Starting specialist wizard: Cantrips.

[Farabor]

So, pathfinder changed the rules on specialist wizards from _can't cast any spells at all_ from their 2 opposite schools, to 'can cast at the cost of two spell slots'.

The starting spell selection text however, seems to be directly copied from 3.5 SRD....

Spoiler:

A wizard begins play with a spellbook containing all
0-level wizard spells (except those from his prohibited
schools, if any; see Arcane Schools) plus three 1st-level
spells of his choice.

Later on, we're told that a wizard can indeed cast cantrips from those opposite schools, for the standard 'cost' of 2 cantrip prepared spots.

So....was this an unintentional artifact from 3.5 being blocked from casting at all, and pathfinder wizards should get all cantrips in their book now....or was it intentional, and you don't start with those cantrips, but can later find them and copy them into your book?

[Beckett]

Essentually, Cantrips (and Orisons) are not 0 level spells, anymore.

You pick a few cantrips for the day, and can cast them infinetly. But to pick a Cantrip from a forbidden school takes up 2 Cantrip slots (for the day), or basically you can memorize one less Cantrip to cast infinitly that day.

[Dennis da Ogre]

Farabor wrote:

So....was this an unintentional artifact from 3.5 being blocked from casting at all, and pathfinder wizards should get all cantrips in their book now....or was it intentional, and you don't start with those cantrips, but can later find them and copy them into your book?

I'm not sure but it makes a lot of sense so I don't think it matters. I only worry about mistakes or omissions that don't make sense :)

If there it was a mistake then it will likely pop up as an errata.

[Farabor]

Beckett wrote:

Essentually, Cantrips (and Orisons) are not 0 level spells, anymore.

You pick a few cantrips for the day, and can cast them infinetly. But to pick a Cantrip from a forbidden school takes up 2 Cantrip slots (for the day), or basically you can memorize one less Cantrip to cast infinitly that day.

I know that....the question is, do you get to start with the cantrips from your prohibited school, or not. The 'starting spellbook' line seems to indicate no, but its also apparently a cut and paste from 3.5, which indicates to me they may just not have noticed it to change.

[Draeke Raefel]

I would think that you wouldn't start with any spells( cantrips etc ) from your opposition school, but would have to find them in game. If you have been studying everything evocation for example, you probably haven't been wasting your time learning the odd Nercromantic( or whatever your prohibited school is ) spell.

[Beckett]

Sorry, I couldn't see the spoiler on my phone, so I didn't understand what you were asking. I'd assume that you need to purchase those spells yourself, (but at the same time such a minor detail I don't see why).

[Treantmonk]

Based on how it's written, you don't get those cantrips unless you find them and copy them into your book, as you say.

As for whether that's an error, I don't see how it creates any contradictions or anything, so there's no reason to believe it is.