Heroes of Horror: Archivist class

[beaver1024]

He has access to all the basic Cleric spells, but no domains.

He has access to domain spells if he can get them on scrolls. He also has access to the druid, ranger, paladin, adept and blackguard spell lists. If non-core sources are used, he has access to things like netenyar hunter's spell list as well.

Getting scrolls from random treasure drops isn't the only way the Archivist can get spells from scrolls. He can create the scrolls if he can find the right caster to supply the spell. The archivist himself can supply the spell once he learns things like Any Spell, Greater Any Spell, Limited Wish and Miracle.

 

[IcyCool]

The archivist himself can supply the spell once he learns things like Any Spell, Greater Any Spell, Limited Wish and Miracle.

Limited Wish and Miracle won't do the trick, as they merely duplicate the effects of a spell. (I was surprised to find that Miracle doesn't allow you to request a magic item like Wish does). I don't have access to Any Spell and Greater Any Spell, so I'm not sure about them. Being as they are Forgotten Realms material though, I wouldn't be suprised.

 

[RonYon]

Even better.

The Archivist can scribe any divine scroll into his spellbook. Although the class's creator - Mouseferatu - has mentioned that this wasn't his goal, he's allowed in an intriguing "exploit."

Any scroll with a Wizard designated as the creator is, by definition, an Arcane scroll.

Any scroll with a Cleric designated as the creator is, by definition, a Divine scroll.

Therefore, a scroll of a Wizard / Sorceror spell made with a Cleric creator is a Divine scroll.

Therefore, an Archivist may make a Divine spellbook which includes within it every spell in the game.

There was a post on this subject a few weeks back called, I believe, "The Wizard is dead; Long live the Wizard!"

I keep seeing this, on many threads, and it misses a key point about the class. Chechk out this quote from the Excerpt:

Prayerbook: Unlike a cleric, an archivist does not receive his daily spell complement from whatever deity or cosmic force he worships. Rather, he must seek out and collect new spells much as a wizard does, but from such esoteric sources as holy tablets, ancient steles, or other magical scriptures. He cannot prepare any spell not recorded in his prayerbook except for read magic, which archivists can prepare from memory.

An archivist begins play with a prayerbook containing all 0-level cleric spells plus three 1st-level cleric spells of the player's choice. For each point of Intelligence bonus the archivist has, the prayerbook has an additional 1st-level cleric spell. At each new class level, the archivist gains two new cleric spells for his prayerbook; these can be of any spell level or levels that he can cast (based on his new archivist level). At any time, an archivist can also add spells found on scrolls containing divine spells
to his prayerbook, but he must make any rolls and spend the time required (see Adding Spells to a Wizard's Spellbook on page 178 of the Player's Handbook). The archivist can learn and thus prepare nonclerical divine spells in this fashion but the two free spells he gains for advancing in class level must be selected from the cleric spell list.

Now technically, A divine caster could scribe an arcane spell onto a scroll with two divine spells and fulfill the requirements, but no where does it say "any Divine Scroll".
Barring the cheese I just mentioned, there isnt any way that an Archivist could copy directly from the from a Divine scroll of an Arcane spell...
That being said, if the spell cast by such a scroll comes out Divine, then this resulting spell could be used in the scribing of an new All Divine scroll.

Now perhaps I missed some clarification-has the creator of the class said he meant "Any Divine Scroll?"

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Barring the cheese I just mentioned, there isnt any way that an Archivist could copy directly from the from a Divine scroll of an Arcane spell...

Yes, he could. There's no such thing as a "divine scroll of an arcane spell."

It's a "divine scroll."

It may, in fact, be "a divine scroll which, under normal circumstances, no divine caster could cast without a UMD check."

 

[RonYon]

Yes, he could. There's no such thing as a "divine scroll of an arcane spell."

It's a "divine scroll."

It may, in fact, be "a divine scroll which, under normal circumstances, no divine caster could cast without a UMD check."

So be it, but are you saying that a the spell that is on said scroll becomes Divine?
The class feature seems to allow only Divine spells to be copied, not Divine scrolls.
Ive seen no evidence that scribing a spell on a Divine scroll, changes it to divine spell, but if there is such a evidence, then this class feature is fully expliotable.

 

[Vraille Darkfang]

An Archivist is pretty much based on thos mad-guys from lovecraft.

I think the ultimate Archivist was Mad Arab Abdul Alhazred.

That's how I run them in my games.

They get their divine spells from the Great Old Ones through the conduit of their obscure texts.

Strangely, no one has taken me up on the option of playing one.