I’ve tried to find out if spell resistance works correctly in PvP on classic servers, but information was very limited, sometimes controversial…
I’ve tested shadow resistance (220) against warlocks, shadow priests.
Dots: application resistance - resist doesn’t work. Dot ticks - resist doesn’t work (not even partial resistance).
Direct spells - partial resist works.
Crowd control - full resists.
Not sure if it should work like that… Do you guys any valid information source how it should work on 1.12 wow servers and a data of how it actually works here - on 1.13 classic servers.
strangly a person asked me in Ironforge to test her shadowresist gear as I’m a priest. (I was in holy/disc talent) I applied shadow word pain and it did the same amount of dmg with or without the shadowresist gear. We didn’t tested a lot but she resisted more of my mind blast with the gear on.
Spell Resistance functions slightly differently depending on what kind of spell you are casting. There are only two different kinds of spells in this regard: Binary and Non-Binary.
Binary spells as named as such as there are only two outcomes for them; they can either hit or miss. Spells that do no damage, or that have a snare effect built in to them (like Mind Flay or Frostbolt), are binary spells. Examples of some priest spells that are binary: Vampiric Embrace, Mind Flay, Dispel Magic, Chastise.
Everything else is non-binary. Since there is a damage component in them, the damage can be fully resisted, 75% resisted, 50% resisted, 25% resisted, or can hit for normal damage. Some priest spells that are non-binary: Mind Blast, Holy Fire, Smite.
DoTs like Shadow Word: Pain are binary in their initial cast, but each damage tick can fall victim to resists just as a non-binary spell.
What resistance do is increasing your chance of resisting (aka not being affected by) a spell in that school. If I increase my shadow resistance your shadow spells might completely miss me, aka Resisted. Or they can hit me and (sometimes) be resisted if it’s an occuring effect, like a dot that deals damage over time, each time the dot ticks a percentage of the damage may or may not be affected by resistance.
Shadow resistance (or any for that matter) only increases the chance to resist OUTRIGHT, so in the case of a DoT you have a higher chance of resisting the initial cast of it, if it hits you that shadow resistance wont make a difference afterwards. It only increases the chance of avoiding the cast hitting you.
Partial resists only apply to direct damage spells, like mind blast and shadow bolt. You may resist it outright, or resist a partial amount of the damage.
But the same doesnt apply to DoTs and (obviously) things like AoE fear, shadow resistance only increases the chance to resist outright.
I think you remember it wrong my friend. Pretty sure DOTS should get partial resists
Saerdna 3 - SRXUTgrZOvM?t=16m55s (cant give full link sorry)
shadow resistance: 10
2 half partial resistances on corruption in that fight
R13 Druid PvP – Unstoppable – tXgsBdLQfvU?t=16m3s
estimated shadow resistance: 20 to 40
3 partial resists of shadow word pain (25% 25% then 50%) from a single dot
I wish this would get some attention because Warlocks are already as op as it gets.
Dots should suffer magical resistance (as for the exact formula, unless stated otherwise by blizzard, there is no reason to think it would be different than from other spells)
Resistance is a very subtle mechanic, and with so many more obvious things bugged, I wouldn’t be surprised if this one is. Do research, report it, they’ll make it 1.12-like by 2030.
I posted an edited site link above that gives you a clear table of the % resist chances based on gear and also explains the effect of resistance v higher level characters
Like everything in the classic version of vanilla it isn’t simple - it’s a complex game mechanic
so i wouldnt argue whether or not im wrong or right 