The Wibble's page

So I've seen a few posts in threads that suggest that clerics have lost their 10th level divine font spell slots (at character level 19) and will now only get 9th level divine font spells maximum; because of the below in the new errata:-

Several classes were accidentally missing an important limitation for 10th level spells. In the following class features, add “You can’t use this spell slot for abilities that let you cast spells without expending spell slots or that give you more spell slots.”

Page 121: Miraculous Spell

Page 133: Primal Hierophant 

Page 207: Archwizard's Spellcraft

I'm not 100% convinced that this applies to divine font, but I can see the argument for it applying. However the errata also doesn't appear to change table 3-9 (page 120) which explicitly, makes clerics divine font spells 10th level spells at level 19. (It's also the only place where what level you cast your divine font at is stated, that I can find).

So my question is, at level 19 are the extra spells from my characters divine font cast at level 9 or 10?

Does the spell Status detect all conditions on a target (including but not limited to things like prone, detected, hidden, and hostile) or just some of them(in which case how do you tell which ones)?

From my experience playing through the adventure paths, I think part of the problem is that spells are going against the same saves that skill actions use, and any character can have a much higher proficiency in a skill than casters can have in casting spells (until high levels), plus you can get weapon enhancements and some class feats to boost those skill rolls even more, which you can't do with spells.

This means that monster saves have to be high enough that a character can't just use trip, grapple, intimidate
and other skill actions make encounters trivial, but by doing this spells struggle to get through and you end up with casters having a disappointing feal.

Getting a failure with a spell even if it does something doesn't feel fun, and realising that you will basically never get the cool critical effect that you picked the spell for is even more disappointing.

I think the worse bit is there is also nothing stopping critical hits from AoO from disrupting their spells unless they take steady spellcasting, which is a bit poor. A DC15 flat check to stop a spell being disrupted and takes a class feat slot, no thanks.

Maybe they could improve steady spellcasting for all classes as currently why would you take it?

I was wondering the samething as the OP but me and my DM came to a different conclusion to the above replies. So I did some proper checking using the rulebook.

TLDR: I'm pretty sure it only helps against stuff with the attack trait or if the action has an attack roll.

I think the spell is refering to the Key term Attack(page 12; core rulebook) rather than the trait Attack (yes it's confusing)

Does this mean it helps against thing without the attack trait such as magic missile? It's a bit unclear but page 446 (also page 628) helps a bit more as it defines an attack as something that is a strike action or uses an attack roll( further defined as either a; melee attack roll; or a ranged attack roll; or a Spell attack roll; along with how these work )

Also the attack trait automatically makes something an attack (key term) page 629

So I think sanctuary only helps against actions that use attack rolls or that have the attack trait so won't help against things like fireball and magic missile (although it not working against magic missile seems a bit of an oversight and it should work against it IMO).

However it behoves me to point out that the glossary definition of an attack (page 628) says that most attacks use an attack roll so there is the possibility of the argument the other way.

What do others think? Have I missed anything?

The wording of the rules to heighten banishment would appear to back up that the heightened version of this spell(status) still has to target living and willing creatures. As banishment has to target a creature not on its home plane otherwise the spell doesn't make any sense.

I would argue that they could have used better language to make this more clear, something like 'increase the number of targets to up to 10' which would follow the wording of a lot of other spells and keeps it a lot clear all other restrictions apply.

(Banishment heightening :

Heightened (9th) You can target up to 10 creatures. The extra material component affects targets to which it is anathema.

)

I guess I just figured it was 'supposed' to work as similar spells do in other editions but I guess it's supposed to be able detect all conditions.

It's just gonna mean I can do things like warn the rogue that they failed to hide from the big bad with there last action on their turn so they won't get sneak attack on there first attack next turn, so hide again or get flat footed some other way before attacking.

I can also spot an ambush because the party will suddenly gain the observed and flat-footed conditions!

Also I had a stupid shower thought as a result of this. If my character and another learnt Morse code or something similar we could communicate infinite distance by them going prone and standing up , one way though, unless both of us learn status. Probably not something I would pull in a real game though. Although could be a good secret signal, if there's something wrong and you need a cleric stand up and lie down lots!

I asked this question on reddit and was directed here by a friendly poster in the hope of an offical answer as it seems to be not that simple a question, and has lots of good RAW vs RAI arguments...

My group managed to capture some prisoners a few sessions ago and my cleric decided to use a 4th level spell slot to cast status(heightened) on them, and a couple of party members. Reasoning that as we are in deep jungle it's gonna take a while to take the prisoners back to civilization, and knowing where they are at all times will stop them escaping to far if they decide to run for it. This should then stop the more murder hobo'y members of the party using this as an excuse to just kill the prisoners. This has meant I have read the spell (and the bits around the spell) in more detail and now have a question that I don't think has been asked anywhere yet.

Status states that you know the conditions affecting a creature, and in the rulebook under conditions it also states that being hidden and detected are conditions (and as far as I can tell if it's a condition on the conditions list then it technically affects a creature when it's applied to them).

Does this mean that I can tell if any of the party members (or prisoners) that I have cast the spell on have become detected or have failed to be hidden ? This could be pretty powerful in many situations, but doesn't really make any sense. This would also suggest I can tell if someone has gone prone even if I can't see them, and a couple of other janky things. I think I must have miss-read something somewhere but can't find what