I have a question on Suppress Charms & Compulsions and volunteering to fail saves/resists.
The spell is listed here:
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/suppress-charms-and-compulsions/
This spell has this line:
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes (harmless)
The effect that I am mainly looking at is this:
"If instead you suppress charms and compulsions, the spell’s duration drops to concentration, to a maximum duration of 1 round per level. As long as you continue to concentrate, the spell suppresses all existing charm and compulsion effects affecting the targets, regardless of whether the effect is beneficial or harmful. New charm or compulsion effects that successfully target such a protected creature are automatically suppressed as long as you continue concentrating. If you cease concentrating, the spell effect immediately ends, and remaining charm or compulsion effects resume for the rest of their remaining durations as normal."
In the overall rules for Magic are at least 3 points that are relevant:
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/#TOC-Casting-Spells
"Voluntarily Giving up a Saving Throw
A creature can voluntarily forgo a saving throw and willingly accept a spell’s result. Even a character with a special resistance to magic can suppress this quality."
"Spell Resistance...
A creature with spell resistance must voluntarily lower the resistance (a standard action) in order to be affected by such spells without forcing the caster to make a caster level check."
"Concentration
The spell lasts as long as you concentrate on it. Concentrating to maintain a spell is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity."
Example Scenario Setup:
Initiative 20: enemy caster
Mass charm goes off: several party members are affected (except 1 caster with Suppress Charms & Compulsions)
Initiative 19: party caster
Suppress Charms & Compulsions is cast ASAP by a party caster next in the initiative
Each party member with SR cannot elect to fail their SR at that initiative count, and the party caster must succeed on a caster level check to beat their SR
Each party member without SR can elect to fail their save
Initiative 18: rest of the party
Any without SR acts normally
Any with SR who failed their SR act normally
Any with SR who made their SR act under the charm/compulsion
Questions:
Can those with SR delay to the same initiative, and have the party caster do the same, then auto-fail their SR and their saves?
Is the above setup and explanation correct?
Is this spell overpowered?
The [generally 5th level] spell Break Enchantment forces the caster to make a caster level check, and our opposing spellcasters are generally higher level than the party, making that spell harder to succeed at.
The [generally 3rd level] spell Dispel Magic forces the caster to make a caster level check, and our opposing spellcasters are generally higher level than the party, making that spell harder to succeed at [though only working for 1 target].
The [generally 2nd level] spell Suppress Charms & Compulsions forces the caster to spend all her standard actions preventing interparty fighting, but will be a lot more successful [perfectly successful, assuming no one has SR].
Also, in general: While you can voluntary fail a saving throw, you can't voluntary fail spell resistance - spell resistance isn't a check you make, it's a check again a static number made by the caster. The caster could choose to fail, but that is usually pointless (unless they want to trigger some absorption ability of an ally or something like that).
While you can voluntary fail a saving throw, you can't voluntary fail spell resistance - spell resistance isn't a check you make, it's a check again a static number made by the caster.
What you CAN do is voluntarily turn your spell resistance off, but that takes a standard action and it turns itself back on.
A creature can voluntarily lower its spell resistance. Doing so is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Once a creature lowers its resistance, it remains down until the creature’s next turn. At the beginning of the creature’s next turn, the creature’s spell resistance automatically returns unless the creature intentionally keeps it down (also a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity).