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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Patryn of Elvenshae" data-source="post: 1946298" data-attributes="member: 23094">I agree with much of the above.  Spell Thematics is one of the worst feats I can imagine, because the idea it is supposed to emulate (that certain wizards, when they cast "the same spell," have somewhat different effects) is already tacitly a part of the rules.Specifically, you cannot auto-identify an opposing spellcaster's spell if it's one you already know.  You need to make a Spellcraft check; otherwise, a Spot or Listen check should be sufficient.  Therefore, there must be some difference between Wizard A's Mage Armor and Wizard B's Mage Armor.There are certain similarities, certainly - enough that someone trained in the magical arts (i.e., having ranks in Spellcraft) can pick them out.  Some of these include the necessary material components.For instance, the components of the Mage Armor spell are a few mystic words (V), a series of gestures (S), and a piece of cured leather (F).Wizard A is an Elf, trained in the tradition of the Elven High Mages.  When he casts a Mage Armor spell, he pulls a leaf-shaped piece of elkhide from his pouch and passes it twice around his head, intoning a cadence of mystic syllables.  A field of force similar in appearence to Elf-crafted mail shimmers into appearance around him, and just as quickly fades from view.Wizard B is a firemage from the desertlands.  When he casts Mage Armor, he pulls a cured square of camel hide, taken from the hump of a dromedary, from his pouch, and makes a mystic pass over it.  When he speaks a mystic phrase, a rune glows briefly on the hide and causes smoke to rise into the air.  The smoke, moved by eldritch winds, moves into position around the wizard's body, briefly defining a barrier before blowing away.To the untrained, there is no certain way to determine what spell the wizard has cast, though someone intelligent and observant might guess it to be some form of warding.  A trained eye, however, can pick out the magical fundamentals that make the spell do what it does, and correctly determine that the spell is a minor abjuration, meant to mimic the effects of a well-made suit of armor.</blockquote>

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