Detect Magic / Identify Items / Disarm Magical Traps


Rules Questions


Working off the Archives because I don't have my hard cover CRB with me (plus easier to cut and paste)

Am I correct via rules as written with the following statement:

You are able to use the Mysticism skill to create a magic item, disarm a magical trap, or identify a spell being cast BUT you cannot identify a magic item using your mysticism skill unless you also cast a detect magic spell on the item you wish to identify.

Therefore, rules as written, my character may be able to create the item that is sitting in front of them, may have made one, can identify the spell like ability to can shoot out, and even disarm a magical trap giving that effect, but can't recognize a wand of magic missiles if it was sitting in front of them no matter what their Mysticism skill is.

I understand not wanting to remove or make detect magic undesireable, but it seems a little counter intuitive to me that you can locate a magical trap with perception and disarm it with mysticism all without the benefit of detect magic (the detect magic spell even states that there are was to ward traps against detection through use of that spell) but you can't identify a common magic item no matter how good your mysticism skill is.

Am I getting something wrong? Am I missing something?

The reason I think this:

Description of Mysticism skill: (Copied and Pasted from Archive)

Craft Magic Item
If you have enough ranks in Mysticism, you can create magic items. See page 235 for the crafting rules.

Disable Magic Device
You can use Mysticism to disable a magical trap or other magical item. This functions as the disable device task of the Engineering skill, and the DC of the check is based on the trap itself. You can’t take 20 on a Mysticism check to disable a magic device.

Identify a Spell Being Cast
If you can clearly observe a spell being cast, you can use Mysticism to identify the spell. The DC of this check is equal to 10 + 5 × the level of the spell being cast. This does not require an action. You can’t take 10 or 20 on a Mysticism check to identify a spell.

Identify Magic Item
As part of the action to cast detect magic, you can use Mysticism to identify the properties and command words of magic items. The DC of this check is equal to 15 + 1-1/2 × the item level. You can usually attempt a Mysticism check to identify a magic item only once per 24-hour period; further attempts within that period fail. However, casting an identify spell allows you to attempt a second check in the same 24-hour period and grants you a +10 insight bonus to the check. If you have the time, you can take 20 to attempt another check to identify a magic item in the same 24-hour period, but only if you can perform research, such as with access to an information network or downloaded data set.

Detect Magic
You detect all magic spells, effects, items, and objects (including those on or affecting creatures you can see), as well as hybrid items, in the area. You can’t detect magical traps in this way, as they are created with additional magic that wards them from this common spell. Each round you concentrate on the same area, you can determine if one magic source you detect is from a spell, magic item, or other effect, and the caster level (or item level) of the effect. You can’t determine if there are magic sources in areas you can’t see, or if there was a magic source in an area at one time but that has since expired.


You are correct.


This is why it's important to label your spell gems. If you don't you won't be able to tell which one you just drew from your pack! /s


Garretmander wrote:
This is why it's important to label your spell gems. If you don't you won't be able to tell which one you just drew from your pack! /s

That's kind of the point, it seems a little crazy that you can build magic items and disarm magical traps with the Mysticism skill but cannot identify even the most common of magic items UNLESS you can also cast detect magic on the item. Not Identify, but detect magic is required.


Just spit balling for a second, but I can see why you’d need detect magic first.

Given how magic and tech work in this game, it’s entirely possible that doing a mysticism check to ID a magic something or other would always fail, if the something or other wasn’t actually any kind of magic.

Requiring detect magic first really cuts down on stuff like:
DM: You have no idea what makes this work.
Player: But I rolled a 20, for a total of 34 on the mysticism check to ID it!
DM: You sure did. You have no idea what makes this work.

Sczarni

If you created a magic item, you don't need to identify it.

Your character doesn't have the 5 second memory of a goldfish.

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