Half-Elf - Blend Spell Question

[Felix Gaunt]

I've read enough posts to know that Half-Elves can't buy/learn other racial spells, specifically in this case Elven. My question is if someone else (an Elf obviously) has the spell on a scroll and gives it to me can I then cast it? If so would it just work or would I need to emulate a race using UMD?

[SCPRedMage]

Expect table variation; oh LORD, expect table variation.

I would say that you can't purchase a scroll/wand of the spell, nor learn it. However, should one land itself in your hands, legally, I wouldn't restrict you from using it; it's on your spell list, after all.

[Hayato Ken]

Isn´t it one if the advances of half-elves that they count as elves and humans? Why should this be different for spells?

[Felix Gaunt]

One would think that, but according to the PFS Additional Resources it appears that is (no longer?) the case. It says you need to be an Elf to buy and use an Elf spell or item. I thought if I end up playing with an Elf that they could buy me the spell and I could cast it that way, although not sure if I can given the PFS Additional Resources ruling, or if I can but would need to do a UMD. It's kinda confusing...

Elf Blood: Half-elves count as both elves and humans for any effect related to race.

Is Elf Blood a bad thing, where only stuff like Bane work with it? Or is the Advanced Race Guide different than other PFS books so there is something somewhere (published prior) that you can actually benefit from the Elf Blood trait?

I would think a spell is an effect, plus the way the spell is phrased it says you tap into your elven link the wilderness and since you're a Half-Elf I figured that would work. We have a saying in our home games when we run into this stuff, "Ambiguity Rules." lol

[Hayato Ken]

Additional Resources wrote:

Note: Alternate racial traits, racial archetypes, racial evolutions, racial feats, and racial spells are only available for characters of the associated race.

The question is if elf blood counts as an effect or not. I´m afraid i can´t answer that for PFS.

[Felix Gaunt]

Yeah PFS gets pretty wonky with this kinda stuff, first magical knack wasn't allowed, now I hear it is. Why was it in the first place, no clue. lol So I'm going to assume that if someone hands me a wand/scroll of Blend that I'll be able to UMD it with 2 rolls, one for casting the scroll and one for emulating a race (Elf). That makes complete sense and is within the domain and intention of what UMD does.

[SCPRedMage]

Hayato Ken wrote:

Additional Resources wrote:

Note: Alternate racial traits, racial archetypes, racial evolutions, racial feats, and racial spells are only available for characters of the associated race.

The question is if elf blood counts as an effect or not. I´m afraid i can´t answer that for PFS.

Yes, it does. The problem is the Additional Resources section for the Advanced Race Guide places an additional restriction on it.

Also, it should be pointed out that according to the ARG itself, ANY race can cast ANY of the spells in it (assuming they don't contain mechanics that will only work for that race); it's, again, a PFS-only restriction that disallows it.