Altruistic Guardian from Magaambyan Arcanist PrC -- how does it work?

[Purple Dragon Knight]

Having a hard time visualizing it's use in play with the current wording:

Altruistic Guardian (Su):

At 10th level, once per day when a spell or supernatural effect that allows spell resistance targets a Magaambyan arcanist’s allies or if they are within its area of effect, as an immediate action she can redirect the effects to herself. She can do this for a number of allies up to her Intelligence modifier, provided they are within 30 feet of her. The Magaambyan arcanist must attempt the appropriate saving throws for each ally, possibly attempting multiple saving throws against the same spell or effect. She takes all damage and suffers all conditions and other effects that her allies would have taken, possibly taking these multiple times. This protects allies only from damage and conditions they’d take at the time she spends the immediate action, not from any they might later suffer from a noninstantaneous spell or effect.

Anyone has had play experience with this? it seems massively hurtful unless something clever is enacted before triggering the ability...

[Belafon]

The Magaambyan Arcanist is a good class (alignment-wise) and Altruistic Guardian is a “sacrifice myself for my allies” ability. Paladins have similar abilities. So yes, it can be massively hurtful to the Arcanist.

There are plenty of situations where it can be used without sacrificing the Arcanist. If she has resist energy up she could eat a fireball for all her allies and maybe get away with light scorching. She doesn’t have to use it on ALL her allies, so if there is a spell cast that would kill a single alky (but not the Arcanist) she could take it for that one ally and save him.

[Melkiador]

It’s a niche ability but that prestige class gets pretty good class abilities every level while also giving you full casting progression. It’s also under constant protection from evil, so it could take on a lot mind control effects and not be bothered.

[Purple Dragon Knight]

Thank you Pathfinders! much appreciated!

[Tom Sampson]

I believe this question is more befitting the Advice forum than the Rules forum. So far, the only rules conundrum I see is why would a supernatural effect allow spell resistance? Or whether Altruistic Guardian means that you would roll spell resistance separately for each time you are targeted by the effect (I would rule that it does). Or whether the ability is usable and the spell would still affect you if you are an invalid target for the spell that had been targeting your ally (I would again rule that it does, since it does not actually change the spell's targets but instead causes you to have to take the saving throws and consequences in their place).

At any rate, let me answer your question. This is an indeed an ability that has you suffer the consequences of a spell (perhaps multiple times over) in the place of your allies, but the general "trick" to it is to combine it with special defenses. For instance, let's say your party members are hit by a rather charm or compulsion effect from an evil creature, such as Greater Song of Discord, Irresistible Dance, or Overwhelming Presence (or someone tries to dominate your party's Fighter while his saves are debuffed). Since as a Magaambyan Arcanist you permanently have the benefits of Protection from Evil as a consequence of Blessed Warding, you opt to use Altruistic Guardian, causing it to target you several times over instead. As a result, you would have to roll the saving throw die many times and suffer the effects, but since you are immune, that means the spell now has no effect.

Of course, you could have given your entire party Magic Circle against Evil by this point and in that case you would not even need to use Altruistic Guardian, but I believe the example illustrates the principle at hand. If you can cast any spell that makes yourself immune to something a dangerous foe can do that allows spell resistance, you can protect the entire party with an immediate action. Other defenses, like fire resistance and so on, would also apply to each instance of being affected by the spell.

[Azothath]

Honestly it is pretty clear and works as written.

Advice
is it practical? Ooooh... that depends on the situation at the time, the defenses the PrC Creature has up, and their willingness to protect reasonably close allies. Often wizard Spellcraft(to identify effects) and defenses are more comprehensive and exceed what other party members have active (it's a healthy paranoia).

As a GM I might modify it to half damage (after defenses) and 2 failed saves (to fail) after the first ally so it is less lethal.
Still, I can't promote Prestige Classes in general, they're only beneficial for very specific builds.