Bard + Improved Eldritch Heritage (New Arcana)

[Devilkiller]

Could a PC with 11 or more Bard levels and the Eldritch Heritage (Arcane) feat take Improved Eldritch Heritage to gain the New Arcana ability and add a spell from the Sor/Wiz list to his spells known?

This doesn't seem that crazy to me since there's a Ring of Spell Knowledge which explicitly lets arcane casters learn spells from another list. Maybe it is unintended though? What do folks think?

[Brf]

Yes.
Here is another topic asking exactly the same question.

[Archaeik]

I see no issue here. New Arcana is still restricted to spell levels you're capable of casting (and also presumably limited to "at the level when this ability says the spell was gained"), so EH should grant a 6/9 caster a maximum of one 4th, 5th, and 6th level spell, rather than potentially three 6th level spells known (if IEH is taken at sufficiently high level), which is the only cheese I would expect to be attempted.

Are you trying to argue devil's advocate here, saying "other means of (explicitly) learning spells not on your class list typically add them to your personal list at +1 spell level"?

[Devilkiller]

I'm not trying to push any particular view, just evaluating the feat as a possible choice for my Paladin4/Bard10 next level. He's been stung by the weapon cord nerf and saw Weird Words go from overpowered to underpowered. I'd hate to take something else which seems cool up front just to learn later that it doesn't work.

[andreww]

Yes it works. If he is a half elf he could grab Paragon Surge and use it to take any other feats he wanted. Expanded Arcana would let him access the whole Bard list or Spell Perfection (at 15) could add all sorts of interesting options.

[Brf]

Actually, you could have taken that feat a few levels ago. Your current Character level is 14, and that feat only requires 11.

[Devilkiller]

Last level I was more interested in Discordant Voice. Another question which comes to mind is whether taking the feat now would give the PC access to two 4th level spells since he can learn spells of that level when he gains the power. I guess a similar question might come up in cases where a Sorcerer with the Arcane Bloodline multiclassed into something which gave him caster levels but didn't increase his level for the bloodline. In that case I'd think the level of spells he could learn should be based on the level of spells he can cast.

That will likely be a moot point for my PC since I think the 3rd level Sor/Wiz spell Ablative Barrier seems like a great fit for my PC since it would basically double the effect of his first few uses of Lay on Hands per battle. With a lesser rod of Extend the AB should last 22 hours, pretty much an "all day" buff.

Anyhow, I'd be interested in hearing any dissenting opinions on whether the feat should work this way. If none are forthcoming I'll run it by the GM and see what he thinks. I'd imagine he'll say "yes" until he sees Ablative Barrier and then say "maybe".

[Brf]

The bloodline power gives you one new spell known of whatever level you can cast.
At 11th level bard you can cast up to 4th level spells.