Arcane Strike with a divine caster level


Rules Questions


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If you have the arcane strike feat and a divine caster level, can you use the divine caster level if its higher than your arcane caster level? For example a Cleric would a cleric 10/wizard 1 add +3 or +1 points of damage when using this feat?

Arcane strike:
You draw upon your arcane power to enhance your weapons with magical energy.

Prerequisite: Ability to cast arcane spells.

Benefit: As a swift action, you can imbue your weapons with a fraction of your power. For 1 round, your weapons deal +1 damage and are treated as magic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. For every five caster levels you possess, this bonus increases by +1, to a maximum of +5 at 20th level.

Argument for yes/+3: The feat specifies caster level. It doesn't specify "arcane caster level" beyond the prerequisite. Once you have the feat you can use whatever caster level you want.

Argument for no/+1. The feat is arcane strike. You're drawing on your arcane caster level for the increased power. You have to use your arcane caster level.


Without a FAQ saying otherwise, I go with argument #2. +1 because it is based on your Arcane caster level, unless you have a class ability that specifically allows you to substitute Divine spells for Arcane.


This one should get an FAQ simply because the book it appears in is hardcover. For now, you'll have to use interpretation. My reading is: since the prerequisite of the feat specifies "arcane spells," it would key off the highest arcane caster level you possess. So, a Bard3/Wizard5/Cleric3 would use CL5, as that is the highest arcane caster level that character has.


I've always read it as #2 assuming that the name was intended to show intent, but this has come up a lot and the wording could use clarification.


RAW, it would work, because Caster Levels are generic.

RAI, it would be based off of an Arcane Spellcasting Class' Caster Level.

**EDIT**

I hit the FAQ because there might be a corner case where something like this is going to come into question. Multiclassing, going some Scaled Disciple Melee build who wants to pump his melee damage, etc.

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Context is extremely important when interpreting rules. The text referring to your caster level was written in the context of you being an arcane spellcaster. So it uses the caster level of an arcane spellcasting class you possess.


Is there a "Divine Strike" feat?


^It would make sense, but I haven't heard of one.


UnArcaneElection wrote:

^It would make sense, but I haven't heard of one.

Divine casters have a 3/4 bab and better self buffs for bashing things already. The arcane strike feat may not have been intended to work with their other abilities.


Good point.


BigNorseWolf wrote:
UnArcaneElection wrote:

^It would make sense, but I haven't heard of one.

Divine casters have a 3/4 bab and better self buffs for bashing things already. The arcane strike feat may not have been intended to work with their other abilities.

Bards and Magi are arcane casters with 3/4 BAB and pretty good self buffs.

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Hrothgar Rannúlfr wrote:
Is there a "Divine Strike" feat?

They made Weapon of the Chosen be sort of like one.

I'd honestly like to see a "Psychic Strike" to complete the triangle.

The Exchange Owner - D20 Hobbies

#2
+1 due to CL 1


Another vote for #2.

There is an elemental strike feat which any class can take, so long as they're one of the elemental races.


UnArcaneElection wrote:
BigNorseWolf wrote:
UnArcaneElection wrote:

^It would make sense, but I haven't heard of one.

Divine casters have a 3/4 bab and better self buffs for bashing things already. The arcane strike feat may not have been intended to work with their other abilities.

Bards and Magi are arcane casters with 3/4 BAB and pretty good self buffs.

they're supposed to be gishy


^And so are Warpriests and Inquisitors. Warpriests do get Sacred Weapon scaling damage (except for Molthuni Arsenal Chaplain), and Inquisotors get Piercing or Smiting Judgment and Bane, but these all take quite a while to come online in a serious way.


I'm sure it was meant for arcane casters, but I will FAQ it anyway just to get it cleared up.


Just realized that Elemental Strike works just fine on someone who isn't an arcane caster (even not a caster at all) . . . the catches are that you have to be an Ifrit, Oread, Sylph, or Undine, and it doesn't count for overcoming DR/Magic.

Also just realized that Occult casters also have no equivalent of Arcane Strike.

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Sidenote:

A Dragonheir Scion gains Arcane Strike, but has no caster levels.


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Cao Phen wrote:

Sidenote:

A Dragonheir Scion gains Arcane Strike, but has no caster levels.

How does that even work? Do they get no bonuses from the feat until they get Draconic Strike, and even then, none directly from the feat? If they do gain bonuses from it, what determines those bonuses, and would they stack with caster level should they multiclass? I'm really confused on this matter.


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Reksew_Trebla wrote:
Cao Phen wrote:

Sidenote:

A Dragonheir Scion gains Arcane Strike, but has no caster levels.

How does that even work? Do they get no bonuses from the feat until they get Draconic Strike, and even then, none directly from the feat? If they do gain bonuses from it, what determines those bonuses, and would they stack with caster level should they multiclass? I'm really confused on this matter.

I suspect the Eldritch Strikes ability that grants Arcane Strike left out the important line, "The dragonheir scion's fighter levels count as caster levels for Arcane Strike." If we had the answer to BigNoseWolf's original question, then we might know if they stack with other caster levels.


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RAW it works.

The Arcane Strike feat uses "caster level," not "arcane caster level" to calculate damage bonus.


avr wrote:

Another vote for #2.

There is an elemental strike feat which any class can take, so long as they're one of the elemental races.

Alternatively, you can spend your swift action on Caster's Champion. And given we are talking about clerics, both Channel Smite and Energy Channel are further options.

Hmm, I am pretty sure there is another one, relatively new and available to most characters, but can't put my claws on it...


Reksew_Trebla wrote:
Cao Phen wrote:

Sidenote:

A Dragonheir Scion gains Arcane Strike, but has no caster levels.

How does that even work? Do they get no bonuses from the feat until they get Draconic Strike, and even then, none directly from the feat?

The ability states that it gives a +1 to damage, and that increases in the bonus are tied to caster level. So they would still get the base +1, even if Mathmuse is incorrect, and they are not supposed to count their fighter levels as caster levels for the feat (though, personally, I agree with Mathmuse).


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The phrase 'every five caster levels' actually implies to me that all your caster levels add up for the purposes of the feat. So Wizard 5/Cleric 5 would have a combined 10, and get +3.

Probably not the intention, but I think the feat is hardly worth it in most cases.

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