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I know it has been fairly well established that arcane casters that cast spontaneously (sorcerers and bards being prime examples) use charisma as their primary stat while arcane casters that study spells (wizards, for instance) use intelligence.
Is there an actual written rule in the Pathfinder RPG that states that it MUST be this way? In other words, do the rules forbid a spontaneous caster that uses intelligence instead of charisma as the primary stat?
Just curious ... I've poked around the core book but have not found this expressly written in the rules, although it is certainly strongly implied.
I'm unaware of a rule that says it HAS to be that way. Int. has been the wizard's prime stat since 1e.
Cha. as a caster's stat came along in 3e. But, you know that! It's great, AFAIC, but if you wanted to play with it, you'd have a very different sort of flavor.
A suave, charming wizard or a super-genius bard isn't what the iconic idea of the classes suggests, but you could play with it if you wanted to. A high-int bard would have more skill points than even a rogue, though. The party's rogue would be jealous. A high-cha. wizard, rather than hanging back and casting spells, would likely be the party's leader or "face" guy.
Not your "standard" way to play it, but I'm sure that somewhere out there, there's a party where the sorcerer is the smartest one in the group, and the wizard is the persuasive, dashing leader-type.
I like it the way it is, but it's your fantasy!
I know it has been fairly well established that arcane casters that cast spontaneously (sorcerers and bards being prime examples) use charisma as their primary stat while arcane casters that study spells (wizards, for instance) use intelligence.
Is there an actual written rule in the Pathfinder RPG that states that it MUST be this way? In other words, do the rules forbid a spontaneous caster that uses intelligence instead of charisma as the primary stat?
Just curious ... I've poked around the core book but have not found this expressly written in the rules, although it is certainly strongly implied.
No, there is no such rule. It is just the way things are generally done.
Is there an actual written rule in the Pathfinder RPG that states that it MUST be this way?
Well, nothing MUST be this, or any, way. It's your game, you can change whatever you want. You could give wizards d12 for hit dice.
But smart-alecrity aside, no, there is no rule that says that in the standard rules, the spellcasting abilities must be assigned like that.
There is, however, a set of standard rules that says that bards use cha, sorcerers use cha, and wizards use int.
It's sort of an implied rule, probably because it makes most sense that way.
But if you come up with a class that uses spontaneous magic but works best with int, go for it.
I could almost see the bard using int, as they're loremasters, too.
Just to note, 3.5 Assassins were spontaneous arcane casters with Int as their casting ability.
Actually, there's no rule that states that spontaneous casters cast from charisma & prepared casters cast from intelligence. The Int/Cha divide actually comes from *how* a spellcaster casts. Bards/Sorcerers pull from their personality and blood, thus requiring a strong personality to successfully cast their magic (i.e. Charisma). Wizards, however, study the universe & the magic involved and break it down into what is essentially a mathmatical formula. Their keen understanding of the system of magic is what makes their magic so powerful, hence Intelligence.
Look at even the divine casters: The wisdom based ones gain their spells strictly from devotion (druid/cleric), while the charisma ones draw on their intimate connection with the magic itself to push it outward into the world (paladin/oracle).
Looking back at 3.5, we had several spontaneous casters who used intelligence (duskblade/beguiler) because it drew on their knowledge of arcane spellcasting.
Just to note, 3.5 Assassins were spontaneous arcane casters with Int as their casting ability.They were spont casters? Really??
Yeah, it was changed in 3.5
v3.5 Duskblades were INT-based spontaneous casters as well, if I recall correctly.
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v3.5 Duskblades were INT-based spontaneous casters as well, if I recall correctly.
Yes, and again limited casters.
Didn't Archivests use Int for their spells too? I don't remember.
I look at it through this style.
Intelligence Casting = solving a puzzle. "I do x pattern, y happens" It is a lot like weaving or crafting.
Charisma Casting = Using the strength of self, force of personality, to force the power to work. The Charsima caster isn't weaving a cloak, he's dropping a cloak over someone and beating them with the sheer force of 'me'. Bards kind of typify this more than Sorcerers, so it's not a perfect analogy.
Wisdom Casting = having the power sent through you like an outside source. Having the endurance to handle that outside power and shape it rather than it shaping you. (In my games, cleric spells are flavoured by their patron deity. Yes that means being healed by a cleric of Zon Kuthon sucks)