an oracle picks the spell divination. then what?

[ohako]

Ultimate Equipment wrote:

Soothsayer's Rainment: For divination spells with a percentage-based chance of success (such as augury and divination), the wearer's chance increases by +5.

Okay, so, an oracle in PFS picks the spell divination, and buys this fancy chainmail. Then what?

I've played a fair amount of low-level PFS, and I can say that the party usually doesn't need a cryptic rhyme to help solve the mystery. (ie, mysteries in PFS are written so that Scooby Doo could solve them).

1. Is divination a good spell to pick for anyone in PFS, or any spontaneous caster for that matter?
2. Is a divination scroll worth 700gp in PFS?
3. For adventures written with the possibility of 8th-level oracles in mind (or nutcase 3rd-level clerics who bought seer's tea), do the writeups contain helpful (or screwy, in case of failure) cryptic rhymes that the GM can crib?

Ugh.

4. So, Horror Adventures is out, as well as all of those new occult books. What are some good build ideas for Scooby and the gang? Shaggy can be a hunter with a riding dog animal companion...then what?

[Nefreet]

*sarcasm senses tingling*

Disregarding the "Scooby-Doo" comments, if you're focused on any particular schtick (including Divination spells such as the ones you listed), it would be wise to bring them up with the GM before the session so that they can best prepare to give you and the party an enjoyable experience.

Most scenarios can't account for every player option out there. Usually, it's due to word count. Other tactics such as Sunder/Disarm specialists come to mind. But most GMs should be able to work things out (if given the proper time).

Personal anecdote: I GMed for a Lore Oracle (or Shaman, I can't recall) during last year's GenCon. He subdued and probed the mind of the BBEG, gleaning information that the scenario didn't assume the PCs would uncover.

So I flipped back to page one and paraphrased the backstory, flavoring it in an entertaining manner that incorporated the NPC's POV. I also emphasized that this was something special, to make him feel like his investment in resources was worth it.

But the scenario included no dialogue for such a possibility.

[Ectar]

Thelma is clearly an investigator. Every time she says "Jinkies!" is a use of inspiration.

[ohako]

Huh. Maybe I'll just stick to blessing of fervor.

[Belafon]

I've had players cast divination several times and it can be quite useful.

Examples:

A cleric and wizard (among others) were being sent on a rescue mission and wanted to know if it would hurt their chances of completing the rescue of they waited a day to leave so they could memorize spells more appropriate to the circumstances.

The players wanted to know about approaching weather conditions.

It's worth having available but a scroll is usually a better choice for a spontaneous caster. (A scroll costs 725, there's a material component as well.)

[BretI]

As with many things, it will depend on what it costs you and how well you can make use of it.

In one PFS adventure, we were saved from having to fight a swarm (and the attention that would have brought on us) because a character used Augury. Previous to that, the player wasn't sure they would even find a use for the spell.

There are a lot of adventures where it will not pay off. When you hit a circumstance where it does, it is usually a big payoff.

Would you rather have something that is always useful, or something that is occasionally supremely useful?

[John Compton]

I've used commune far more often than I've used divination but I've had really good results with them. Since commune requires yes/no questions, I've used the following and more:

Is there more than one entrance to the [villain]'s lair? This helped inform us to look for secret doors and escape routes that the villain might use.

Will fire magic prove instrumental in defeating our foes in [villain]'s castle? The GM flipped through the adventure quickly and saw that there were several creatures with fire resistance or immunity, so he answered "no." We grabbed an elemental metamagic rod to improve our energy versatility.

Might [villain] seek redemption? This isn't an absolute indicator that redemption can happen, but it does make for good social currency at the table when convincing your comrades to give peace a chance.

Does [villain] have any extraplanar allies nearby? This is good for preparing dismissal, for example.

Does [villain] have a weakness? This doesn't tell you what the weakness, but it cues the players to be on the lookout.

Will waiting a day significantly impact our chances of success in thwarting [villain]? As Kevin noted above, this is great for helping us prepare new spells based on this new information.

Divination offers fewer answers overall, but it provides greater information. If I ask about fire harming the villain, divination might inform me that "fire is its birthright and lifeblood, quenched only by winter's fury." Now I know not only that fire isn't going to do much, but the implication is that the villain might have the fire subtype and thus be vulnerable to cold. That's useful information!

As others recommend, chat briefly with your GM about your enjoyment of divination and similar spells, and you should be able to work out a consensus to receive enough information for your investment without spoiling the adventure through divination magic.

[andreww]

I have seen commune used quite often, normally with questions like:

Will we encounter demons in the next 48 hours
Will we encounter devils in the next 48 hours
etc etc

[Sundakan]

Divination is useful depending on how you use it. In our Way of the Wicked game, particularly during book 2, it was a lifesaver on a lot of occasions.

"Will the Paladins come to attack the Horn today?" That kind of stuff.

[FLite]

One of our players has a preprinted, laminated sheet, with questions, each with a Y / N and a check box. He checks the boxes next to the questions he wants to ask, and then hands it across, you circle it and hand it back.

[RainyDayNinja]

I wouldn't pick Divination as a spell known for a spontaneous caster. Or even spend 700 gp on a scroll to use once. But presumably at that level, an Oracle can afford a Mnemonic Vestment, so carrying around the scroll to cast the spell once before going on a trip would be a good investment.

[ohako]

huh. that works. soothsayer's rainment plus a mnemonic vestment plus a scroll of divination. That's not going to let my character light demons on fire with my mind, but it's neat nonetheless.

I like the idea of the pre-asked questions for commune. I've often found that using that spell in a group leads to a whole session being wasted on arguing over which questions to ask.