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View Full Version : Caster level for Bardic Music and other (Sp)s



ffone
2011-06-16, 12:32 PM
Fascinate, Suggestion, and some other Bardic Musics are listed as (Sp), but only Song of Freedom has a listed caster level (= bard level, as you'd expect).
The only other thing I've found is under http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm, " If no caster level is specified, the caster level is equal to the creature’s Hit Dice."

Also, are Fascinate, Suggestion etc. subject to Spell Resistance?

Talya
2011-06-16, 12:41 PM
I don't believe bardic music in general is susceptible to spell resistance, but rather ignores it.

Song of Freedom has a caster level listed only because it is the Break Enchantment spell in an easier to use form, and needs a CL to roll against the enchantment it is breaking.

Telonius
2011-06-16, 12:53 PM
Spell resistance doesn't apply to Supernatural abilities at all, so Countersong, Inspire Courage, Inspire Competence, Inspire Greatness, and Inspire Heroics, aren't affected by it.

The Spell-like Bards' abilities are:

Fascinate
Suggestion
Song of Freedom
Mass Suggestion

Suggestion and Mass Suggestion are "as the spell," which applies spell resistance.

Fascinate is "an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting ability."

From "Special Abilities (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#whenSpellResistanceApplies)":

Enchantment

Since enchantment spells affect creatures’ minds, they are typically subject to spell resistance.

There's a little wiggle room there with "typically," but the most reasonable read is that spell resistance applies.

Song of Freedom is "as the spell" Break Enchantment, which does not apply Spell resistance.