| 1 person marked this as FAQ candidate. |
Was wondering precisely how this should work. It came up in the final battle of our Carrion Crown game and I can see it happening in our next campaign as well because there will be two rogues present. What the heck happens if the primary target of a Chain Lightning completely escapes the effect, either because of spell resistance or evasion or whatever? It says that it "strikes one object or creature initially, then arcs to other targets". Well, does hitting something protected by spell resistance count as striking? I'm pretty sure completely evading that initial bolt doesn't but I was curious how other people saw it.
To affect a creature that has spell resistance, a spellcaster must make a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) at least equal to the creature's spell resistance. The defender's spell resistance is like an Armor Class against magical attacks. If the caster fails the check, the spell doesn't affect the creature.
Failing to bypass SR does not stop the spell. It just means the target is not hurt by the spell so it should still go onto the other targets by my interpretation.
Evasion only says that you take no damage from the affect. Now if we go strictly by realism we could say that means you were not hit, but the rules don't say you are not touched. Maybe you were not hit directly enough to take any damage instead.
I would still let the spell go onto the secondary targets.
I also believe it would still affect the secondary targets.
There is one potential problem with that, however. The spell says:
The secondary bolts each strike one target and deal as much damage as the primary bolt.
Normally, I would take that to mean that however much damage was rolled for the primary bolt (excluding evasion/resistance/etc) would also be the damage dealt by the secondary bolts (rather than making separate damage rolls for each bolt). But if the primary bolt is completely negated by SR, then no damage was rolled for it.
I think Are has it. SR causes no damage to be rolled, because the primary target is not affected, and so the secondary targets won't take any damage either.
Evasion would still have damage be rolled, and so that damage would be carried over to the secondary targets.
I also believe it would still affect the secondary targets.
There is one potential problem with that, however. The spell says:
The secondary bolts each strike one target and deal as much damage as the primary bolt.Normally, I would take that to mean that however much damage was rolled for the primary bolt (excluding evasion/resistance/etc) would also be the damage dealt by the secondary bolts (rather than making separate damage rolls for each bolt). But if the primary bolt is completely negated by SR, then no damage was rolled for it.
Good point. I think the RAI assumes damage will be dealt, but by RAW evasion and SR could both stop it.
I think the term "damage rolled" would have been better.
Seems like there's a lot of interpretation and discussion on supposed RAI versus RAW. That plus the fact that I keep visualizing a bolt of lightning arcing out from the initial target, who shouldn't be contacted if they're completely being unaffected by it, make me want to ask for an FAQ.
Secondary targets are rolled in completely independent on what was rolled for the primary target.
The original question aside:
If it was the intent to roll each target's damage separately, they would have simply said "each bolt deals 1d6 points of electricity damage per caster level (maximum 20d6)" (as other spells with separate damage rolls do) rather than "the bolt deals 1d6 points of electricity damage per caster level (maximum 20d6) to the primary target" followed by "the secondary bolts [..] deal as much damage as the primary bolt."
Back to the original question:
I believe the intent is to roll the damage once, before taking any defensive measures into consideration, then use that single damage roll for all the targets. SR, evasion, resistances, saves, and so on would then be applied for each individual target.
CS the rules not written to take other abilities into account at times, that is why I think the ruling will be that the primary target's SR or evasion will not help anyone else.
The intent of the spell was to hit several targets.
I do think the ruling would be roll the damage, and then check saves/resistance/immunity/SR/etc for each target separately.
Those that take damage, get the damage rolled, save is half, evasion none, etc.
SEPARATELY. Target A, may save, but that doesn't mean anything for Target B. Theorectically I could roll damage for Target A, evasion simply means the damage roll doesn't matter.
Yes, that's what I (tried to) say. A single damage roll, separate defensive measures.