Questions about arcane surge (archmage mythic path ability) in Pathfinder


Rules Questions


Dear friends,

My name is Iosif and I am currently playing a 9-level human necromancer in the "Wrath of the Wrighteous" adventure path.

I have two questions in regards to the "arcane surge" ability:

-does it alter the casting time of the spell to be cast via this ability to swift action, or the time you use to activate it is swift action plus the necessary time of the companion spell? E.g. If I want to cast fireball using arcane surge, I need to spend a swift action to "recall" the spell plus a standard action to cast the spell itself?
-in case the companion spell of the arcane surge requires multiple saving throws (e.g. Baleful polymorph or suffocation), the subject of the spell is compelled to roll twice and take the lower result on all required saving throws or just the first one?

I would be grateful if you could answer these two questions of mine, as I am engaged in ever-lasting disputes with my GM, who is always turning these "grey areas" in his favor.

Thanking in advance,
Iosif


First, what your GM says goes. Expect table variance. However, purely based on the rules text of the spells as written:

Iosif Adaloglou 748 wrote:
-does it alter the casting time of the spell to be cast via this ability to swift action

Yes. You are expending mythic power as a swift action in order to immediately cast one of your spells for no additional action cost. It's functionally Quicken Spell.

Quote:
-in case the companion spell of the arcane surge requires multiple saving throws (e.g. Baleful polymorph or suffocation), the subject of the spell is compelled to roll twice and take the lower result on all required saving throws or just the first one?

I would say all required saving throws as applied to the spell.

In your Baleful Polymorph example, the text of the spell includes:

"Saving Throw: Fortitude negates, Will partial"

Both of these would need to be rolled twice and the lower result taken for each. If there are saving throws resulting from but not linked to said spell, however, then those would not be roll-twice-take-lower. It only applies to saving throws that are specifically a part of the rules text of the spell.


Thank you very much Alleran!


Note: Wild Arcana and Inspired Spell were FAQ'd. They are now Standard Actions to use.

(It was generally agreed that practically any spell as a swift action was just too strong. XD)


Dear GM Rednal,

I read the link you send regarding Wild Arcana & Inspired Spell, but there is no reference on "arcane surge". Moreover, in my humble opinion "wild arcana" is more powerful than "arcane surge", since the only prerequisite to cast a spell with this ability is this spell to be in your class spell list, not to be prepared for the day...not even to be in your spellbook. This could be a differentiating factor as far as the action required is concerned.

In any case, I presented you answers to my GM and it is his call after all.

Many thanks,
Iosif


Dear fellow players,

One last thing I would like to ask - if someone knows - what happens if someone casts "suffocation" with arcane surge, since the targeted creature has to roll three times the same saving throw (Fortitude)? Does she has to roll twice and take the lowest result every time, or does this apply only on the first Fort Save? Alleran already answered that in the case of "Baleful Polymorph" the targeted creature rolls twice for both Fort & Will saving throw.

Thank you in advance!

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