Is Divination worth the casting?


Advice


I have a character that could have access to 1 use of the spell Divination per day, if I decide to use a feat on it (or a once a day bonus to knowledge roll). I'm trying to determine if this once a day divination would be worth it or not. The ability is flavorful and all, but I'm not sure how useful a once per day divination will be.

Does anyone have experiences in using the spell divination? Was it a good experience or a sucky experience? Or did the DM seem to be purposefully less then helpful or even downright evil about it?

Note:
I do understand that the spell says it can be vague / cryptic, so I'm fine with that. What I mean is more like this example.

"Will my allies and I be safe if we go through the door to the north?" and your DM, deciding to be sneaky answers "Yes." You head through the door and there's a gigantic dragon on the other side. Coming to find out that he thought you meant one of the other doors further north. That sort of trickery.


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Divination's usefulness is limited mostly by the GM in question. Some GMs are very helpful with divinations--enjoy them even--but most hate them with a passion. In fact, I'd say you're less likely to hit a GM that deliberately sabotages your Divinations with trickery and other nonsense like that than you to hit a GM who just has no idea how to answer or what to say for a Divination. It's a very delicate balance--give to much information, and the upcoming encounter(s) is spoiled. Don't give enough and the PC wasted 10 minutes and a 4th level spell.

In any case, while it could, with the best kind of GM (as far as divinations are concerned--good gming is not in any way connected to someone's ability to facilitate good divinations) be worth a feat, I think the overwhelming likelihood is that no, it's not worth a feat for because the GM is so likely to be unequipped to properly handle it.


I personally love Divination, but then, my GM is one who enjoys coming up with cool rhymes or cryptic riddles for us.

It's a good "tiebreaker" type of spell, when your party is having trouble making a decision. And it tends to steer things in the direction your deity wants things to go...


Gotta agree with MPL. Know your DM, are they likely to make the spell worth your while? It's all a very game-dependent situation.


Sounds fair. I've had very minor experiences using the spell with this DM in charge, and it's sort of tough to figure it out just on that. So, a chat with him it is.


Work with your DM with it - even those who hate the spell. It's not exactly a low level spell but also it does not promise the world, point this out if you need to.


Two things: one, definitely you need to work with your DM. Divination is the first of the "plot breaker" spells that can reveal an amazing amount of stuff (commune, vision, legend lore mostly come into play later on); some GMs don't work well with this, and others (like myself) work better if they know in advance what you're planning to do so they can work up a proper divination result for you. Not many of us can come up with a clever poem on the fly. You may also need to work with the GM after casting it (if he keeps giving you weird anagrams stuff that you just can't figure out, ask him to dial it back a bit.) Don't expect everything to be handed you on a platter.

Secondly, read the spell carefully. Most importantly, it works on a suggested goal, event, or activity, so you can't ask "what monsters are in the cave?", you have to ask something like "what happens if we go into the cave?". Also, it's temporally short-range -- you may find out that "a giant will beat you with his stick", and prepare to kill the giant, but not learn that on the dark of the moon two weeks after the necromancer giant is no longer there, a swarm of undead that he was keeping quiet will burst out of the crypt.

And, third, there is a significant failure chance, so you may not find out anything. "Reply hazy, don't bother asking again." Don't be surprised if this happens occasionally (nearly 1/4 of the time for a 7th-level caster; 1/10th for even a 20th-level caster.)


tonyz wrote:
And, third, there is a significant failure chance, so you may not find out anything. "Reply hazy, don't bother asking again." Don't be surprised if this happens occasionally (nearly 1/4 of the time for a 7th-level caster; 1/10th for even a 20th-level caster.)

Dragonbone Divination Sticks are a good investment if you are doing lots of divinations, as they'll cut (but not remove) that failure chance.


Those would be very much worth it just for the random saving throw bonus. ;)

Scarab Sages

Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber

I find divination spells to be used as a form of "Gather Information" that just uses something other than books or people.

It should not "spoil" the plot, but should allow the players a chance to better prepare. I give style points if the GM can put it in a riddle or haiku, but that is the same style points when you play out your discussion with Harry the "Local Business Halfling" for information.


I spoke with him about it today, saying I felt it wasn't very useful based on the last few times I had used it with him and admitted that part of that is my fault for not asking the right questions. He in turn admitted we're both pretty new to the spell, but thinks we could get some fun out of the feat if I were to keep it, but is ok with me retraining if I don't feel like going for it, or have something I want a bit more.

Good info though everyone. Thanks.

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