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Spellcraft is your go to skill for all spell casters that want to have anything to do with identifying magic, magical writing or usually crafting magical items.
To identify a spell as it is being cast, you use Spellcraft. Very important to be able to do.
For a wizard to learn a spell from a spellbook or scroll, you use Spellcraft.
To prepare a spell from a borrowed spellbook (Read Magic doesn't cut it for this,) you use Spellcraft.
To identify the properties of a magic item using detect magic, you use Spellcraft.
To identify Glyph or Symbol spells while under the effects of Read Magic, you use Spellcraft.
And usually to craft a magic item, you use Spellcraft.
Hey all, got a question here.
It seems to me that Spellcraft isn't a great skill, but I know for a fact I must be missing something. Everyone always goes on about how casters need Spellcraft and I guess I want to know why.
Here's what I'm thinking. Please prove me wrong:
The reading of Spellbooks and Scrolls can be handled by a free casting of Read Magic, so I don't see this as extremely relevant. I guess Identifying spells as they're being cast could definitely have uses, but it doesn't seem like a huge deal. Crafting a Magic Item is definitely useful if you plan on going this route, but we could then debate the importance of crafting magic items in the first place.
This leaves Identifying Items which is obviously necessary, but does that justify maxing the skill out every level? What about if there are two casters in the party? Do they both need it?
Why is Spellcraft so necessary?
Because:
a) Not everyone wants to waste a cantrip or orison on Read Magic every day.b) Most people want to know what their items do (and the DC increases with the caster level)
c) Most importantly: knowing what spell is being cast lets you choose whether or not you might want to counterspell it rather than let it happen. Personally, I would rather lose a Dispel Magic than be disintegrated, for example.
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c) Most importantly: knowing what spell is being cast lets you choose whether or not you might want to counterspell it rather than let it happen. Personally, I would rather lose a Dispel Magic than be disintegrated, for example.
Although I understand and agree in theory, in practice I find most players say, "Ooh! A spell! What is it?"
(roll)
"Disintegrate."
"Ouch! Um... So, can I make my save?"
If you're not in the business of counterspelling, is it still important? Or is it covered via scrolls of Identify and Read Magic?
In practice, I usually don't bother with Knowledge (arcana) or Spellcraft, unless I expect to be making magic items regularly.
In practice, I usually don't bother with Knowledge (arcana) or Spellcraft, unless I expect to be making magic items regularly.
Identify only gives a bonus on the check to identify magical items -- an not enough of one to really cover it by itself... especially if you want to avoid cursed items.
It's also the best skill for making magical items.
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I think a better example of why you need to have someone at a typical table with spell craft would be a lot of the enchantment spells, the illusion spells, the transmutation spells, etc.
Did the enemy just turn invisible or did they teleport away? Did they just turn our fighter against us and now we need to react differently to the combat? Did they just start casting sleep and now we need to get the heck our of our nice little 15'x15' formation or really get screwed? Maybe they're doing something outside the boundaries of the normal spell lists and we could get a hint as to what is going on?
Everyone knows what the darn green ray is but there are piles of other spells that are important to know hit the battle field that aren't even close to as obvious of an effect.
Houseruling, we allow Spellcraft checks to do special things while casting (emulating a metamagic feat you don't have means beating a *very* high DC while making magic missiles burst like fireworks to show off for some goblins is somewhat lower). It's kinda fun, but maybe not for everyone as it is very dependent upon DM fiat. We don't allow anything game-breaking, just for a little color.
M
Houseruling, we allow Spellcraft checks to do special things while casting (emulating a metamagic feat you don't have means beating a *very* high DC while making magic missiles burst like fireworks to show off for some goblins is somewhat lower). It's kinda fun, but maybe not for everyone as it is very dependent upon DM fiat. We don't allow anything game-breaking, just for a little color.
M
Do you have a chart or something you can share? That seems really cool.
we have use a houserule that lets you gain a bonus to your saving throw(if it allows one) against that spell with a spellcraft check. It just made sense to us if you knew what a mage was exactly doing to you it was easier to fight it off.
I've always wanted to ditch Spellcraft and fold its uses into the Knowledge skills, myself. So, identifying arcane magic spells and items would be Knowledge: Arcane, while druid spells would be knowledge: nature and cleric spells knowledge: religion.
Being able to identify the spell the enemy just cast is huge. Was that a summon monster or a minor image? Invisibility or teleport? What buff did that guy just put on himself? Was that fireball just maximized? Many spells will have similar visual effects from the view of the PC, and spellcraft allows you to identify them. You shouldn't just be telling the players what their enemies cast.
Being able to identify the spell the enemy just cast is huge. Was that a summon monster or a minor image? Invisibility or teleport? What buff did that guy just put on himself? Was that fireball just maximized? Many spells will have similar visual effects from the view of the PC, and spellcraft allows you to identify them. You shouldn't just be telling the players what their enemies cast.
Ah, yes, another annoyance of this skill. It nerfs an entire school of spells, one of the most creative and fun in the game to boot.
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If you are a wizard and you want to learn more spells than the 2 free you get per level then you need max ranks in spellcraft. Read Magic lets you read the magic but not understand how to cast the spell. Spellcraft lets you gain that understanding.
If you find a scroll that has a new spell (for your character) then you use spellcraft to attempt to understand it. That then lets you scribe it into your spellbook. The same rule for enemy spellbooks. Read magic does not allow that.
Ah, yes, another annoyance of this skill. It nerfs an entire school of spells, one of the most creative and fun in the game to boot.Being able to identify the spell the enemy just cast is huge. Was that a summon monster or a minor image? Invisibility or teleport? What buff did that guy just put on himself? Was that fireball just maximized? Many spells will have similar visual effects from the view of the PC, and spellcraft allows you to identify them. You shouldn't just be telling the players what their enemies cast.
You know that they still have to make the save right?