only -2 to any roll...Nice, but I don't know if it's worth the feat. Does the feat at least add your Cha like the real ability does? Otherwise, your lvl 14-15 DC will be 17, a joke for anything with a "Good"-rate Will save.
Thiez 06-26-07, 08:03 PM	Is that save DC 10 + .5 HD + (Cha/Con) mod, or just 10 + .5 HD ? Either way it's nice to have if it doesn't cost you any actions and has no limits on its use. Otherwise it stinks. If it's continual and limitless, take it. Else, you need to think it over really carefully.
Morwen 06-26-07, 08:18 PM	The Awaken Frightful Presence feat is completely useless to you, actually. It specifies that only racial hit dice are used in the save DC calculation and for determining the radius of the effect, which means that the save DC will only be 10+Cha, and the radius will only be 5 feet. Also, creatures are only affected if they have fewer HD than your racial HD. So you can't affect anyone, either. The Awaken Spell Resistance feat also says only racial HD are counted. So that won't do anything for you either. Assuming your DM doesn't let you count class levels as racial HD, for some reason.
Morwen 06-26-07, 08:23 PM	On the other hand, if you take a class that gives you a breath weapon (or otherwise gain a breath weapon), the metabreath feats are very neat :)
Vash_HS 06-26-07, 08:40 PM	On the other hand, if you take a class that gives you a breath weapon (or otherwise gain a breath weapon), the metabreath feats are very neat :) I'm trying to find something useful about the Dragonwrought besides the Venerable route. But it looks like all the Dragon feats are crap (no breath weapon since he's not a spell caster). Thanks for the help.