Fast question on spellcraft

[Black Omega]

I've been trying to find something definitive on this but so far no luck and I have a game tonight it might have an effect on.

To recognize a spell you get a DC 15+spell level. Is there anything that effects this? Or would a sixth level spell a PC has never seen before, never heard of before and is not on his spell list still be only a DC: 21 for him to recognize what it is?

 

[jgsugden]

As far as I know, there are no official modifiers.

You could explain it as follows: When a character makes a spellcraft check to figure out what spell is being cast, he is figuring out what is going on by see how the spell works. He is not recognizing something he has seen before: instead, he is reverse engineering the effect to determine what it does.

I use the following system (a house rule):

A DC15+lvl check gets you a one sentence description of the spell (including targets). For each point over 15+lvl the check succeeds, I toss in extra info. If they equal or exceed DC25+lvl, I give them the full description of the spell.

If the spell is not in the PHB or has not been studied or seen repeatedly by the character with spellcraft, I impose a penalty of -5 to the check.

The system works well. It assumes that characters study all the spells in the PHB when learning spellcraft, but spells from other sources are more mysterious.

 

[KingOfChaos]

For a spell the caster has never seen, I would as a DM, raise the DC to 25 + the level of the spell. In my opinion, there isn't a lot a wizard could do against a spell they've never seen cast or haven't cast themselves.

 

[Dwarmaj]

Just curious, would you impose a penalty for distance similar to Spot? You'd think it would be harder to determine what's being cast if you're 200' away (atleast if you haven't seen that spell before).

 

[Thanee]

Yep, spellcraft is a bit easy, especially since you can identify every spell, not just wizard spells, you could easily know the most obscure cleric or druid spell as well. Even custom spells, only a single never-before-met person on the whole world knows!

I'd just apply some ad hoc modifiers as you see fit.

Standard spells (everything in the PHB) should be without any modifiers, tho.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Aaron L]

I tack on a penalty for arcane casters deciphering divine spells and vice versa, as well.