[Trait] Immunity to Magic

[Throndir]

http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Immunity_to_Magic_(3.5e_Trait)

Immunity to Magic - Complete immunity to all forms of magic
Benefit: Any magic with a harmful effect cast upon the player is completely ignored, as if the spell was dispelled. Splash damage, area of effect, etc, affect others, but not the player with this trait.
Drawback: Any magic with a helpful effect cast upon the player with this trait is also completely ignored. In addition, you cannot cast magic, and the cost of any healing done in towns is tripled.
Special: Potions that the player takes effect the player as normal - potions can be closer related to a biological effect as opposed to a magical one. Indirect effects of spells still affect the player with the trait. Enchanted items work as normal, except the character with this trait is not affected by any result.

One of our players want this. Too much for a trait? If we were to include it, I can't see how potions will keep in effect since its a magical item.

This trait is more akin to an attempt to make the "Wizard Slayer" kit in Baldur's Gate.

I'd like to suggest the following revision, please input anything you have or any suggestions. Or if we should keep as is. Remember to overcome 20 Spell Resistance, the caster must succeed with a 1d20 + Spell Caster level. Meaning, a level 1 Wizard, without any spell penetration, will only have a 5% chance of having his or her spell affect the user with this trait.

Magic Resistance - Resistance to all forms of magic
Benefit: The user of this trait is given 20 spell resistance.
Drawback: Any magic with a helpful effect cast upon the player with this trait must also overcome spell resistance unlike normal beneficial spells. In addition, you cannot cast magic, and the cost of any healing done in towns is tripled.
Special: All effects of potions including duration, or any effect with a number descriptor is halved. Likewise any potion required a dice roll is halved once the roll completes. Indirect effects of spells still affect the player with the trait. Enchanted items work as normal, except the character with this trait is not affected by any result.

[Lance]

I'd also like to recommend the traits: Death-Inducing Stare, Petrifying Eyes, Soul Siphoning Touch, Soul Stealing Glare, Eye of the Beholder, EYES of the Beholder, Elder Dragon Form, Dragon GOD Form, God Slaying Thoughts, World Creating Power, Anti-World Punch, Anti-Realm Kick, Dungeon Master and Mystic Eyes of Death Perception

Seriously though, I've always seen "Magic Immunity" as an overkill trait. It's in desperate need for revision in standard 3.5, unless you think it's right for a level 1 to ignore that death spell cast by the God of Death himself. A good alternative, however, is magic resistance, which you suggested, but even then that seems like an incredibly overpowered trait, especially when you compare it to humbler ones-like Hot/Cold Homeland (which just makes the character more comfortable in those climates).

The Wizard Slayer is a good comparison though, as it grants powerful class features such as the ever-so-mighty 2% magic resistance per level. Thus, a level 1 wizard has a 98% chance to affect a level 1 Wizard Slayer, an individual who has trained his whole life to wage war against magic, devoting his entire being to that ideal, and constructing many defenses against the arcane.

But in order to surpass the power of the weakened (revised) Magic Resistance trait, the Wizard Slayer must first reach level 48.

At that point, the Wizard Slayer will be superior to the trait by 1%. However... I'm not quite sure if levels can even reach that high in that rule-set, making the entire Wizard Slayer class outdone by a single trait-something easily accessible by just about any level 1 character.

So to help balance things out, I'd suggest toning that Magic Resistance's base amount down to at LEAST 10 (maybe 5), but it would increase by 1 every level (or every TWO levels) the character attains (Imagine gaining 1 AC every level; this is kinda like that). Additionally, as this seems like the standard mind-over-matter stuff, but on steroids, it'd make sense if there was some kind of physical penalty involved, at least from an RP standpoint (ie: an artificial humanoid constructed to resist magic but has suffered several physical defects as a side effect of the enhancement).

Some possible penalties to consider are:
-A permanent major loss to constitution and/or minor losses to other stats such as dexterity and strength
-Reduced fortitude saves
-Reduced movement speed
-Blindness/Deafness (if going the artificial route)
-Loss of Eye(s), Limb(s), etc (artificial route)

EDIT: Potions will be fine after changing the trait to resistance rather than immunity. They would just have to beat the innate Spell Resistance of the user, with a caster level equal to the potion's level.

[Throndir]

I also thought 20 Spell Resistance was too high, and was considering some sort of way to increase in power as players get higher level. (20 SR is not as useful vs a lvl 20 mage).

The penalty with halving potions effectiveness is already a big one. Unless we take a step forward and copy the Wizard Slayer in BG, and say potions have no effect at all. The problem with this is that the Wizard Slayer is generally thought to be one of the worse kits for Baldur's Gate. How about forcing *all* magical effects to attempt to overcome the spell resistance before succeeding. This will also take into account potions.

I believe Wizard Slayers in BG are *able* to be buffed. Keep in mind that this version of spell resistance also affects beneficial spells.

Magic Resistance - Resistance to all forms of magic
Benefit: The user of this trait is given 10 spell resistance. Plus 1 per level.
Drawback: Any magic with a helpful effect cast upon the player with this trait must also overcome spell resistance unlike normal beneficial spells. In addition, you cannot cast magic, and the cost of any healing done in towns is tripled. Potions based on spells will also have to overcome the spell resistance, the caster level of the potion being the minimum level a spell of that type can be cast, unless a potion specifically states that its used at a higher caster level.
Special: Indirect effects of spells still affect the player with the trait. Enchanted items work as normal, except the character with this trait is not affected by any result.

The revision above makes it so that spells of the same level as the user with the trait has around 50% chance of succeeding from level 1 to 20. Instead of halving the results of potions, they too have to surpass the spell resistance.

[Manzokushi]

I personally think that it is over kill. There is no reason at all to give someone this trait. Someone can get the basic Magic Resistance traits and over time squeak up the chain, and could even add a cumulative bonus to make it get a little bit better in class advancement. This is way to good to be given to a PC on any level.

[Throndir]

I agree with Manzo there as well, considering most of the other traits in D&D are very mellow. If we'll rule that all traits should be roughly the same in strength regardless of how high the penalties are, then I'll propose this next revision:

Magic Resistance - Resistance to spells
Benefit: +2 trait bonus to saves vs spells and spell-like abilities.
Drawback: -1 to either fort, reflex, or will saves.