Identifying Magic Items

[GrayJester23]

Just a couple of questions I'd like cleared up regarding this topic.

In regards to potions, the Core rulebook reads: "PCs can sample from each container they find to attempt to determine the nature of the liquid inside with a Perception check. The DC of this check is equal to 15 + the spell level of the potion."

However, in the chart under the Perception skill description, it reads: Identify the powers of a potion through taste: 15 + the potion's caster level."

So, which is it? I'm inclined to think spell level as opposed to caster level, but I'm wondering if there's been any sort of official ruling on this.

Also, under the description for the Detect Magic spell, the third round of studying a particular area reads: The strength and location of each (magical) 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...if the aura eminates from a magic item, you can attempt to identify its properties (see Spellcraft)."

The wording used makes me wonder: does one have to succeed at the Knowledge (arcana) check and determine the item's aura (i.e.: faint evocation) before one is allowed to roll Spellcraft to determine an item's specific magical abilities?

[kantas]

The potion question has me stumped...

that's a good question. I would hazard a guess to say that the Spell level is the required DC, because the caster level doesn't help tell you what the spell is... I can be a 20th level caster brewing a potion of cure serious wounds. the perception of spell level would tell me that it's a Cure serious wounds potion.

however now that i think more on it... i think having a caster level DC would be able to tell you the strength of the potion. IE

is the potion of cure serious wounds made at 3d8+5 or is it 3d8+15?

that's where a caster level based DC would come in handy.

I think having both DC's would be fine, and if the caster level DC is made, then the PC would determine the potions strength. if the spell level DC is made, then they just know it's a potion of cure serious wounds, but not how potent it is.

Regarding the magic item identification.

you do not need to ID the aura before rolling spellcraft. It states in the detect magic spell that if the aura that you observe comes from an item, you can use spellcraft to ID the item. You could use the knowledge arcana to ID the school of the aura if you didn't have spellcraft, however, that wouldn't be terribly useful in identifying the magic item.

[cwslyclgh]

A good general rule is to trust text over charts.