Okay, this is more of a 3ed topic.

I believe that I already presented how the DMs here have changed our rules on saving throws due to magic. The formula is -

10 + Level of caster + modifier for spell - twice spell level

This means that the lower level spells have the highest saving throw. This reflects the experience of the caster in casting the spell and the ability of the caster to better channel the power. Higher level spells are not cast that often, so the mage is not that knowledgeable of the details of its casting. Also, the stronger magical power stresses the stamina of the mage.

We have been playing with this rule for some time, and find that it works to reflect how we consider magic to actually work. Its success has caused me to officially place it as the rule for saving throws in my game.

Okay, I have been working through the final edit of my rules. In coming to the combat and magic sections, I have been bothered by Spell Resistance. The above rules have basically made low-level spells the preferred spells. I thus considered that Spell Resistance could be used to bring the high level spells back into the game. What I proposed was to the roll to beat Spell Resistance would be -

d20 + Level of Caster + twice spell level

I presented the formula to my players the other night. I said that I felt a Delayed Blast Fireball should better penetrate the spell resistance of a monster than a regular Fireball. I also said that it makes Heighten Spell back into being a desired feat. They responded in a manner warning me of certain things while agreeing that it could work to put high level spells back into the gaming arena.

One warning was that the SRs of monsters and certain character classes would probably need to be increased. They pointed out that a fifth level mage casting Fireball would gain a +11 to his SR (+5 from level and +6 from twice the third level spell). Thus a SR20 would be overcome rather easily. This gained my attention, as I have been setting SRs rather low. I see Spell Resistance as only being something to weed out minion spell casters and disrupt those that rolled low. Suddenly, a first level caster would be gaining a +3 for his spells, and the higher level mages would only need to not roll a 1.

Some said to only add the spell level, and not multiply by two. I mentioned that we subtracted twice spell level on our saving throws, and I was hoping to give a balance. They pointed out again that I would need to re-examine SRs.

As I do my own pondering, I am posting this to see if anyone else cares to voice an opinion. My general standard for SR has been basically the level of the monster or character. Some character classes get such a benefit, and what few monsters that I gave SR did not have that much better. I am now thinking that twice level to be the base standard. Note that I want the numbers low enough so that they aren't magic PREVENTION, but high enough that they aren't automatically overcome.

Any comments are welcome.

I cannot personally stand spell resistance, and I cant think of a single person I know who does so your efforts to alter it certain do not come as a surprise. A friend of mine once, long ago, had a stroke of brilliance that made me quite satisfied with sr, and didnt make it absolutly abyssal for pcs.

He said something to the affect of "How can you totally resist something? If your resistant, normally your fighting it off. Your not immune. How can a fire ball consume you one minute, and then do absolutely nothing the next. If a mind flayer really had spell resistance, wouldn't it be plausible he'd only take 10% of the dmg from the magic?"

and that statement made me say "hell ya, that sounds about right."

It works out to be a simplistic equation, since most dmg dice are easy to calculate, but you can also very it per specifications.

If a fireball does 60 points or something, spell resistance reduces that damage per it's sr percentage. 90% sr or however you wish to calculate it, take only 6 points of dmg...granted most things will not have so high a resistance and this also allows some degree of magic to affect the creature in question.

Granted things can become more confusing with mental magics but one can easily implement the standard system for unusual spells but this allows the mage some flexibility in choose the proper spell to engage creatures inherently resistant but not randomly immune to magic.

That is a thought, but not all spells are damage spells. You thus need a system that works with all. Considering that folklore is filled with situations where the magic is rendered inoperable (either the monster is unaffected making it very deadly or the hero - when he goes to save the day - is given something to make him unaffected by the magic), the present method of SR does have a place. My thought however is in keeping my fantasy universe consistent while making the adventure reflect the story that I am trying to tell.

I have gone to adding the level of the spell (not twice the level). This seems to manage to keep the SRs at a reasonable level. It also makes the higher level spells worthy of casting. Had a situation the other day where one of our characters died. Gaze attack, Death Ray. The save was low, as the death spell is a rather high level spell (the DM had adjusted the save from what the book said). The player rolled the dreaded natural '1.' We tried methods of saving him or his soul, but were stymied by some wordings in the 3.5 book (this DM tries to run 3.5, but is slowly adjusting his rules to something close to mine). I thus see any factor in favor of the high level spells to keep them as threatening.