Wealthy Dabbler, return of arcane striking rogues?

[Matthew Morris]

Ok, was playing with HeroLab and came across the Wealthy Dabbler trait. Text from the source (not Herolab) reads:

wealthy dabbler:

You study magic at a social club, wowing your friends with your recent discoveries and showing off your expertise in the simplest of magical exploits. Select two non-harmful arcane cantrips. You can cast these two cantrips once per day each (caster level 1st). If you have levels in a class that can cast these cantrips, your caster level for these cantrips is equal to that class level

As I read it, you *are* casting these spells, not spell like abilities. So I'm reading this opens up Arcane Strike, albiet 'stuck' at level 1.

[LazarX]

Yes... so you can spend a trait and a feat to get ONE whole point of extra damage, which takes your swift action each round to activate, that's not going to scale. As opposed to taking a rogue magic talent with the feat, whose caster level DOES scale.

[UndeadMitch]

While it is stuck at +1 damage it does let all of his weapons get past DR/ magic and hurt incorporeals. And even at 11, the most he could get out of it by using up a rogue talent is +3 damage. I would rather just eat the trait, myself. And it is important to note that any class can take the trait.

[Jiggy]

UndeadMitch wrote:

While it is stuck at +1 damage it does let all of his weapons get past DR/ magic and hurt incorporeals.

Just the DR. Doesn't help against incorporeals.

[Rogue Eidolon]

Jiggy wrote:

UndeadMitch wrote:

While it is stuck at +1 damage it does let all of his weapons get past DR/ magic and hurt incorporeals.

Just the DR. Doesn't help against incorporeals.

Link.

[Jiggy]

Oh! Missed that one. Neat!

[RainyDayNinja]

Even though they aren't called out by name as Spell-Like Abilities, I would rule that they are not actual spells, because they function like SLAs rather than regular spellcasting.

(But it would save you from spending your rogue talent on Minor Magic to get your mage hand requirement if you wanted to make a Bloodrager 7/Rogue 3/Arcane Trickster X.)

[UndeadMitch]

I'm going to have to disagree with you there, since the trait calls out that the PC is casting the spell. It mentions casting the spell, while another trait out of Inner Sea Primer, Superstitious Ward, allows a PC to cast disrupt undead and specifically calls it out as an SLA.

[RainyDayNinja]

UndeadMitch wrote:

I'm going to have to disagree with you there, since the trait calls out that the PC is casting the spell. It mentions casting the spell, while another trait out of Inner Sea Primer, Superstitious Ward, allows a PC to cast disrupt undead and specifically calls it out as an SLA.

Spell-like abilities are also described as being "cast" in the CRB, so I don't find that argument convincing.

I think it's much more likely the trait was poorly edited, accidentally omitting that it is a spell-like ability, than that it is intended to create an entirely new kind of magical ability that is even more spell-like than spell-like abilities.

[Matthew Morris]

UndeadMitch wrote:

I'm going to have to disagree with you there, since the trait calls out that the PC is casting the spell. It mentions casting the spell, while another trait out of Inner Sea Primer, Superstitious Ward, allows a PC to cast disrupt undead and specifically calls it out as an SLA.

That's what caught my eye too. Also it's good for slayers, who *can't* take minor magic regardless. (SLAs don't count for arcane strike anyway)

[gritz2m]

I know this is an old thread, but is there any sort of official ruling on whether or not Wealthy Dabbler allows access to Arcane Strike or not?

[James Risner]

Seems to. Nothing official.
Ask your GM.

[gritz2m]

I'm looking to do this in Society with a Bloodrager to get Blooded Arcane Strike at level 3. Otherwise I have to wait until 7.

[Chess Pwn]

I suggest not using it. Nothing but classes gives you actual caster levels. Why would this trait break that?