[DF] Resistant to Evil Supernatural Powers

[Dragondog]

One of the Holy abilities in DF is Resistant to Evil Supernatural Powers, but what does this mean?

Are Evil Supernatural Powers in this sense those powers that evil supernatural creatures use or only those supernatural powers that use the Evil power modifier?

I realize that the easy answer would be to have all evil supernatural creatures use powers with the Evil power modifier and allow no one else to do so. But assuming that this is not the case, how should this be adjudicated?

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Dragondog

One of the Holy abilities in DF is Resistant to Evil Supernatural Powers, but what does this mean?

Are Evil Supernatural Powers in this sense those powers that evil supernatural creatures use or only those supernatural powers that use the Evil power modifier?

I realize that the easy answer would be to have all evil supernatural creatures use powers with the Evil power modifier and allow no one else to do so. But assuming that this is not the case, how should this be adjudicated?

In my campaign, this would apply to ALL of the below:

• Any Unholy power
• Any Unholy spell
• Any supernatural power, spell, or ability used by a Truely Evil creature, unless the power is specifically noted as not being "evil" in source *
• Any creature power, ability, or spell noted to come from a Truely Evil source even if the creature is not specifically Truely Evil **

* examples: A demon with psionic powers, where I to allow psionic powers in my game. A demon using a magic item created by normal human enchanters. A demon who specifically practices "normal" magic learned from mortals (explicitly not the default case IMC - all magic learned in Hell™ is Evil™).

** examples: A normal goblin using a magic wand created in Hell™. Black Magic spells cast by a wizard who's turned to Black Magic as a quick route to power, but hasn't completely succumbed to the Black Price yet (and didn't get into Black Magic by the direct human sacrifice route).

[Dragondog]

Does it only protect against Evil spells cast directly at you, as Magic Resistance would, or would it protect you against Evil area or missile spells too?

My gut feeling is that it doesn't protect against Evil area and missile spells.

[tg_ambro]

I wouldn't think so, because that would be a +3 or +8 to dodge for missile spells or Area Effect. Just a little broken if you ask me.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Dragondog

Does it only protect against Evil spells cast directly at you, as Magic Resistance would, or would it protect you against Evil area or missile spells too?

My gut feeling is that it doesn't protect against Evil area and missile spells.

Resistant only protects you against things you make resistance rolls against. That would include certain area spells, but nothing like Create Fire or Lightning. And it would be only against powers that had the Evil modifier. (So it would work against things that are Evil by nature, like say demons, but not against creatures that have neutral supernatural powers but hate humans.)

[Bruno]

Resistant only gives a bonus to Resistance Rolls.

Should an area or missile effect give you a Resistance Roll, it will give you a bonus on the Resistance Roll. It won't act as DR against generic magic, and it won't give a bonus on Active Defenses.

I would, as a GM, allow a +200%-ish (not decided on the exact value) modifier to allow you to apply half (round down) the bonus to all your active defenses against Evil Supernatural Powers, should you get an active defense. "Immune to Evil Supernatural Powers" would be treated as +15 in this case, giving a +7 to active defenses against Evil Supernatural Powers.

Half bonus on the justification that a resistance roll is against full attribute, whereas active defenses are based on half skill or half attribute (or two half attributes averaged together, in the case of Dodge).

[munin]

Originally Posted by Bruno

... I would, as a GM, allow a +200%-ish (not decided on the exact value) modifier to allow you to apply half (round down) the bonus to all your active defenses against Evil Supernatural Powers...

A bonus to active defenses is Defense Bonus* (Limited, Evil supernatural attacks, -40%; PM, -10%) [15/level], so your modifier would need to be +300% for Resistance +3 or about +850% for Resistance +8 to be a fair price. It's probably better to just allow properly limited Enhanced Defenses as a Holy power (in addition to mundane options).

* Enhanced Defenses meta-trait from GURPS Supers, p. 34.