Races of Faerun - Southern Magician

[Koewn]

OK, I hadn't seen this question before, as I didn't pay attention when the book first came out - but the feat Southern Magician made my head hurt.

Here's the crunchy bit I will paraphrase below:

Once per day per two spellcaster levels, you can cast a divine spell as an arcane spell, or vice versa....[snip]....or gain additional benefit from a spell that functions differently for a divine caster instead of an arcane caster, such as true seeing or magic weapon.

So...what differences are they talking about? Magic Weapon has no difference, and True Seeing's only difference is a level change - is that what they are actually talking about?

I noticed another feat references Animal Friendship, which no longer exists, so I'm wondering if there are some copy/paste issues between 3.0/3.5?

Thanks!

Koewn

 

[UltimaGabe]

There's actually a big different between the Arcane and Divine versions of True Seeing. The Divine version lets you see alignment auras as well.

As for Magic Weapon, I'm not too sure what they meant. Greater Magic Weapon is different between versions simply because the arcane version requires a material component, but there are tons of spells that are like that.

 

[Saeviomagy]

OK, I hadn't seen this question before, as I didn't pay attention when the book first came out - but the feat Southern Magician made my head hurt.

Here's the crunchy bit I will paraphrase below:

Once per day per two spellcaster levels, you can cast a divine spell as an arcane spell, or vice versa....[snip]....or gain additional benefit from a spell that functions differently for a divine caster instead of an arcane caster, such as true seeing or magic weapon.

So...what differences are they talking about? Magic Weapon has no difference, and True Seeing's only difference is a level change - is that what they are actually talking about?

I believe that true seeing in 3.0 would give alignment information if cast by a cleric. Not sure.

In 3.0, Magic weapon blesses a weapon if it is cast by a cleric.

 

[Koewn]

I believe that true seeing in 3.0 would give alignment information if cast by a cleric. Not sure.

In 3.0, Magic weapon blesses a weapon if it is cast by a cleric.

OK, so it is a 3.0 cut+paste from FRCS, then perhaps? Hrm. I was half convinced it was a level change sort of thing; as in True Seeing (in 3.5 at least) having the only difference of being 5th cleric and 6 Wizard, which in certain cases for certain spells, this feat could be considered a half-hearted Heighten Spell.

Was there any 'Races of Faerun' errata thread?

 

[Michael Tree]

OK, so it is a 3.0 cut+paste from FRCS, then perhaps?

Nope. Races of Faerun is a 3.0 book.

 

[Koewn]

Nope. Races of Faerun is a 3.0 book.

Oh. Well I'm a big dumb dummy of a dumbhead.

I guess I'll see what it is in PGtF, if it's even there.

Thanks, Mr. Tree.

Koewn

 

[Hannibal Barca]

Could a mage with armor on circumvent arcane spell failure with this feat?

 

[Koewn]

Could a mage with armor on circumvent arcane spell failure with this feat?

Yes, that's one of the listed uses. Also, people attempting to identify the spell get a -4 on their Spellcraft check, and there's also a penalty to dispelling/counterspelling the spell which I cannot recall currently.

It's only one spell per two caster levels per day, so the armor thing isn't a deal-breaker, unless you know you're going out next Teusday only needing 10 spells at 20th level and wake up early to strap on the field plate

Koewn

 

[ruleslawyer]

SM is one of the silliest feats ever published. It either has a utility close to zero, or it's a nice way to break the geomancer or mystic theurge, since one interpretation of SM holds that being able to cast any arcane spell as a divine spell means that you qualify for MT when you can cast 2nd-level arcane spells, since you also can cast 2nd-level "divine" spells at that point. So, welcome to the Clr1/Wiz3/MT (or Wiz3/Geo), which is an actually potentially-overpowered mess rather than the weak-ish Clr3/Wiz3/MT (or Clr3/Wiz3/Geo).

 

[Koewn]

SM is one of the silliest feats ever published. It either has a utility close to zero,

Oh, I dunno. Since it has it's basis in spells being different between the arcane/divine in 3.0, it may have been useful, I'd have to have a list of the spells that were different. Or perhaps if you were a Clr18/Wiz3, or something, and you just wanted to use those low-level arcane utility spells in armor.

or it's a nice way to break the geomancer or mystic theurge, since one interpretation of SM holds that being able to cast any arcane spell as a divine spell means that you qualify

That's a heck of an interpretation, but OK. I wonder what the basis for that thought was - I can't imagine thinking that 'cast 2nd level divine spells' or whatever would mean anything less than having a 2nd level divine spell slot, unless you'd get into spell-like abilities and whatnot.

At any rate; moot point for 3.5.

Koewn