In a recent session, one of my boss characters used a legendary resistance to auto-succeed its failed save on a player's spell attack. Another player then casted Silvery Barb in an attempt to make the boss character fail it again instead. At the time because I was also unsure, I allowed it and rerolled the d20 as per the spell description. The boss failed, and I burned its last legendary resistance to re-succeed the save again. But after re-reading the spell, the wording is "reroll the d20 and use the lower roll" - which makes me unsure because when using legendary resistance, the boss doesn't roll anything, it just auto-succeeds. So can silvery barb actually cancel legendary resistance?
You're correct, a Legendary Resistance is a 'choose to succeed,' where they already failed the roll. There's nothing additional to reroll. Silvery barbs would have no effect. If the dragon had succeeded on the initial save, the PC could have used Silvery Barbs to give them disadvantage and force them to use up a Legendary Resistance, but that's a different set of events.
Yep, plus it's even the official ruling. Silvery barbs has no effect on Legendary Resistance.
Can the silvery barbs spell in Strixhaven affect Legendary Resistance? No. When a creature uses Legendary Resistance, the creature turns a failed saving throw into a success, regardless of the number rolled on the d20. Forcing that creature to reroll the d20 afterward doesn’t change the fact that the save succeeded as a result of Legendary Resistance. No amount of rerolling will undo that success.
As the others said. Legendary Resistance is "I don't care what the dice says, I succeed". That said, you did the right thing at the table by making a ruling in the moment and proceeding with play before checking the rules later. Well done. Simply explain to the players that you did some research, you know better now, and the spell won't work that way again, so they know not to count on it in that specific way.
...wouldnt the reroll be off of what triggers legendary resistance in the first place? Idk but it does seem like that would cost another legendary resistance to counter that...
...wouldnt the reroll be off of what triggers legendary resistance in the first place? Idk but it does seem like that would cost another legendary resistance to counter that...
No, because in the order of operations applying a LR comes after the final roll has been determined. It doesn’t modify the number rolled, it simply overrides the results of the roll. There is nothing in the game that bypasses or overrides an LR, and that’s a good thing because it keeps major bosses from going down to a single save or suck effect.
In a recent session, one of my boss characters used a legendary resistance to auto-succeed its failed save on a player's spell attack. Another player then casted Silvery Barb in an attempt to make the boss character fail it again instead. At the time because I was also unsure, I allowed it and rerolled the d20 as per the spell description. The boss failed, and I burned its last legendary resistance to re-succeed the save again. But after re-reading the spell, the wording is "reroll the d20 and use the lower roll" - which makes me unsure because when using legendary resistance, the boss doesn't roll anything, it just auto-succeeds. So can silvery barb actually cancel legendary resistance?
Thanks in advance!
You're correct, a Legendary Resistance is a 'choose to succeed,' where they already failed the roll. There's nothing additional to reroll. Silvery barbs would have no effect. If the dragon had succeeded on the initial save, the PC could have used Silvery Barbs to give them disadvantage and force them to use up a Legendary Resistance, but that's a different set of events.
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Yep, plus it's even the official ruling. Silvery barbs has no effect on Legendary Resistance.
As the others said. Legendary Resistance is "I don't care what the dice says, I succeed". That said, you did the right thing at the table by making a ruling in the moment and proceeding with play before checking the rules later. Well done. Simply explain to the players that you did some research, you know better now, and the spell won't work that way again, so they know not to count on it in that specific way.
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Thank you! I'll keep it in mind for future and other possible scenarios as well :)
Noted, thanks so much!
Hehe, will do, thank you very much :)
...wouldnt the reroll be off of what triggers legendary resistance in the first place? Idk but it does seem like that would cost another legendary resistance to counter that...
No, because in the order of operations applying a LR comes after the final roll has been determined. It doesn’t modify the number rolled, it simply overrides the results of the roll. There is nothing in the game that bypasses or overrides an LR, and that’s a good thing because it keeps major bosses from going down to a single save or suck effect.
Gotcha, appreciate you.