Is spell penetration worth taking? or would it be better to take greater int or spell focus? Depends on your mod and caster class. The highest Spell Resistance attachable to a critters hide in the toolset, if I remember right, is 32. BUT, bear in mind a cleric has the spell Spell Resistance (mages have a similar spell not worth mentioning - and I don't mean the spellmantles). So, technically, provided your casting class is lvl32 or higher you should not need Spell Penetration that much.

You can do without (even if you are a lower level), depending on whether you have the time to get off a few spells. The Spell Breaches; and Mord. Disj will strip most (if not all) resistance-type buffs including spellmantles; and lower the creatures Spell Resistance to boot. Mord Disj will cut them down by a whopping 10 each cast. NONE of the breaches or Mord's can be stopped, but there is a dc check for the dispell portion - the sr WILL be lowered regardless.

Ok, I ramble a bit - sorry. The poorly-thought-out point I was making, is that it has it's uses. If you will be up against lots of cleric-spell-casting types; take it even with a lvl40 pure class.. otherwise; take it only if your casting class is less than 32. Always, always have at least two or three different breaches available at any time - just in case. A cleric has no spell-resistance lowering spells (I think). I always get spell penetration on all my characters. Super good feat if you ask me. Then get Greater Spell Penetration and Epic Spell Penetration! If you read the description for Spell Focus, it doesn't really help (I think, especially for uber IGM'ers)
Quote: Posted 02/26/05 00:58:02 (GMT) -- antmayfield

I always get spell penetration on all my characters. Super good feat if you ask me. Then get Greater Spell Penetration and Epic Spell Penetration! If you read the description for Spell Focus, it doesn't really help (I think, especially for uber IGM'ers)
IGMS is just one type of spell... and it's uses are limited with normal monsters. The majority of spells that are uber have saves; for example Wail of the Banshee; Finger of Death; Flesh-to-Stone; Incendiary Cloud... the list goes on; all MUCH more powerful than IGMS if the mage has epic spell focus in the school.

Spell penetration; imho is pointless. The reason being; you can lower SR substantially using spells (even an SR of 50 can be lowered easily by 30 with just three spells); you cannot do the same with saves. To lower saves, you will have to substantially lower a particular attribute, some of which can be done with spells - but all can be saved against anyway. Spells that lower SR have no save and no spell resistance ability.