Spellcraft (Int; Trained Only)

You are skilled at the art of casting spells, identifying magic items, crafting magic items, and identifying spells as they are being cast.

Table: Spellcraft DCs
Task Spellcraft DC
Identify a spell as it is being cast 15 + spell level
Learn a spell from a spellbook or scroll 15 + spell level
Prepare a spell from a borrowed spellbook 15 + spell level
Identify the properties of a magic item using detect magic 15 + item’s caster level
Decipher a scroll 20 + spell level
Craft a magic item Varies by item

Common Uses

Spellcraft is used whenever your knowledge and skill of the technical art of casting a spell or crafting a magic item comes into question. This skill is also used to identify the properties of magic items in your possession through the use of spells such as detect magic and identify. The DC of this check varies depending upon the task at hand.

Craft Magic Items

Making a Spellcraft check to craft a magic item is made as part of the creation process.

Determine Properties of Magic Item

Attempting to ascertain the properties of a magic item takes 3 rounds per item to be identified and you must be able to thoroughly examine the object.

Retry? When using detect magic or identify to learn the properties of magic items, you can only attempt to ascertain the properties of an individual item once per day. Additional attempts reveal the same results.

Identify Spell Being Cast

Identifying a spell as it is being cast requires no action, but you must be able to clearly see the spell as it is being cast, and this incurs the same penalties as a Perception skill check due to distance, poor conditions, and other factors.

Retry? You cannot retry checks made to identify a spell.

Learn Spell from Spellbook

Learning a spell from a spellbook takes 1 hour per level of the spell (0-level spells take 30 minutes).

Retry? If you fail to learn a spell from a spellbook or scroll, you must wait at least 1 week before you can try again.

Prepare Spell from Borrowed Spellbook

Preparing a spell from a borrowed spellbook does not add any time to your spell preparation.

Retry? If you fail to prepare a spell from a borrowed spellbook, you cannot try again until the next day.

Modifiers

  • Class If you are a specialist wizard, you get a +2 bonus on Spellcraft checks made to identify, learn, and prepare spells from your chosen school. Similarly, you take a –5 penalty on similar checks made concerning spells from your opposition schools.
  • Race An elf gets a +2 racial bonus on Spellcraft checks to identify the properties of magic items.
  • Feats If you have the Magical Aptitude feat, you get a +2 bonus on all Spellcraft checks. If you have 10 or more ranks in Spellcraft, the bonus increases to +4.

Spellcraft Unchained

Source PFU

About This Section Optionally, a character who reaches 5, 10, 15, or 20 ranks in a skill unlocks various bonuses and abilities unique to that skill. The unchained rogue uses these rules extensively, but others can gain access to them with a new feat.

In this system, characters unlock additional abilities when they attain 5, 10, 15, and 20 ranks in a skill. The skill unlocks system interfaces with the unchained rogue to make the rogue the true master of skills.

Skill unlocks give characters new abilities and ways to use their skills upon reaching 5, 10, 15, and 20 ranks in a skill. Any character with the Signature Skill feat can earn skill unlocks for a single skill, and they are a prime feature of the revised version of the rogue who uses her rogue’s edge ability to gain skill unlocks for several of her most iconic skills. Alternatively, you might make skill unlocks a universal part of the game, but you should be aware they add significant power and flexibility to skills, so giving them for free to all classes would grant power boosts to other highly skilled classes such as the investigator and bard, particularly in comparison to the rogue. Another alternative is to eliminate access to the Signature Skill feat, limiting skill unlocks to rogues and rogues alone.

With sufficient ranks in Spellcraft, you earn the following.

5 Ranks: Identifying magic items takes 1 full round, and the time required to learn a spell from a spellbook is halved.

10 Ranks: You can identify magic items without using detect magic, though the DC is increased by 10.

15 Ranks: Identifying magic items is a standard action, and the time required to learn a new spell from a spellbook is reduced to 1 minute per spell level.

20 Ranks: Whenever you attempt a caster level check, attempt a Spellcraft check at a –20 penalty at the same DC. If the spellcraft check succeeds, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus on your caster level check.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook. Copyright 2009, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.

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