I have lately become quite confused regarding the detect magic spell and items with multiple auras (usually armour or weapons).
Consider the following weapon: +1 axiomatic bane (fey) dancing thundering longsword.
By my count, this item has five auras:
1) the +1 enhancement bonus gives it a Faint Evocation aura (CL 3);
2) the axiomatic property gives is a Moderate Evocation [lawful] aura (CR 7);
3) the bane (fey) property gives it a Moderate Conjuration aura (CL 8);
4) the dancing property gives it a Strong Transmutation aura (CL 15);
5) the thundering property gives it a Faint Necromacy aura (CL 5).
It has always been my understanding that stronger auras "overshadowed" or "blocked out" weaker auras. So my way of handling this so far has been: detect magic only detects the most powerful aura (in this case, Strong Transmutation); Knowledge (arcana) roll to detect the aura only detects the Strong Transmutation aura (DC 22 in this case), and a single Spellcraft roll against the highest aura is needed to identify the sword (DC 30 in this case, revealing all properties).
Now, it seems I may have been doing it wrong. Unfortunately, I've heard that I'm doing it wrong from several different sources, each proclaiming a different way to do it:
1) A single check to identify the aura reveals ALL auras and their strengths, and a single Spellcraft check reveals all properties.
2) EACH aura must be identified by detect magic with a SEPARATE check (at each aura's appropriate DC), and the Spellcraft check reveals all properties ONLY if you've identified ALL auras.
3) As #2, but if you fail, when you try again the next day, any auras you identified the previous day stay identified.
4) As #2, but if you fail, when you try again the next day, you must re-discover any auras you already discovered the day before.
5) As #2, but even if you fail one or more checks to identify auras, you can still use Spellcraft to identify the properties of the aura's you've successfully identified.
There are probably other methods people use, but I hope you can see why I'm confused. The books don't help much on this issue, and there isn't anything in the FAQ addressing this either. So I once again turn to you, in the hopes of finding out just what in the nine hells I'm supposed to be doing!!!
As always, if there is anything official that I've missed, I'd appreciate being pointed in the right direction.
Thanks,
Taffer
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èquote=PRD]3rd Round: The strength and location of each aura. If the items or creatures bearing the auras are in line of sight, you can make Knowledge (arcana) skill checks to determine the school of magic involved in each. (Make one check per aura: DC 15 + spell level, or 15 + 1/2 caster level for a nonspell effect.) If the aura eminates from a magic item, you can attempt to identify its properties (see Spellcraft).
Magical areas, multiple types of magic, or strong local magical emanations may distort or conceal weaker auras.
Check: Spellcraft is used whenever your knowledge and skill of the technical art of casting a spell or crafting a magic item comes into question. This skill is also used to identify the properties of magic items in your possession through the use of spells such as detect magic and identify. The DC of this check varies depending upon the task at hand.
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Attempting to ascertain the properties of a magic item takes 3 rounds per item to be identified and you must be able to thoroughly examine the object.
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When using detect magic or identify to learn the properties of magic items, you can only attempt to ascertain the properties of an individual item once per day. Additional attempts reveal the same results.
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Identify the properties of a magic item using detect magic
15 + item's caster level
Not much to work with so the confusion in different methods.
Then there is the problem that a item with multiple auras can have different CL for each effect.My opinion? You have been neither right or wrong, RAW is sufficiently vague to allow your solution or any of version 1,2,3 and 5 you have presented.
I think version 4 is too punishing for people with low spellcraft skills and don't make the game better in any way. There are better ways to make identifying magic items more complicated so I see little value in requiring a few extra rolls.
Take your pick. Keep in mind that you can take 10 or 20 on those Spellcraft checks, so it's less of a big deal than you might think.
Take the above weapon. If they take 10, they only need a Spellcraft modifier of +15 to identify every property without fail in a minute and a half. That's chump change by the time the average PC sees a weapon like that.
If they have 15 rounds worth of identify (i.e., their caster level * number of identify spells castable >= 5), that modifier goes down to +5 and you add a few standard actions into the mix. And that's if you make them study every aura for 3 rounds; I don't think even that's required, as it's duplicating the first two rounds of work for each aura.
I wouldn't sweat it too much unless they literally only have 4 rounds before the magical trap springs and eats their kidneys.
Edit: Scratch the take 20 unless you have 20 days to work with, but the rest holds.