The two spells a wizard learns when he reaches a new level are they learnt out of the blue or does he have to have some sort of reference or teaccher to gain them on his spellbook?
Is a ranged touch attack into melee considered to have a -4 penalty for firing into melee?
Thanks in advance
-Stefan
The two spells a wizard learns when he reaches a new level are they learnt out of the blue or does he have to have some sort of reference or teaccher to gain them on his spellbook?
GM's discretion.
Is a ranged touch attack into melee considered to have a -4 penalty for firing into melee?
That's always how I've played although I note that it says "shoot or throw a ranged weapon." I suppose some argument could be made for a spell not being a weapon.
Out of the Blue.
Yes.
The two spells a wizard learns when he reaches a new level are they learnt out of the blue or does he have to have some sort of reference or teaccher to gain them on his spellbook?GM's discretion.
The rules do not support this position:
Spells Gained at a New Level: Wizards perform a certain amount of spell research between adventures. Each time a character attains a new wizard level, he gains to add to his spellbook. The two free spells must be of spell levels he can cast. If he has chosen to specialize in a school of magic, one of the two free spells must be from his specialty school.
So, it is assumed that you've found reference material for the "player" chosen spells somewhere along your journey coincidentally. Not spontaneous realization.
When you sit down to camp, or have lunch, or whatever, you work on figuring out magic. You scribble notes in the margins of your spellbook. You remember words of wisdom from your old mentor, that didn't make sense before, but are clear now. And then when the time is right, you have Fireball scribed in your book.
One of the problems with level based games (like pathfinder) is that advancement has discrete breakpoints. Yesterday you were limited to second level spells, today Fireball! Does it make sense that you mastered new tiers of arcane energy while sleeping in a ditch in the middle of nowhere after a hard day of killing orcs? Nope. There are a lot of things that are assumed to be going on in the background, but only show up when you level. A wizards free spells are one of those things.
Or you can play it that the god of magic is up there watching you.
"This one is ready, I grant unto him Fireball and Haste. Send and archon to scribe them into his spellbook while he sleeps."
Whatever works for your game.
GM's discretion can still apply because it's up to the GM to determine the choices available. If the player wants a spell that the GM says they can't have they can CHOOSE something that is.
-- again not what it says you can argue rule 0 until you are blue in the face but you know that doesn't belong here -- and that wasn't what he meant.
The GM has discretion of course but on the same thing he can use his discretion to decide the fighter can only weapon specialize in dagger and the only armor ever available is chain shirts, he can decide the cleric will only receive cure spells from his god.
None of this is what the rules say but of course he can rule 0 it away all he wants.
The rules say exactly that. The rules weren't meant to imply that the character has absolute choice. "I want to learn these two Spells of the Awesome Monkey that are in my Awesome Monkey Splatbook." And yes the GM can determine what weapons are and ARE NOT available for the fighter as well.
Rules are one thing. Setting is the defined working subset of the rules applicable. And while you may dismiss Rule Zero, you have to acknowledge that the game becomes quickly unplayable without it.
Again not hardly what was asked or said. Also not hardly what you were saying either.
-- again not what it says you can argue rule 0 until you are blue in the face but you know that doesn't belong here -- and that wasn't what he meant.
I could have done better by elaborating my response but please don't try and put words in my mouth.
I meant that it's GM's discretion about the exact 'fluff' of how a wizard acquires new spells. It doesn't matter if he gets them from a mentor, from a book discovered while adventuring, completely new and novel research, or even rectal extraction.
Unless a GM has house rules that require all PC's to train or find a teacher, it is unfair to single out a wizard's spells for special treatment.
In hindsight I should have said what Dolanar said, "You get 2 spells, leave the fluff to the GM."
In hindsight I should have said what Dolanar said, "You get 2 spells, leave the fluff to the GM."
I can fully agree with this.