What constitutes "ability to cast"


Rules Questions


I'm interested in taking preferred spell for a spell before I could prepare that spell as a wizard, to save feats. Since I could use a scroll or other item with the spell and it is a wizard spell, is that sufficient?

Basically, is that the spell is on the wizard spell list what "ability to cast" means or does it require the ability to do it at the moment of taking the feat? Would being a high enough level to cast it but not having it in your spellbook stop you?

Grand Lodge

It requires you to cast the spell completely unaided. Also, you wouldn't gain the benefits of the feat when casting the spell from a scroll or wand (although you would with a staff). So, yes, feat order is going to play a big role in your character creation and this is not a shortcut.


Every class that casts spells has the following class feature:

Quote:
spells

With a variation of the following text under it:

Quote:

A ____ casts _____ spells drawn from the _____ spell list. (He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time.) OR (A ____ must choose and prepare her spells in advance.)

To prepare or cast a spell, a ______ must have a ______ score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a ______’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the cleric’s _____ modifier.

There is usually extra text with it about some specifics but if you don't have that or an ability that specifically states, "You cast spells as a _________ of _________ caster level" you are not a spell caster.


Abraham spalding wrote:

Every class that casts spells has the following class feature:

Quote:
spells

With a variation of the following text under it:

Quote:

A ____ casts _____ spells drawn from the _____ spell list. (He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time.) OR (A ____ must choose and prepare her spells in advance.)

To prepare or cast a spell, a ______ must have a ______ score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a ______’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the cleric’s _____ modifier.

There is usually extra text with it about some specifics but if you don't have that or an ability that specifically states, "You cast spells as a _________ of _________ caster level" you are not a spell caster.

I'm sorry, did you read the actual post, or just the topic?


A bit of neither apparently on rereading it -- but I thought I had.

Preferred Spell wrote:
Benefit: Choose one spell which you have the ability to cast. You can cast that spell spontaneously by sacrificing a prepared spell or spell slot of equal or higher level. You can apply any metamagic feats you possess to this spell when you cast it. This increases the minimum level of the prepared spell or spell slot you must sacrifice in order to cast it but does not affect the casting time.

If you can't cast the spell you can't cast the spell -- in order to be able to cast the spell you must have spell slots of that level, know the spell in question, and have a high enough casting stat to cast spells of that level.

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