From the APG, Half-elves have a new racial option:
•Arcane Training: Half-elves occasionally seek tutoring to help them master the magic in their blood. Half-elves with this racial trait have only one Favored Class and it must be an arcane spellcasting class. They can use spell trigger and spell completion items for their Favored Class as if 1 level higher (or as a 1st-level character if they have no levels in that class). This racial trait replaces the multitalented racial trait.
I'm pretty sure I understand this right, but I wanted to clarify. I can see a couple of ways to interpret this:
1) They treat the item being used as one level higher, so that level-dependant variables (such as, say, a fireball's damage) go up by one step.
2) They treat themselves as one level higher, thus reducing the chance of spell mishaps with scrolls, and increasing caster-dependant variables for staves. This would have no effect on wands as far as I can tell.
3) Both of the above.
I believe the intended effect is #2, though that's a little disappointing considering that scroll mishaps don't come up often and staves even less so (at least in my experience). Any one else care to chime in?
You missed out the by playing a non arcane caster and giving up your normal favored class bonuses you can use any wand of that caster type perfectly.
You missed out the by playing a non arcane caster and giving up your normal favored class bonuses you can use any wand of that caster type perfectly.
Exactly this. Pick bard and all of the sudden you can use Wands with cure spells without ever taking levels in the class....or any other number of wands you might find to buff before big fights, or for immediate situations you need spells.
You missed out the by playing a non arcane caster and giving up your normal favored class bonuses you can use any wand of that caster type perfectly.Exactly this. Pick bard and all of the sudden you can use Wands with cure spells without ever taking levels in the class....or any other number of wands you might find to buff before big fights, or for immediate situations you need spells.
True, and I had realized that advantage. My question still stands about the increase to caster level though. Does it apply to the Half-Elf's caster level (whether he has one or not) or the item that the Half-Elf is using?
Put another way, what does a Half-Elf Wizard, with a favored class of Wizard, gain from this racial feature?
You missed out the by playing a non arcane caster and giving up your normal favored class bonuses you can use any wand of that caster type perfectly.Exactly this. Pick bard and all of the sudden you can use Wands with cure spells without ever taking levels in the class....or any other number of wands you might find to buff before big fights, or for immediate situations you need spells.True, and I had realized that advantage. My question still stands about the increase to caster level though. Does it apply to the Half-Elf's caster level (whether he has one or not) or the item that the Half-Elf is using?
Put another way, what does a Half-Elf Wizard, with a favored class of Wizard, gain from this racial feature?
I think you have it right- which is to say, not a lot. Unless you're heavily into magic items, it's sorta lame.
However, playing a cleric and taking favored class in wizard, witch, or bard is wonderful. This is especially true if you plan to enter a prestige class as a half-elf- you're not giving up too much at all.
Here is where the advantage is:
Take your arcane class, go into pathfinder savant for four levels then take the cypher mage feat. Now when you use a scroll you use it at your caster level +2 (with the magical knack trait to make up for the first level of pathfinder savant). You use staves as if your caster level is one higher too (but that's without the feat or pathfinder savant).
I apologise for the necro post, but where are the class and feat/s found?
I think you have it right- which is to say, not a lot. Unless you're heavily into magic items, it's sorta lame.
It is lame until you realize what you are giving up for it -- your second favored class. If you have no plans to multiclass ever, you may as well gain a minor benefit when using scrolls and staves.
I apologise for the necro post, but where are the class and feat/s found?
In the APG under the pages for Half-Elves.
I think you have it right- which is to say, not a lot. Unless you're heavily into magic items, it's sorta lame.
It is lame until you realize what you are giving up for it -- your second favored class. If you have no plans to multiclass ever, you may as well gain a minor benefit when using scrolls and staves.
Actually, you're giving up both favored classes, since it replaces Multitalented (down to one) and requires you to choose an arcane class (so now effectively 0 if that isn't your main class). If you use it to boost your main class that you never planned on multiclassing out of, then it's useful, although you gain much less benefit.
So either you give up a useless ability for a minor gain (+1 level for using items in your own class), or you give up all favored class bonuses for a major gain (ability to use all wands, staves, and scrolls from that class).
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So either you give up a useless ability for a minor gain (+1 level for using items in your own class), or you give up all favored class bonuses for a major gain (ability to use all wands, staves, and scrolls from that class).
To have any chance of activating a scroll spell, the scroll user must meet the following requirements.
The spell must be of the correct type (arcane or divine). Arcane spellcasters (wizards, sorcerers, and bards) can only use scrolls containing arcane spells, and divine spellcasters (clerics, druids, paladins, and rangers) can only use scrolls containing divine spells. (The type of scroll a character creates is also determined by his class.)
The user must have the spell on her class list.
The user must have the requisite ability score.If the user meets all the requirements noted above, and her caster level is at least equal to the spell's caster level, she can automatically activate the spell without a check. If she meets all three requirements but her own caster level is lower than the scroll spell's caster level, then she has to make a caster level check (DC = scroll's caster level + 1) to cast the spell successfully. If she fails, she must make a DC 5 Wisdom check to avoid a mishap (see Scroll Mishaps). A natural roll of 1 always fails, whatever the modifiers. Activating a scroll is a standard action (or the spell's casting time, whichever is longer) and it provokes attacks of opportunity exactly as casting a spell does.
It's not that easy to activate a high level scroll with a caster level of one. The character would also need an ability score of sufficient level.
Actually, you're giving up both favored classes, since it replaces Multitalented (down to one) and requires you to choose an arcane class (so now effectively 0 if that isn't your main class). If you use it to boost your main class that you never planned on multiclassing out of, then it's useful, although you gain much less benefit.
So either you give up a useless ability for a minor gain (+1 level for using items in your own class), or you give up all favored class bonuses for a major gain (ability to use all wands, staves, and scrolls from that class).
Selecting a favored class that you don't plan to take any levels in is generally a bad idea -- that extra hit point or skill point per level is definitely worth more than you would gain from this racial feature. Remember that in that case you would count as a first level caster -- so you would probably be better off spending favored class bonus skill points to take ranks in Use Magic Device.
I was pointing at the trading a useless ability for a minor gain side of things -- minor gain definitely trumps useless.
Yeah, I like Arcane Training, even if I do a wizard.
Cause, if you aren't going to multiclass then Multitalented is useless. I tried to convince a GM of that, he kept saying "It's not worthless, it's part of game balance." and I was like but if I Don't multiclass, ever... then what benefit do I get from it? I don't think he ever saw my point (he's a stickler for "game balance" sometimes to the point he'll ignore common sense and refuse to even discuss rules questions. Once didn't understand a house rule and he got very mad at me for "debating the house rule" even worse I said, "I have a right as a player to have the rules I don't understand clarified" and he got uber mad and said that I was acting under a sense of entitlement... )