Arcana Theft and Summon Monster spells


Rules Questions


I was browsing 4th level Magus spells and came across Arcana Theft, which allows you to steal a successfully dispelled spell as a targetted dispel magic:

Arcana Theft:

School abjuration; Level magus 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range touch
Target creature touched
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance yes
This spell functions as a targeted dispel magic spell, except it only affects creatures and it requires a melee touch attack. If the melee touch attack is successful and the spell successfully dispels one spell affecting the target, that spell is instead transferred to you, treating you as the original target. You do not receive a new saving throw or spell resistance check against this spell and must accept its affects even if they are not beneficial. This does not alter the spell's duration; for example, if the spell only has 4 rounds of duration remaining when it is stolen, it only affects you for 4 rounds. If the spell or effect has a duration of permanent, its duration continues for 1 hour per caster level of the original caster, after which it ends. The stolen spell does not revert to the original target.

Then to refresh my memory, I looked up Dispel Magic to review the relevant section on targetted dispels:

relevant section of Dispel Magic:

Targeted Dispel: One object, creature, or spell is the target of the dispel magic spell. You make one dispel check (1d20 + your caster level) and compare that to the spell with highest caster level (DC = 11 + the spell's caster level). If successful, that spell ends. If not, compare the same result to the spell with the next highest caster level. Repeat this process until you have dispelled one spell affecting the target, or you have failed to dispel every spell.

For example, a 7th-level caster casts dispel magic, targeting a creature affected by stoneskin (caster level 12th) and fly (caster level 6th). The caster level check results in a 19. This check is not high enough to end the stoneskin (which would have required a 23 or higher), but it is high enough to end the fly (which only required a 17). Had the dispel check resulted in a 23 or higher, the stoneskin would have been dispelled, leaving the fly intact. Had the dispel check been a 16 or less, no spells would have been affected.

You can also use a targeted dispel to specifically end one spell affecting the target or one spell affecting an area (such as a wall of fire). You must name the specific spell effect to be targeted in this way. If your caster level check is equal to or higher than the DC of that spell, it ends. No other spells or effects on the target are dispelled if your check is not high enough to end the targeted effect.

If you target an object or creature that is the effect of an ongoing spell (such as a monster summoned by summon monster), you make a dispel check to end the spell that conjured the object or creature.

I have bolded the line that caught my eye. If I am interpreting this correctly, it seems as though you can use Arcana Theft on a summoned monster, at which point it will fight for you as if you had summoned it (assuming it survived your melee touch attack). Am I missing something here?


bump


Doesn't matter, Arcana Theft treats you as the original target. Thus it can only steal spells that target an individual. You cannot be 'targeted' by a Summon Monster spell.

You might argue RAW that the spell should be dispelled regardless (even if you'd gain no benefit), but by RAI it is obvious that the 'targeted dispel' is only specifically referring to the first paragraph given for Dispel Magic, not the alternate use for a targeted dispel outlined below the example (the area effect and summoned monster).

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / Rules Questions / Arcana Theft and Summon Monster spells All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.
Recent threads in Rules Questions