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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Michael Morris" data-source="post: 1661117" data-attributes="member: 87">I loathe the identify spell as written in the PHB.  I use this alternate.[bq]IdentifyUniversalLevel: (1), Sor/Wiz 1Components: V, SCasting Time: 1 standard actionRange: PersonalTarget: YouDuration: 1 minute / level (D)You gain a +20 insight bonus on spellcraft checks. [/bq]I then rewrote the spellcraft skill to include magical items.[bq]Use spellcraft to identify spells and the works of spells including magic items and materials wrought by magic.  The spellcraft skill is merged with the identify spell to remove an artificial restriction on this skill.  Of all the skills, spellcraft is the most heavily rewritten here.    Check:  You check spellcraft whenever you wish to identify a spell or magic item.  The DC is set by what you wish to identify.    Identify Glyph (Not an action, No retry, secret check): When using the read magic spell you can identify a glyph of warding on a check of DC 13.    Identify a Spell in Casting (Free action, No retry): You can identify a spell while it is cast on a check DC 15+spell level.  For each component of the spell that you cannot observe the check is penalized by –4. You can’t identify a spell that you cannot observe any component of.    Prepare a spell from a borrowed spellbook (1 try / day, no extra time required): You prepare a spell from a captured or borrowed spellbook on a check DC 15+spell level (Wizard only).     Identify School or Type (Standard Action): When you use detect magic you can identify the school or type of the strongest spell in the area on the first round, the second strongest spell on the next round and so on until all school and types have been identified.  The DC of this check is 15+spell level + 2 per higher level effect present.  If the effect is not generated by a spell then the DC is 15+ ½ HD or caster level of the creating creature.    Identify Symbol (Not an action, No retry): With a DC 19 check you can identify a symbol with a read magic spell.    Identify Spell in Place (Free action, No retry): You can identify a spell that’s already in place so long as you can see it’s effects.  The DC is 20+spell level.    Identify Materials formed by a Conjuration (Creation) effect (Free Action, No retry), such as wall of iron or wall of stone.  The DC is 20+spell level.    Decipher a Scroll or Spellbook (1 round, 1 try/day) without using read magic is a DC 25 + spell level check.     Identify a potion (1 minute / No retry). You can identify a potion on a DC 25 check.  You need alchemist tools or you will suffer a –2 circumstance penalty on this check.    Dimensional Anchor Diagram (10 minutes, Secret check, No retry): On a DC 20 check you can draw a diagram upon which you can cast dimensional anchor onto a magic circle.    Identify Wondrous Item (1 minute, Cascade check, No retry).  You can identify one function or property of a wondrous item per success.  The DC is 30+spell level.    Identify Arms, Armor or Wand (1 minute, Cascade check, No retry).  You can identify one function or property of magic weapons, armor or a wand per success.  The DC is 35+spell level.    Identify Rod, Staff or Ring (1 minute, Cascade Check, No retry):  You can identify one function or property of a magic rod per success.  The DC is 40+spell level.    Identify Unclassified Effect: At the DM’s option you may roll a spellcraft check to identify the properties of magical effects that don’t fall into any of the above categories.     Special:  An identify spell grants you a +20 insight bonus on spellcraft checks (See new description later in this chapter).  It can also allow you to take 20 on those checks under certain circumstances.    A specialist wizard gains a +2 bonus to his spellcraft rolls where his school is concerned.  He has a –2 penalty to his rolls where his barred schools are concerned.    A magi gains a +2 bonus to his spellcraft rolls where his type is concerned.  He has a –2 penalty to his rolls where his opposition schools are concerned.    Any race has a +2 circumstance bonus to spellcraft rolls to identify items crafted for or as a bane to their race.  Hence an elf can apply this bonus to identify a cloak of elvenkind or a dagger crafted to slay elves.[/bq]The upshot of this is that "routine" items can be identified with or without the spell - low level characters will be dependent on it while high level characters will reserve it for especially difficult items.  Epic level characters will be able to do without the spell - which makes sense to me at least.  YMMV.</blockquote>

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