# Forum > Gaming > Roleplaying Games > Older D&D/AD&D and Other Systems >  question 6th tier anti-magic shell

## bookkeeping guy

So in the older versions of ad&D there was this 6th tier, spell called anti-magic shell. 

The thing doesn't make any sense. Did they ever modify it? Like if you are a mage, and you cast this, you can't cast any spells. This makes no sense in battle. There's so many of these older spells that I feel like they need adjustments and tweaking. If you play a wizard or mage, not being able to use any of your abilities for putting up a lousy defense spell seems backwards. 

Did you guys ever tweak this for your campaigns? It would make more sense if it would still let you cast spells out but only black harmful stuff.

And the magic resistance spell same problem, it should be stated to only block harmful stuff, not EVERYTHING. There's no point otherwise. 

Plus, if a warrior build gets a cool weapon they can switch around at any time. It makes no sense that a wizard can't switch or use more than one weapon. The warrior gets a sword and can dual wield also.

----------


## GeoffWatson

You don't have to solo everything.

Put anti-magic up to shut down enemy casters, while your fighter buddy does the fighting.

----------


## Particle_Man

Also, as shown in the comic, if one is both a spellcaster and a melee murder machine (a dragon, a demigod, etc.,) this lets one shut down enemy magic and just crush them with your melee superiority.

----------


## Lord Torath

> And the magic resistance spell same problem, it should be stated to only block harmful stuff, not EVERYTHING. There's no point otherwise.


In 2E AD&D, anyway (and I'm pretty sure 1E allowed this as well), you could voluntarily suppress your magic resistance to accept a beneficial spell - or a harmful spell that someone told you would be beneficial.

----------


## Tarmor

> So in the older versions of AD&D there was this 6th tier, spell called anti-magic shell. 
> 
> Did you guys ever tweak this for your campaigns? It would make more sense if it would still let you cast spells out but only black harmful stuff.


That's what the two _Globe of Invulnerability_ spells were for. You could cast spells out, and block incoming magic. The AM-Shell was purely to stop all magic. I never heard of anyone complaining about it or changing the way it worked.

As for Magic Resistance, as stated above; 2nd Ed AD&D had: "Creatures can voluntarily lower their magic resistance at will." In all the time I played 1st edition AD&D everyone allowed someone/something with MR to be effected by beneficial spells, so we essentially did what was later stated in the rules.

----------


## Duff

Antimagic Shell is a very powerful, but also very niche spell.

Suppose we're in a mage duel.  You've got 12 in your physical stats and a staff, I've got 8 in my physicals and a knife.  
You put up the AM shell and beat the snot out of me 

Or I duel classed to Mage after just a couple of levels of fighter and you're a mage 5 levels higher than me.
But my day will be much better than yours with this in effect.

Or I put it on a scroll and give (sell) it to my thief

Also, add litches to the list of murder machines.  And any other undead with the spells slots for the job

If memory serves, an elf couldn't quite get 6th level spells as a wizard.  But a fighter/wizard would have a reasonable chance of casting it from a scroll.  And then murder machine.

There might also be the odd monster that looks at a de-magicked mage as a murder machine.  I can't think of any right now, but I have a feeling there's some who's only attack is magic

----------

