Using Spellcraft to ID Spells...

[Three_Haligonians]

I used to feel this way as well once, but then someone on the boards here replied with:

"I don't have to have seen every combination of words possible in order to understand a sentence when I read it"

I figure Spellcraft to ID spells works the same way.

Besides, the DM may tell the player "the villain casts Entangle". But the character may only know "the spell enchants the local plant life - causing it to animate and try to impede those nearby.."


J from Three Haligonians

 

[Ambrus]

I don't have issue with spellcraft; I likewise assume it governs identifying the components and the types of mystic energies being called upon by the caster and the general effect one can expect at the conclusion of the imminent spell's casting.

What I'm utterly confused by is the psionic equivalent; psicraft. Psionic powers don't have any components and no appreciable casting involved. What is the observer basing his psicraft check on? The gleam in his enemy's eye? The way he's wrinkling his forehead?

 

[stonegod]

What I'm utterly confused by is the psionic equivalent; psicraft. Psionic powers don't have any components and no appreciable casting involved. What is the observer basing his psicraft check on? The gleam in his enemy's eye? The way he's wrinkling his forehead?

Most psi effects have displays that can be identified (olfactory, audible, etc.) if you are trained I'm assuming.

 

[Ambrus]

Most psi effects have displays that can be identified (olfactory, audible, etc.) if you are trained I'm assuming.

I know, but those logically take effect once the power has successfully been manifested. It'd be kind of like trying to identify a grenade by observing the subsequent explosion; once it's already too late to benefit from the knowledge. I think I see what you mean though; one could assume the displays kick in early while the psion is still in the process of manifesting the power. :\

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

I used to feel this way as well once, but then someone on the boards here replied with:

"I don't have to have seen every combination of words possible in order to understand a sentence when I read it"

Apples and oranges. If I show you 20 different languages, chances are you won't be able to identify even half of them. Your analogy is more along the lines of a wiz/sor being able to identify a wiz/sor spell he doesn't know.

 

[ThirdWizard]

Apples and oranges. If I show you 20 different languages, chances are you won't be able to identify even half of them. Your analogy is more along the lines of a wiz/sor being able to identify a wiz/sor spell he doesn't know.

Divine and Arcane magic interact with the world in the exact same way, though. Dispel magic works just as well against either, spells overlap between the two types of magic, and you resist them in the exact same way, plus whatever else I can't think of in 30 seconds. The only real difference is arcane spell failure and requirement of a divine focus. So they have more in common than they have distinct from each other.

It's just as easy, or easier, to justify allowing Spellcraft to work as RAW than there is to House Rule it. And any House Rules are only going to be to the detriment of PCs so I really don't see the point.

 

[prospero63]

Player - "I want to spellcraft what the spell was"
DM - "you aren't sure"
Player - "but I rolled an eleventy billion"
DM - "yeah, that's great, you aren't sure. Some kind of funky magic you have never seen before"

I guess I don't much see the problem.

 

[Jhulae]

Apples and oranges. If I show you 20 different languages, chances are you won't be able to identify even half of them. Your analogy is more along the lines of a wiz/sor being able to identify a wiz/sor spell he doesn't know.

Actually, ThirdWizard has a point.

It's more along the lines of American English versus British or Australian English between the two types of magic.

Sure, I don't know all the British or Australian slang, but can still understand a sentence (or figure out what spell has been cast). Meanwhile, someone who doesn't know English (doesn't have the spellcraft skill) won't understand much of anything that's written (cast).