Spellcraft

Spellcraft (Int; Trained Only)

Use this skill to identify spells as they are cast, spells already in place, magic items, or other things of or related to magic.

Check: The PC can identify spells and magic effects. The DCs for Spellcraft checks relating to various tasks are summarized on the table below.


Task Time Spellcraft DC Retry?
Identify a magic item or substance 1 minute See below No
Name a spell's effects See below See below N/A
When using read magic, identify a glyph of warding. None 13 N/A
Identify a spell being cast. (The PC must see or hear the spell's verbal or somatic components.) None 15 + spell level No
Learn a spell from a spellbook or scroll (wizard only). 8 hours 15 + spell level No1
Prepare a spell from a borrowed spellbook (wizard only). None 15 + spell level Yes (1/day)
When casting detect magic, determine the school of magic involved in the aura of a single item or creature the PC can see. (If the aura is not a spell effect, the DC is 15 + one-half caster level.) None 15 + spell level N/A
When using read magic, identify a symbol. None 19 N/A
Identify a spell that's already in place and in effect. The PC must be able to see or detect the spell's effects. None 20 + spell level No
Identify materials created or shaped by magic, such as noting that an iron wall is the result of a wall of iron spell. None 20 + spell level No
Decipher a written spell (such as a scroll) without using read magic. Full-round action 20 + spell level Yes (1/day)
After rolling a saving throw against a spell targeted on the PC, determine what that spell was. 25 + spell level No N/A
Draw a diagram to allow dimensional anchor to be cast on a magic circle spell. 10 minutes 202 No
Understand a strange or unique magical effect, such as the effects of a magic stream. Varies 30 or higher No

1 The PC must gain at least 1 rank in Spellcraft before attempting to learn the spell again, even if he finds another source to try to learn the spell from.

2 This check is made secretly so the player does not know the result.

Identify a magic item or substance: A PC can identify a magic item with 1 minute of examination; the DC for this check is 12 + 1/5,000 gp of the item's market value for magic items, or DC 10, 15, 20, or more for substances based on their relative rarity. He can identify it as a full-round action, but this increases the DC by 10. He can't retry or take 20; if he fails, he must identify the substance in an alchemical lab, as normal.

Name a spell's effects: A PC can tell what a spell does (general effects, range, school, and whether or not it has an effect on a construct – i.e., bypasses SR or not) on a successful check:

DC 10 + spell level for common spells;

DC 15 + spell level for uncommon spells;

DC 20 + spell level for rare spells;

DC 25 + spell level for unique spells.

Action: Varies, as noted above.

Try Again: See above.

Special: If the PC is a specialist wizard, he gets a +2 bonus on Spellcraft checks when dealing with a spell or effect from his specialty school. He takes a -5 penalty when dealing with a spell or effect from a prohibited school (and some tasks, such as learning a prohibited spell, are just impossible).

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