Collegiate Wizard feat - big boost to diviners?

Kelleris · Dec 7, 2004

It's actually in the section on arcane campaigns, in the discussion of what learning from a wizard's college would do to a wizard.

EDIT: Oops. I shouldn't wait to post, I guess.

Thanee · Dec 7, 2004

It's a great feat, it allows the wizard to actually work as intended, even if the DM doesn't allow for much freedom with spell scribing.

Bye
Thanee

jodyjohnson · Dec 7, 2004

After going over the section on Arcane Academies it seems like it is really a minor feat.

If your campaign allows Magical Academies then it's quite likely that it also follows the 'core rule' regarding copying spells at Spell level * 50gp (and easily purchased scrolls). This greatly lessens the cash value of the feat.

If your campaign keeps tighter reins on spell acquisition, then Academies are probably not included and the feat is without context and 'overpowered'; thus disallowed.

Elder-Basilisk · Dec 8, 2004

So, what it really boils down to is that it's a decent feat in games where you're otherwise foolish to play a wizard because you'll end up as a mere cut-rate sorcerer with fewer spells per day. (Well, who are we kidding, you're still better off playing a sorcerer in such games). Furthermore, those games logically shouldn't allow it since it's dependent upon a college of magic which they logically shouldn't have. (Otherwise spell learning restrictions wouldn't be nearly so tight).

Not very impressive to me, but to each his own I guess.

Al'Kelhar · Dec 8, 2004

My diviner would certainly take this feat in the current campaign I'm playing in. She almost never finds spell scrolls durign adventures. She has to beg the other characters to give her money so she can buy scrolls and afford to scribe them into her spellbooks (she's 11th level and has filled 1 2/3 spellbooks). The other characters have enough free cash to contract the making of magic items; my wizard can barely purchase the material components for her spells because of the money invested in her spellbooks. Remember that even in v.3.5 a single 6th level spell costs 2250gp to acquire (1650gp for the scroll and 600gp for scribing); that's equivalent to a +1 magic weapon or ring of protection +1. This feat would pay for itself in my character's particular circumstances.

Cheers, Al'Kelhar

beaver1024 · Dec 8, 2004

Al'Kelhar said:
My diviner would certainly take this feat in the current campaign I'm playing in. She almost never finds spell scrolls durign adventures. She has to beg the other characters to give her money so she can buy scrolls and afford to scribe them into her spellbooks (she's 11th level and has filled 1 2/3 spellbooks). The other characters have enough free cash to contract the making of magic items; my wizard can barely purchase the material components for her spells because of the money invested in her spellbooks. Remember that even in v.3.5 a single 6th level spell costs 2250gp to acquire (1650gp for the scroll and 600gp for scribing); that's equivalent to a +1 magic weapon or ring of protection +1. This feat would pay for itself in my character's particular circumstances.

Cheers, Al'Kelhar

I think in your particular circumstances you're being screwed. Wizards are only viable in a campaign that assumes a lot of things. I wouldn't touch arcane casters in your campaign with a 100 foot barge pole. In order to get the Collegiate Wizard feat you'll have to start again at 1st level (it's a 1st level only feat). You might as well choose a different class, eg Cleric, that isn't affect by your campaign's conditions.

Shallown · Dec 8, 2004

Also , if I am not mistaken. the new free spells (normally 2 per level) do not have to be checked to see if you can learn them. I assume you don't have to roll the spellcraft check since you are not learning it from a spellbook but developing it on your own. Its not a hard check but I have seen wizards fail it. So this is a sure fire 4 spells you will know. its not a huge advantage but one to consider.

later

Li Shenron · Dec 8, 2004

beaver1024 said:
I think in your particular circumstances you're being screwed. Wizards are only viable in a campaign that assumes a lot of things. ... You might as well choose a different class, eg Cleric, that isn't affect by your campaign's conditions.

Thanee said:
It's a great feat, it allows the wizard to actually work as intended, even if the DM doesn't allow for much freedom with spell scribing.

Jalkain said:
Well, I don't know how many campaigns allow that kind of freedom.

Meh, I don't know what to say... I played Wizards and in my own experience (which includes however published adventures most of the time) you don't find a large amount of scrolls in the adventures, and definitely you don't find the ones you really want.

It depends on the DM to let you copy the spell you want (for level x 50gp) from a friendly wizard or to let you buy the appropriate scroll (for a higher cost).
Some DMs don't care and allow everything, and as such they would allow this feat with ease, only you won't desperately need it in their game.
Other DMs don't like Harry Potter -style scroll shops, but they may actually allow the cheaper solution via friendly wizard, and you may very much still not need the feat.
Other DMs as well think Wizards are too good and should always have the hardest time, and they won't allow scroll shops, friendly wizards, collegiate feats and blessed books.

That leaves us with DMs who want a world where magic (at least scrolls and/or spellbooks) is scarce, but at the same time want to help the wizard player. That could actually be me

but I don't know many others.

In any case I really don't want to believe this feat is to make a Wiz "as it was intented" to be. That would be saying that WotC didn't make the Wiz "as intended" in 3.0, they tried to correct it in 3.5 but it wasn't yet "as intended", and finally you can play it "as intended" after buying 3 books? A good hope comes from the fact that the feat isn't in the feat section but somewhere else.

BTW, it'd be nice to see if Living Greyhawk and other groups will ever allow this (my guess is NO).

Thanee · Dec 8, 2004

Li Shenron said:
That leaves us with DMs who want a world where magic (at least scrolls and/or spellbooks) is scarce, but at the same time want to help the wizard player. That could actually be me but I don't know many others.

If magic is scarce, magical academies don't exist, so you should fall into the "does not like Harry Potter" category.

In any case I really don't want to believe this feat is to make a Wiz "as it was intented" to be.

Read again what I said before you quote me wrong!

Hint: The "as intended" refers to the second part of the sentence.

Bye
Thanee

Thanee · Dec 8, 2004

Al'Kelhar said:
Remember that even in v.3.5 a single 6th level spell costs 2250gp to acquire (1650gp for the scroll and 600gp for scribing)

Actually it costs only 300gp (ignoring the 12,500gp one-time investment).

50gp per spell level to get someone to allow you to copy the spell and 0gp for scribing it into your Boccob's blessed book.

Bye
Thanee