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Spell immunity (formerly known as magic immunity) is a modifier which prevents most spells to target the affected unit. This includes single-targeted spells, area spells, passive and active abilities.

Spell immunity may be the main part of a spell, but it also is used as an extra layer of protection by some abilities (usually combined with invulnerability).

Mechanics
Spell immunity is a status effect (also known as modifier). Most spells in the game first check wether or not the unit has the spell modifier on. If the modifier is present, single target spells cannot target the unit at all, while area of effect spells ignore the unit and already ongoing effects may fizzle. However, some spells (and most ultimates) pierce spell immunity and can fully target and affect spell immune units.

Usually, a spell either fully pierces spell immunity, or it is fully blocked. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Wether or not a spell pierces spell immunity is noted down in the description boxes of each ability, right below the ability name.

When a unit turns spell immune while a projectile from an ability is already flying towards it, the projectile has no effect upon impact if the spell it originates from does not pierce spell immunity. The same applies to any delayed effect.

Spell immunity does not prevent regular attacks of any units. However, some attack modifiers do get blocked, but not all of them. Generally, all critical strikes, cleaves and most bashes pierce spell immunity.

Damage interaction
All sources of spell immunity also set the affected unit's magic resistance to 100%. This leads to the affected unit taking no magical damage at all, not even from spells which pierce spell immunity. Their damage technically still hits the unit, but gets reduced to 0. This means they may still proc on-damage effects, since some of them do react on 0 damage instances as well.

Since magic resistance only affects magical damage, the unit is still fully affected by physical and pure damage. If a piercing ability uses one of those damage types, it does damage the unit.

If an ability does not pierce spell immunity, it also does not attempt to damage spell immune units, regardless of the damage type. In order for a spell to damage spell immune units, it must be set to pierce spell immunity.

Dispelling
Most sources of spell immunity also dispel the target upon getting applied, removing all buffs or debuffs a basic dispel can remove. The dispel applied by spell immunities is slightly stronger than a basic dispel and can remove a couple of more status effects. However, not all of them apply a dispel. A list of dispellable effects can be found here.

Since dispels only remove buffs off of enemies and debuffs off of allies, it is possible for units to turn spell immune without losing any buffs or debuffs (doable with Omniknight's ). In this case, the buffs/debuffs behave inconsistantly. Some of them still apply their effects, while others are inactive while the unit is spell immune. This means that a damage-over time spell may still attempt to damage the unit, resulting in 0 damage instances, which is enough to proc some on-damage effects.

Sources of spell immunity
These abilities grant spell immunity as a main part of the spell. They all apply a dispel upon getting applied.


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These abilities also apply spell immunity. However, they only grant spell immunity as an extra layer of protection ontop of the invulnerability they grant. They do not dispel units at all and only matter for spell which can affect invulnerable units.


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With a very few exceptions, most non-hero units gain their permanent spell immunity through a passive ability.

Other units with spell immunity either gain it through a status buff, or don't have any indicator at all.

Spell immunity on allies
Most abilities which can target allies or self pierce spell immunity. Also, when a spell applies an effect of allies or self as a part of a spell, it usually pierces spell immunity, too. There are only a few exceptions to this.

The following abilities cannot target spell immune allies, or don't apply their effects on spell immune allies or self, be it a negative or positive effect. 1 These abilities cannot target spell immune allies. However, if an ally turns spell immune after cast, their effects are still applied.

2 Life Break, Rot and Double Edge do not attempt to apply the self-damage while spell immune.

3 Purge from Diffusal Blade and the Satyr Banisher cannot target spell immune allies, unless the ally is affected by.

4 Double Damage and Haste runes do not apply their buffs on spell immune units.

5 Although Ethereal Blade can be cast on spell immune allies or self and Ghost Scepter can be used while spell immune, they do not put spell immune units into ethereal form.

6 Astral Imprisonment and Phantom Strike cannot target spell immune allies or self. Their self-buff upon targeting enemies is applied while spell immune.

Fully piercing
These abilities fully affect spell immune units. This means they also attempt to damage spell immune units, even when their damage is magical. In this case, it gets reduced to 0, however, the 0 damage may still proc some on-damage events.

Partially piercing

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Not piercing
Note: Some of these abilities place buff or a debuff. Since not all sources of spell immunity apply dispels, gaining spell immunity after the buff/debuff was placed won't stop them from affecting the unit further until they expire or get dispelled if possible.