Is Arcane Mark useful for anything?

[OmniMage]

From what I gather, arcane mark (Wiz/Sor 0) allows you to put an invisible mark on objects and creatures. And not just any mark but your mark.

Arcane mark must be placed on an object before you can cast instant summons on that object.

Am I reading this right? I'm trying to figure out what good arcane mark is. Aside from being a requirement for that one spell, it doesn't seem all that useful. I keep thinking since its a universal spell, it gotta be useful for something.

[Java Man]

Marking which way you went in a maze with something (unlike chalk) that the kobolds can't change or erase.

As a verifiable signature.

Marking cards to cheat at poker.

[Chell Raighn]

Some min-maxers look at it as a way to get a free extra attack every round on a magus by using it with spellstrike and spellcombat while Saving their better spells for tougher enemies...

[CBDunkerson]

Some fun things can be done with metamagic.

I like Arcane Mark + Umbral Spell + Shadow Grasp for a 3rd level spell slot to surround a touched item or person with darkness that entangles everyone entering it EXCEPT the caster. Reflex save to avoid entanglement, but no spell resistance.

A Winter Witch can use the Frozen Caress hex with Arcane Mark to deal 1d4 cold damage on a touch attack with no save or spell resistance.

[MrCharisma]

Outside of mechanical benefits, there are roleplay benefits to marking something.

If you want to make sure you've got the right mcguffin you could Arcane Mark it, thus preventing someone from swapping it out for a fake.

If you need to follow someone you could mark their carriage or saddle, or even them.

If you need to arrange a secret meeting of wizards you could put on arcane mark on a door, so other wizards can detect it and find you.

You could mark the entry to the Bandit's hideout without them knowing it's marked.

It's not usually a combat spell (aside from Magus), but it has applications.

[avr]

If your mark looks like you/your face then it works with enter image.

There's a decent chance that it's a social requirement in any organisation of wizards.

[Coidzor]

Depending upon your mark's shape, it may or may not be feasible to use multiple (potentially quite tiny) arcane marks to create whatever kind of message you want to magically write into a wall or object in a way that can't be cleaned off with mundane means.

Layering a bunch of them can allow for permanent decoration as well.

If you use some form of CL booster above and beyond your normal spells, you can use Arcane Mark as a sort of ablative defense against Dispel Magic, since it'll target the Arcane Mark first if it was cast with a higher CL than any other spell.

[Mysterious Stranger]

The obvious use for Arcane Mark is to mark an object as belonging to you. Since it can only be used to put your mark on it another spell caster cannot duplicate it. It also cannot be dispelled and the only way to get rid of it is to use the spell Erase. This means that Arcane Mark makes a perfect magical signature. I could easily see a wizard’s guild requiring its use on any contracts between members.

Most of its usefulness is going to be from a social standpoint not a game mechanics standpoint. For example a wizard could use it to mark when something is under his protection. A wizard could place this over the door of a house that he is protecting as a warning to other spell casters. It could also be used as a conformation that a person is actually working for the Wizard. Place an Arcane Mark on a coin as a token to other servants of the wizard. This works especially well for hidden agents to be able to reveal they are working for the Wizard.

The trick for Dispel Magic will not work, because it cannot be dispelled.

[Name Violation]

Chell Raighn wrote:

Some min-maxers look at it as a way to get a free extra attack every round on a magus by using it with spellstrike and spellcombat while Saving their better spells for tougher enemies...

You mean fight like Zorro

Cut big letters on opponents to mark them for the future

[MrCharisma]

Name Violation wrote:

Chell Raighn wrote:

Some min-maxers look at it as a way to get a free extra attack every round on a magus by using it with spellstrike and spellcombat while Saving their better spells for tougher enemies...

You mean fight like Zorro

Cut big letters on opponents to mark them for the future

Heh, the plural "letters" made me think of Zorro carving "ZZZ" into someone ... "awww look, he's sleeping."

[zza ni]

since it can be up to 6 characters it's useful for traps that work on words.

i use it to set up explosive runes on things i throw\shoot (kunai, arrows etc). then ether get an Aether elemental improved familiar to read it (he's constantly invisible and immune to force damage) or if it's my arcane trickster use cunning trigger to blow it myself. no save under 10 ft range for 6d6 force is always nice (and a swift action too > attack with ranged+sneak attack and then blow it up for extra damage.)

since you can have the arcane mark invisible you can prevent others from reading it and setting the traps too soon.

[Niemand]

      ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ   fnord da smurfin secrits

[ShadowcatX]

Chell Raighn wrote:

Some min-maxers look at it as a way to get a free extra attack every round on a magus by using it with spellstrike and spellcombat while Saving their better spells for tougher enemies...

This isn't a "min-maxers" thing, this is an approved use of the spell, confirmed by Paizo.

[Mark Hoover 330]

Don't know if it's optimal or even useful but I had a guy in an old game put Arcane Mark on every piece of breakable ammo the archer and slinger in the party had. After they used said ammo, the PC was able to spot the Arcane Mark'd ammo in areas of difficult terrain such as tall grass, among undergrowth, down side hallways and such. He then gathered up all pieces and used Mending to repair them, keeping the PCs from ever buying new ammo until they needed other kinds.

I also had Arcane Mark be an at-will power for a variant Sprite I made. If an encounter ended positively with these sprites, they'd mark you as a "Faerie Friend" and other fey who could see the mark would treat you cordially. Alternately they could deliver a "30 Night's Curse" where they'd mark you with an Arcane Mark that told other fey to harrass you until the mark faded... which was 30 days.

Last but not least, remember that Arcane Mark, placed on an object, is permanent and detectable with Detect Magic. You could put this on objects and track those objects within 60' so long as Detect Magic isn't obscured by some material or condition.

[Sysryke]

Thanks to the OP for this thread. It's given me some fun ideas. Just out of curiosity though, how useful/realistic are some of these social uses for low level characters? No disrespect meant to any poster, but using the mark as sign of protection example, how much weight does that carry when the wizard in question is only level 1?

Also, can't recall, does Arcane Mark have to be invisible, or can you choose to leave it visible to all?

[MrCharisma]

It can be visible - ARCANE MARK

[avr]

Sysryke wrote:

Thanks to the OP for this thread. It's given me some fun ideas. Just out of curiosity though, how useful/realistic are some of these social uses for low level characters? No disrespect meant to any poster, but using the mark as sign of protection example, how much weight does that carry when the wizard in question is only level 1?

Unless the wizard is the ruler or as good as, probably not enough weight to deter thieves. But if there is an organisation of wizards it might carry more weight.

[Firebug]

Detect Magic can detect (magically) invisible enemies... poorly, but you can get the square if they stay in the same 60' cone for 3 rounds. But, you get a ping of any magic in the first round, meaning if the only magic effect is on the invisible enemy, you know which direction they are in.

But a handful of Arcane Marked marbles throws that tactic in the bin... and lets the invisible character know where the detect magic is aimed.