Best of Both Worlds

[KarinsDad]

We started a new campaign on Sunday and I am playing a 5th level Elven Illusionist.

The Signature Spell caught my eye in FRCS, so I decided to try it.

I gave my character Spell Mastery (Shield, Mage Armor, Magic Missile) at first level, then took the Signature Spell Magic Missile at third (and plan on taking Signature Spell Shield at sixth since I could not take it at fifth since it is a general feat).

This worked out real well in combat. I had a bunch of defensive and miscellaneous spells memorized, but only a few offensive ones. When it came down to needing to do damage, I fired off a Magic Missile and replaced Obscuring Mist (for example) with it.

I recommend this for anyone who wants a little bit of the Sorcerer salvo capability with the versatility of a Wizard.

I do have some rules questions though.

If you take Spell Mastery at first level and at a later level, your Intelligence increases enough to boost your modifier, do you get to pick another spell for the Spell Mastery feat? I would think no, but that begs the question as to if your Intelligence gets lowered, do you keep the Spell Mastery spells you had? I would think yes since it is hard to determine what knowledge is lost if Intelligence is lost.

Another question: The DM thought that I should be able to cast meta-magic versions of the Magic Missile spell on the fly. I thought that I shouldn't since Spontaneous Curing does not give this ability.

Opinions?

 

[Caliban]

I do have some rules questions though.

If you take Spell Mastery at first level and at a later level, your Intelligence increases enough to boost your modifier, do you get to pick another spell for the Spell Mastery feat?

No, you just get a number of spells equal to your Int modifier at the time you take the feat. Nothing in the feat description indicates that it's tied to your Int modifier after that. (Otherwise you would lose some of the "mastered" spells every time you took Int damage, or gain a new one every time you temporarily increased your Int, as with Fox's Cunning.)

I would think no, but that begs the question as to if your Intelligence gets lowered, do you keep the Spell Mastery spells you had? I would think yes since it is hard to determine what knowledge is lost if Intelligence is lost.

I agree.

Another question: The DM thought that I should be able to cast meta-magic versions of the Magic Missile spell on the fly. I thought that I shouldn't since Spontaneous Curing does not give this ability.

Spontaneous Curing does give this ability. See the PHB, page 78, Spontaneous Casting and Metamagic Feats.

 

[Darkness]

Another question: The DM thought that I should be able to cast meta-magic versions of the Magic Missile spell on the fly. I thought that I shouldn't since Spontaneous Curing does not give this ability.

Your DM would be right in his reasoning - because spontaneous cure/inflict indeed does grant this ability. It takes a full-round action, though (just as it does with a sorcerer):

PHB, p. 78, right column: Spontaneous Casting and Metamagic Feats: Clerics spontaneously casting cure or inflict spells can cast metamagic versions of them. ... Casting a 1-action metamagic spell spontaneously is a full-round action, and spells with longer casting times take an extra full-round action to cast.


edit: Heh. Caliban beat me to it.

 

[KarinsDad]

Re: Re: Best of Both Worlds

Spontaneous Curing does give this ability. See the PHB, page 78, Spontaneous Casting and Metamagic Feats.

That's what happens when you rely on memory and don't even open up the darn book.

So, the question becomes, does Signature Spell get this same ability?

If so, a Silenced Signature Spell Magic Missile becomes quite potent in a Silence field.


Edit: Err, forget I asked this question. Signature Spell works just like Spontaneous Curing.