Arcane vs divine spells

[Kershek]

If a wizard is doing a spellcraft on a cleric casting a spell, can he identify the spell if it's also on his spell list, or does it just come up as "divine spell" with no other detail? Can you cite a ruling on this?

 

[kengar]

It's my understanding that the wizard can determine what spell is being cast. The only reference I have offhand is here. In the "script", the PC for Nebin the illusionist rolls his Spellcraft to identify what spell the goblin priest is casting.

 

[Kershek]

So he can identify spells even not in his spell list?

 

[shilsen]

So he can identify spells even not in his spell list?

By the rules given under the spellcraft skill, yes. However, since a specialist wizard gets a -5 penalty to ientify banned spells, it's probably fair to rule that identifying a spell not on your spell list should have the same penalty.

 

[Kershek]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around how my wizard would recognize for any reason a spell that wasn't even on his spell list.

 

[kreynolds]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around how my wizard would recognize for any reason a spell that wasn't even on his spell list.

Rule simplicity, I suppose (in the case of chosen schools and banned schools).

You may have seen the Slow spell cast before, thus you may be familiar with its effects, so when you identify it being cast, you know that Haste will counter it. However, if you want to keep a running tally of all the spells that each player has seen during their careers, then you could effectively limit them to identifying only spells they have seen cast before. I don't recommend it, but its the only logically justifiable way of telling someone they can't use a skill to identify a spell being cast when the skill has no such limitations.

 

[Kershek]

It's my understanding that the wizard can determine what spell is being cast. The only reference I have offhand is here. In the "script", the PC for Nebin the illusionist rolls his Spellcraft to identify what spell the goblin priest is casting.

Actually, according to the Gamestoppers article you cite, it says:

Well...I rolled a 33 on my Spellcraft check to identify the spell but that won’t help since I can’t cast poison.

This tells me that since he can't cast poison, he can't identify the spell, which is opposite to what you're saying.

 

[dcollins]

Well, I'd say that Spellcraft is a skill in which you learn about all magics.
- A wizard without Spellcraft can't identify any spells, whether it's on his list or not.
- A wizard with Spellcraft can identify any spell, whether it's on his list or not.

In fact, Spellcraft isn't even an exclusive skill. You can be a Rogue (et. al.), take Spellcraft, and get to identify spells, while you don't even have any spell list at all.

An analogy: it's like picking up IT training without knowing how to program computers. The two skill sets are largely distinct, despite one requiring the infrastructure of the other to be useful.

 

[Kershek]

Very good point, dcollins. That clinches it right there.

 

[kengar]

Actually, according to the Gamestoppers article you cite, it says:

"Well...I rolled a 33 on my Spellcraft check to identify the spell but that won’t help since I can’t cast poison. "

This tells me that since he can't cast poison, he can't identify the spell, which is opposite to what you're saying.

Actually, when he says it won't help, he's referring to his ability to counterspell Poison, not his Spellcraft roll (at least, that's how I read it). YMMV