Arcane Training: Half-elves occasionally seek tutoring to help them master the magic in their blood. Half-elves with this racial trait have only one favored class, and it must be an arcane spellcasting class. They can use spell trigger and spell completion items for their favored class as if one level higher (or as a 1st-level character if they have no levels in that class). This racial trait replaces the multitalented racial trait.
What exactly does this do? I am not sure I understand what a character with this would gain.
awesome! makes sense thank you!
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I may be mistaken, but I believe it also treats your CL as 1 level higher when resolving the effects of spell trigger and spell completion items. For example, say you're a Wizard with a CL 1 Wand of Burning Hands, when you use the wand you cast it as a CL 2 Burning Hands.
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Arcane Training: Half-elves occasionally seek tutoring to help them master the magic in their blood. Half-elves with this racial trait have only one favored class, and it must be an arcane spellcasting class. They can use spell trigger and spell completion items for their favored class as if one level higher (or as a 1st-level character if they have no levels in that class). This racial trait replaces the multitalented racial trait.
What exactly does this do? I am not sure I understand what a character with this would gain.
You must have an arcane favored class for this one. Recall that your favored class doesn't have to be one you have levels in.
The feat allows you to count as one level higher (or 1st level) the arcane class selected for the purposes of using magic items. This is a pretty powerful one, as it allows a 1st level character to use most magic items as if a 2nd level character. There aren't that many other ways to do this, so it has potency.
It also allows you to count as a 1st level member of a given class, without actually taking any levels in it (though it does cost your favored class bonus). In example, this means you could benefit from a weapon's ability that gave a special bonus to your arcane class, without actually having levels in that class.
It's a pretty powerful racial ability, in either use, but it does mean giving up your second favored class, which is costly in it's own right. So, really, it depends on your character build.
Good benefit to a Mono-Arcane class character, or a non-arcane character that wants to use UMD a lot.
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I may be mistaken, but I believe it also treats your CL as 1 level higher when resolving the effects of spell trigger and spell completion items. For example, say you're a Wizard with a CL 1 Wand of Burning Hands, when you use the wand you cast it as a CL 2 Burning Hands.
No, doesn't do this, unless you also have an ability that allows you to use your CL instead of the wand's CL when casting the spell (that ability does exist).
Wait, why not? Isn't that literally what the ability says?I may be mistaken, but I believe it also treats your CL as 1 level higher when resolving the effects of spell trigger and spell completion items. For example, say you're a Wizard with a CL 1 Wand of Burning Hands, when you use the wand you cast it as a CL 2 Burning Hands.No, doesn't do this, unless you also have an ability that allows you to use your CL instead of the wand's CL when casting the spell (that ability does exist).
They can use spell trigger and spell completion items for their favored class as if one level higher.
It doesn't mention anything about it increasing your CL or the item's CL, just that you use the item at one level higher.
Chance Wade, you are definitely incorrect.
If you want to see an ability that does let you do what you're talking about please see:
Staff-Like Wand
Your research has unlocked a new power in conjunction with using a wand.
Prerequisite: You must be at least an 11th-level Wizard and must have the Craft Staff feat to select this discovery.
Benefit: Similar to using a magic staff, you use your own Intelligence score and relevant feats to set the DC for saves against spells you cast from a wand, and you can use your caster level when activating the power of a wand if it’s higher than the caster level of the wand.
Notice how it directly says you can use your caster level.
Arcane Training is talking about being able to activate items:
They can use spell trigger and spell completion items for their favored class as if one level higher (or as a 1st-level character if they have no levels in that class).
The parenthetical really helps to clarify what they're talking about. But you see there is no mention of caster level at all, it's only talking about being able to activate spell trigger/completion items. Basically you count as one level higher for these, or as a 1st level character of the appropriate class if you don't take levels in it.
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Wow - I totally missed this one. So anyone with this racial attribute and favored class: wizard could use any wands of wizard/sorc spells without UMD, even if they never take a level of that class.
Now I'm picturing a fighter with buffing wands and scrolls of 1st level buffs (enlarge person!), or a bard using a wand of Magic Missile while singing. Or a rogue who can use the wands they steal.
This is totally worth giving up favored class bonuses for, if you want to build your PC this way.
Note that it's more useful when multi-classing/prestige-classing (where most of the levels won't benefit from FCB) and/or when the alternate FCB is useless (because of an archetype replacement; i.e., vivisectionist alchemist) or poor (like the fighter's +1 CMD vs. disarm and overrun).
For example:
a half-elf brawler (snakebite striker) 1/rogue 1/wizard (Evocation/Admixture school) 3/arcane trickster X with Arcane Training (bard or witch) can use wands of cure light wounds, etc. without needing to invest in Use Magic Device
a half-elf alchemist (vivisectionist) with Arcane Training (sorcerer or wizard) can Sneak Attack with a wand of scorching ray without a Use Magic Device check
a half-elf fighter specializing in a two-handed weapon (Ancestral Arms (Elven Curve Blade)?) with Arcane Training (sorcerer or wizard) can use a wand of shield to boost AC
a half-elf magus (staff magus) 6/cleric 3/mystic theurge X with Arcane Training (sorcerer or wizard) could take full advantage of most magical staffs
It's not a great choice for every character, but it's definitely useful for some...
Chance Wade, you are definitely incorrect.
If you want to see an ability that does let you do what you're talking about please see:
Staff-Like Wand
Your research has unlocked a new power in conjunction with using a wand.
Prerequisite: You must be at least an 11th-level Wizard and must have the Craft Staff feat to select this discovery.
Benefit: Similar to using a magic staff, you use your own Intelligence score and relevant feats to set the DC for saves against spells you cast from a wand, and you can use your caster level when activating the power of a wand if it’s higher than the caster level of the wand.
Notice how it directly says you can use your caster level.
Arcane Training is talking about being able to activate items:
They can use spell trigger and spell completion items for their favored class as if one level higher (or as a 1st-level character if they have no levels in that class).The parenthetical really helps to clarify what they're talking about. But you see there is no mention of caster level at all, it's only talking about being able to activate spell trigger/completion items. Basically you count as one level higher for these, or as a 1st level character of the appropriate class if you don't take levels in it.
The Staff-Like Wand ability has nothing to do with what I'm talking about. That just lets you use your own CL and mod instead of the items. What I'm saying is that the Arcane Training lets you use spell trigger and spell completion items as though they were one level higher. The RAW seems clear as day to me but you must be reading it in a way that I'm not. I suppose arguing it is pointless though as we seem to be reading it two different ways.
The Staff-Like Wand ability has nothing to do with what I'm talking about. That just lets you use your own CL and mod instead of the items. What I'm saying is that the Arcane Training lets you use spell trigger and spell completion items as though they were one level higher. The RAW seems clear as day to me but you must be reading it in a way that I'm not. I suppose arguing it is pointless though as we seem to be reading it two different ways.
This is definitely what's happening.
You are saying the ability allows you to use the item as if it (the item) was one level higher.
What is actually happening is that you are using the item as if you (the half elf) were one level higher.
If you were a level 3 witch trying to activate a scroll of Cure Light Wounds set at CL1, the racial trait allows you to use that scroll as if you, the witch, were one level higher. So you are treated as a level 4 witch trying to activate a CL1 scroll, not a level 3 witch trying to activate a CL2 scroll.
They can use spell trigger and spell completion items for their favored class as if one level higher.It doesn't mention anything about it increasing your CL or the item's CL, just that you use the item at one level higher.
Critical difference bolded.
EDIT: to clarify further, it's a grammar thing.
"As if" one level higher doesn't work in the context as applying to the item. It effectively reads "You can do [this thing] at +1 level".
Usage of the word "at", as you used in the quoted text, implies a different grammatical context entirely. In this reading, it sounds more like "You can do [this thing at +1 level]", which is the erroneous reading.
To further clarify, the effect of you lack levels in your favored class is to use items as if you were a first level caster of that class. It flows better if seen as "using the ability as if a level higher increases from 0 to 1", than if seen as "you don't have levels in the class, so here's a completely different effect".
The Staff-Like Wand ability has nothing to do with what I'm talking about. That just lets you use your own CL and mod instead of the items. What I'm saying is that the Arcane Training lets you use spell trigger and spell completion items as though they were one level higher. The RAW seems clear as day to me but you must be reading it in a way that I'm not. I suppose arguing it is pointless though as we seem to be reading it two different ways.
Staff-like Wand does have something to do with what you're talking about, because it directly talks about how it changes the caster level of the item, which is what you're suggesting the Arcane Training ability does.
It's important because it illustrates the necessary verbiage to indicate changing how the item functions, but Arcane Training clearly lacks such verbiage.
Also let me put it to you like this, what would it mean to let you use items as though they were one level higher? It doesn't mention spell level, it doesn't mention caster level, it doesn't mention anything with how those items work. You're making inferences into the ability that aren't actually there. The unfortunate problem here is that there is really no proof I can give you because you have an incorrect interpretation of the passage.
Wow - I totally missed this one. So anyone with this racial attribute and favored class: wizard could use any wands of wizard/sorc spells without UMD, even if they never take a level of that class.
Keep in mind that means you NEVER get any favored class bonuses since you're not taking any levels in that class, and you've given up your option to have a second favored class to get this trait.
The Staff-Like Wand ability has nothing to do with what I'm talking about. That just lets you use your own CL and mod instead of the items. What I'm saying is that the Arcane Training lets you use spell trigger and spell completion items as though they were one level higher. The RAW seems clear as day to me but you must be reading it in a way that I'm not. I suppose arguing it is pointless though as we seem to be reading it two different ways.This is definitely what's happening.
You are saying the ability allows you to use the item as if it (the item) was one level higher.
What is actually happening is that you are using the item as if you (the half elf) were one level higher.
If you were a level 3 witch trying to activate a scroll of Cure Light Wounds set at CL1, the racial trait allows you to use that scroll as if you, the witch, were one level higher. So you are treated as a level 4 witch trying to activate a CL1 scroll, not a level 3 witch trying to activate a CL2 scroll.
They can use spell trigger and spell completion items for their favored class as if one level higher.It doesn't mention anything about it increasing your CL or the item's CL, just that you use the item at one level higher.Critical difference bolded.
EDIT: to clarify further, it's a grammar thing.
"As if" one level higher doesn't work in the context as applying to the item. It effectively reads "You can do [this thing] at +1 level".
Usage of the word "at", as you used in the quoted text, implies a different grammatical context entirely. In this reading, it sounds more like "You can do [this thing at +1 level]", which is the erroneous reading.
To further clarify, the effect of you lack levels in your favored class is to use items as if you were a first level caster of that class. It flows better if seen as "using the ability as if a level higher increases from 0 to 1", than if seen as "you don't have...
You know, my whole confusion with the ability could have been easily fixed by adding a couple of words.
You guys were reading it as:You can use spell trigger and spell completion items for their favored class as if you are one level higher.
While I was reading it as:
They can use spell trigger and spell completion items for their favored class as if the item were one level higher.
But I see what you guys mean now. Let this be a lesson kids, grammar is important.