Greater (Lore) Confusion

[Three_Haligonians]

My character is taking her 6th level as a loremaster and is about to gain the Greater Lore ability. As this ability is a extrodinary ability rather than a spell like ability, how would you rule I use it? Am I subject to Identify rules as per the spell (ie: 1 hour casting) or would I be exempt? If I am subject to the rules, do I cast as per my total caster level or as a caster equal to my loremaster level?

As this discription in the DMG is vauge any other imput or house ruling would be greatly appreciated as well.

Thanks in advance!

T from Three Haligonians

 

[Telperion]

Curiously I never noticed that before. Anyway, since it is an Extraordinary Ability it is also a non-magical ability by default.

So, I suppose a Loremaster of 6th level or higher is capable of identifying, understanding and knowing how to operate magical items as thought he had cast a Identify spell on them. Further more I would suggest requiring at least 1 hour of study on a previously unknown magical item before the condition could be applied to said item.

The 10th level True Lore (Ex) class ability makes me think of omniscience, so maybe I'll just keep this as a strictly NPC PrC.

 

[UltimaGabe]

My character is taking her 6th level as a loremaster and is about to gain the Greater Lore ability. As this ability is a extrodinary ability rather than a spell like ability, how would you rule I use it? Am I subject to Identify rules as per the spell (ie: 1 hour casting) or would I be exempt? If I am subject to the rules, do I cast as per my total caster level or as a caster equal to my loremaster level?

As this discription in the DMG is vauge any other imput or house ruling would be greatly appreciated as well.

Thanks in advance!

T from Three Haligonians

We've ruled it that a Loremaster simply knows what an item is by looking at it, as if he had cast Identify but without the material component or long casting time. It hasn't broken the game at all, since anything that I don't want the PCs to know won't be found out through Identify anyway. So what's so bad with knowing a +1 sword or a Strand of Lesser Prayer Beads when they see one?

 

[Darkness]

Using an (Ex) ability is a free action unless otherwise noted. Greater Lore doesn't say anything, so it's a free action.
(This is a hard to find rule: MM, p. 315. Also, less detailed: PHB, p. 142.)

The 10th level True Lore (Ex) class ability makes me think of omniscience

True Lore is 1/day.

 

[howandwhy99]

Using an (Ex) ability is a free action unless otherwise noted. Greater Lore doesn't say anything, so it's a free action.
(This is a hard to find rule: MM, p. 315. Also, less detailed: PHB, p. 142.)

True Lore is 1/day.

Interesting. I'm brewing up a Loremaster and this was exactly the question I had.

Anyone else's opinions?

What about Foci?
Analyze Dweomer 1500gp
Legend Lore 200gp

Material Components?
Identify 100gp
Legend Lore 250gp.

Greater Lore and True Lore as free actions seems a little flavorless. I'll be writing up something fun and interesting that takes a little longer.

Why wouldn't they just say Vision instead of Legend Lore then? That spell normally takes days to weeks to cast w/o the item on hand.

 

[Corsair]

Why wouldn't they just say Vision instead of Legend Lore then? That spell normally takes days to weeks to cast w/o the item on hand.

Because it's about knowledge, not divination. The lore represents bits of knowledge the character has already aquired (hence the Ex) not some magical (Su) ability to discern information.

 

[FEADIN]

Because it's about knowledge, not divination. The lore represents bits of knowledge the character has already aquired (hence the Ex) not some magical (Su) ability to discern information.

Yes, it's the upper level of the Lore ability, it's more about knowledge than divination;
Lore: At 2nd level, a loremaster gains the ability to know legends or information regarding various topics, just as a bard can with bardic knowledge. The loremaster adds her level and her Intelligence modifier to the lore check, which functions otherwise exactly like a bardic knowledge check.
Greater Lore (Ex): At 6th level, a loremaster gains the ability to understand magic items, as with the identify spell.
True Lore (Ex): At 10th level, once per day a loremaster can use her knowledge to gain the effect of a legend lore spell or an analyze dweomer spell.