Wild Mage & Practiced Spellcaster Combo

[Bad Paper]

FWIW, the Necklace of Fireballs includes such oddities as 2d6 fireballs.

 

[pawsplay]

It's below the minimum level at which he can cast it!

-Hyp.

So? I'm not arguing about the level at which he can cast it, I'm talking about the effective level which is possible for the spell, which is any number, whatsoever, that the rules assign to the effective caster level.

As an example, a 5th level cleric can't choose to cast a spell at 6th level. Aha! But if it's a Good spell and he has the Good domain, the spell has an effective caster level of 6. Now, our cleric friend has the option of casting it at level 5, since his ability raises his effective caster level, and does not simply modify it at the end. But it's very easy to prove that casters can cast spells that they can't cast, in the limited sense you are using.

It's below the minimum level at which he can choose to cast it. But I don't see any rule anywhere that says it's below the minimum level at which it can be cast. As noted already, a 5d6 fireball is possible for a wizard but not a sorcerer. Therefore, a caster level of any arbitrarily low level will not cause it to fail.

A caster cannot choose a caster level lower than, say 5, but there is nothing preventing his effective caster level from being modified. He simply cannot choose a level below that when he first decides which spell to cast and determines if he can legally cast it.

 

[Hypersmurf]

It's below the minimum level at which he can choose to cast it. But I don't see any rule anywhere that says it's below the minimum level at which it can be cast. As noted already, a 5d6 fireball is possible for a wizard but not a sorcerer. Therefore, a caster level of any arbitrarily low level will not cause it to fail.

It's not below the minimum level at which fireball can be cast. Spell-like abilities, for example, have no minimum on caster level. You can have Power Word Kill as an SLA with a caster level of 1, if you want.

The Ur-Priest can cast 3rd level spells with a caster level of 3.

There isn't a minimum level at which fireball can be cast. But there is a minimum level at which fireball can be cast by a wizard, and if the arbitrarily low caster level is below the minimum level at which he can cast, he can't cast.

-Hyp.

 

[pawsplay]

There isn't a minimum level at which fireball can be cast. But there is a minimum level at which fireball can be cast by a wizard, and if the arbitrarily low caster level is below the minimum level at which he can cast, he can't cast.

-Hyp.

The rule only states that he cannot choose to cast it below that level. If he chooses to cast it at or above the minimum level, and the effective caster level is modified, he still fulfills the requirement of that clause.

 

[RigaMortus2]

The rule only states that he cannot choose to cast it below that level. If he chooses to cast it at or above the minimum level, and the effective caster level is modified, he still fulfills the requirement of that clause.

What if a Wild Mage (w/o PS feat) chooses to cast Magic Missile at caster level 1, but gets a -3 on his caster level roll?

 

[pawsplay]

What if a Wild Mage (w/o PS feat) chooses to cast Magic Missile at caster level 1, but gets a -3 on his caster level roll?

It looks like you get one missile with a range of 70 feet.

 

[RigaMortus2]

It looks like you get one missile with a range of 70 feet.

Perhaps I picked a bad example... Same question, except replace Magic Missile with Burning Hands. You deal 1d4 points of fire damage per caster level. Since our (newly modified) caster level is now -2, does this mean we deal -2d4 points of fire damage?

 

[The Thayan Menace]

Freakin' Fizzling Fireballs!

There isn't a minimum level at which fireball can be cast. But there is a minimum level at which fireball can be cast by a wizard, and if the arbitrarily low caster level is below the minimum level at which he can cast, he can't cast.

Which brings up your earlier point. What happens to the spell?

Does it fizzle out (i.e., spent), or remain uncast (i.e., still prepared)?

-Samir

 

[pawsplay]

Perhaps I picked a bad example... Same question, except replace Magic Missile with Burning Hands. You deal 1d4 points of fire damage per caster level. Since our (newly modified) caster level is now -2, does this mean we deal -2d4 points of fire damage?

Approximately. You will end up doing 1 point of damage (the minimum). Generally speaking, damage doesn't scale down until it becomes healing, nor do bonuses become penalty, but certainly, some spells could dwindle down to the level of being ineffectual, which I believe is perfectly in line with wild magic.

 

[RigaMortus2]

Approximately. You will end up doing 1 point of damage (the minimum). Generally speaking, damage doesn't scale down until it becomes healing, nor do bonuses become penalty, but certainly, some spells could dwindle down to the level of being ineffectual, which I believe is perfectly in line with wild magic.

Some would say trying to cast a fireball and not being able to because your caster level is suddenly too low would make that spell ineffectual.