Inner Sea Faiths says Apsu has no oracles. Legacy of Dragons says oracles of Apsu get bonus spells. Which is it?


Rules Questions


Apsu

Unique Spell Rules wrote:

Oracle

Apsu's Shining Scales can be prepared as a 3rd-level spell
Draconic Ally can be prepared as a 3rd-level spell
Tail Strike can be prepared as a 4th-level spell
Other Rules wrote:
Apsu has no oracles, for he believes inflicting a curse on a living creature is a terrible crime against that being, even in exchange for divine power.

Which of these is true, or if they are both true, how exactly?


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How I would read it: Apsu doesn't create oracles, but oracles (since they don't know who gave them their curse & power anyway) are free to worship Apsu and if so they get those spells if they want.


That answers my question. Many thanks.


Agreed with above, with clarification that ISF's "Apsu has no oracles" is "meaningless" fluff since there is no implication for Oracles "created" by a specific deity, that is as relevant as how a Sorceror came about acquiring their Bloodline. AKA even if your Oracle was hypothetically "created" by Apsu (maybe he tried once, before deciding it was wrong) but DON'T worship Apsu, you don't qualify for those spells.

Re: the Deity specific spells, I think if you have Divine Spell Access and worship that Deity, then you qualify, your spellcasting powers in general don't need to be directly "granted by" that Deity... It is akin to spells which depend on your own alignment, except in this case for the spell to work for you, it depends on specific deity worship. (perhaps wands of these spells require UMD check akin to alignment emulation? ...even if you have 'correct' alignment but worship different diety?)

E.g. Druids' spellcasting derives from nature itself even when they worship a specific deity, they aren't in danger of losing spellcasting for violating deity code, but they can gain access to specific spells per Unique Spell Rules for Deities. (in that example, Gozreh would be more relevant than Apsu) It probably is reasonable to require conformance to any Code of Conduct in order to be considered worshipper in good standing to be able to cast these spells, even if failure to do so won't affect other spellcasting for Oracles or Druids or vanilla Paladins. Or at minimum, the 1-step alignment rule, which AFAIK isn't formally put forth as requirement for non-Clerics to 'worship' a deity outside of PFS rules.


Is it certain that oracles are even empowered by Gods? Per Blood of the Coven witches can be empowered by agathions, angels, archons, aeons, the collective unconsciousness, powerful fey, nature itself, mute hags, dreamthief hags, daemon, demon, devils, kytons, nightshades, owbs, unspecified ethereal forces, and incomprehensible outer beings. Now certainly a Witch Patron is more of a teacher than something that has invested in you, it's conceivable that something other than Gods is going around cursing oracles.

All we have from the write-up of the oracle in the APG is "oracles garner strength and power from many sources" (including, possibly, multiple gods.) It may be that some mysterious non-divine force is responsible for "opening the door" for an oracle leading to their curse and opening their eyes to their mystery, and the oracle can then get divine power wherever they find if laying around.

After all, if you're an oracle who pursues the time mystery, it's not like there's a god out there who is in charge of time. Time appears to be more fundamental in some sense than the gods, who appear to experience time just like everybody else.

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