Spellcasting Contract - Bonuses


Pathfinder First Edition General Discussion

Grand Lodge

1 person marked this as FAQ candidate.

So I only found one other thread about this spell on the forum and it didn't answer this particular question.

In the text for Spellcasting Contract, Lesser it states that you receive a bonus equal to the highest level imbued spell to your Armor Class, saves, and checks.

In the example text subsequent to that, it states that the example character receives this bonus to their attacks, saves, and checks.

Which is correct? Or do you receive the bonuses to Armor Class, attacks, saves, and checks. I'm playing a Cleric of Asmodeus and am intending to use this spell, so I need this answered.

Thanks in advance.

Sovereign Court

The way I read it, the caster gains the profane bonus to checks.
In the main section: "The contract (and this spell) automatically expires if you or the target dies. While the contract remains in effect, you gain a profane bonus to your Armor Class, saving throws, and checks equal to the highest level spell you have imbued."
The "you" in this context is clearly the caster of the spell, not the recipient of the spells. I take the "have imbued" bit to mean the act of imbuing a spell into someone else, not having a spell imbued into you.

In the example text: "Until the contract ends, your 5th-level spell slot used to cast this spell remains expended and cannot be filled with a new spell. Because you imbued your cohort with a 2nd-level spell, you gain a +2 profane bonus to attacks, saves, and checks while the contract remains in effect."
Again, the "you" gaining the profane bonus (and doing the imbuing) is clearly different from the imbued cohort.


The Spellcaster gains the Profane Bonuses, both examples state this, (see above from @Firebug).

In regards to the intended benefits - honestly O.P. I am unsure, however examples/Monsters can infrequently be calculated incorrectly, (human error, as is life), so I would personally err on the side of the main Spell section. Additionally, I see the other benefits as "legal protection" for the Spellcaster from being turned on/attacked (so as to uphold the contract), so the defensive Armour Class Bonus personally seems slightly more appropriate. Unfortunately there is no errata on the product page and the Additional Resources page states that this Spell is P.F.S. legal without mentioning any clarifications.

Sovereign Court

I've been more concerned about Spellcasting Services for it. As a player that is receiving the benefit of the spell (not casting it) in PFS, can I essentially determine what the contract is and have the spells refresh each day because that is one of the things the spell can do? Since it isn't one of the few spells that lasts between scenarios, the contract would just be until end of the scenario, of course.

But... what is the cost? Do I just pay for the level 5 spell contract (so 9x5x10 = 450gp)? Or also the imbued spells? Since its any spell the caster has prepared(not school or even list restricted), can I have it be cast from a Mystic Theurge/etc and get effectively any spell of the appropriate level? Can the Imbued Spells count for prereqs? What happens if a non-Cleric spell is imbued, what CL do you use since it can be different then the min CL to cast the contract? What happens if you imbue an arcane spell and the recipient has arcane strike? Does the imbued spell even care about Arcane Spell Failure?


If I were the caster of the contract for a spell you want, I would be providing you a 5th level slot each day, as well as the initial spell(s) transferred. Refreshed spell(s) do not appear to count against the later spells not available to me, so would not be charged to you.

Given the nature of the spell, and the profane bonus I would get, I might give you a discount. Otherwise, I would be charging you for that spell each day. Of course, the price might not be in gp, but might be in services of influence. I (we) are crafty, after all.

/cevah

Grand Lodge

Okay, I feel like maybe the bit I was confused about got lost a bit. The only thing I need to clarify about the spell is what bonuses are correct?

Is it Armor Class, saves, and checks? Or is it attacks, saves, and checks?

So, saves and checks obviously receive the bonus. Then is it Armor Class or attacks that get boosted in addition? Or both?

Nothing else about the spell is in question or needs to be talked about here. I'm just asking the one question which needs answering.

Also, I think I posted this in the wrong section. I should have posted this in the Rules Questions forum, so that's my bad.

Sovereign Court

Oh, I am sorry. I totally glossed over the details in your first post and missed what you were actually asking.
If I was the GM I would go with AC, Saves, Checks that is detailed in the main body of the spell. The Attack, Saves, Checks in the example text is just that, example text, that IMO someone mistyped.

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