kind of embarassed to admit it, but...

[Hypersmurf]

Wouldn't it just allow you to pretend that you fulfilled that requirement?

That's essentially what it does. It lets you pretend that you fulfil the requirement that the spell is on the spell list for your class.

I wouldn't even drag "your class" into it.

The designers did, though, when they wrote "on your class spell list".

-Hyp.

 

[Kmart Kommando]

Because they also said:

Anyone with a spell on his or her spell list knows how to use a spell trigger item that stores that spell. (This is the case even for a character who can’t actually cast spells, such as a 3rd-level paladin.)

That is why a rogue using UMD 'has that spell on their spell list'

Then there is:

To use a spell completion item safely, a character must be of high enough level in the right class to cast the spell already. If he can’t already cast the spell, there’s a chance he’ll make a mistake.

So, the character needs to pretend he has all the prereqs to make it work. (unless he actually has all the prereqs already)

'Having a spell on your class list' mean just that, even if you're faking it.

So, if a wizard came across a scroll of Otto's Irresistable Dance penned by a bard as a 6th level spell, could he
a) not cast it, because OID isn't on his list of sixth-level spells?
b) cast as an eighth-level spell?
c) cast it as a sixth-level spell?
d) none of the above?

He casts it as a 6th level spell, as long as his Intelligence is at least 16.

The scroll is arcane, and Otto's Irresistible Dance is on his class spell list, so he is able to activate the scroll. And the scroll has a 6th level spell on it.

If he scribes that spell into his spellbook, he scribes it as an 8th level wizard spell.

What he said, plus the note that it would have the save DC of a 6th level cast from a scroll (DC19), with the caster level of whatever level the scriber had scribed it.

 

[Hypersmurf]

To use a spell completion item safely, a character must be of high enough level in the right class to cast the spell already. If he can’t already cast the spell, there’s a chance he’ll make a mistake.

Interestingly, while it says this, the mechanics don't actually support it.

Consider a scroll of Fireball scribed by a 5th level wizard. The scroll has a caster level of 5, and is a 3rd level Sor/Wiz spell. A 5th level sorcerer is not high enough level to cast the spell already - he can't cast 3rd level spells yet. But since his caster level is 5 - at least equal to the caster level of the scroll - there's no chance he'll screw up.

Consider a scroll of Fireball scribed by a 6th level sorcerer. The scroll has a caster level of 6, and is a 3rd level Sor/Wiz spell. A 5th level wizard is high enough level to cast the spell - he can cast 3rd level spells. But since his caster level is only 5 - less than the caster level of the scroll - there's a chance he'll screw up.

"high enough level to cast" isn't actually the parameter the mechanics consider; it's "caster level at least equal". A Wiz1/Ftr4 with Practised Spellcaster can't even cast second level spells, but he still has no chance of error using a CL5 scroll of Fireball.

-Hyp.

 

[moritheil]

Amusing. Nice catch!