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Varda
Acolyte
Argentina
11 Posts |
 Posted - 12 May 2008 : 04:24:33
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hello, I´m looking for some help about magic. I read some books about Hhe topic like Magic of faerun and others but I can't find what I need. My question is about magic, when an arcanist casts a spell (any), it is possible that the magician can leave in that site where he casted the spell a kind of a stamp of itself? I mean, can I with a check of spellcraft for example, know about who was the caster? Thank you.
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Define the nature of the universe. Knowledge must be absolute or chaos will envelop all. The elemental forces of the universe must not be left to the caprices of the unknown |
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scererar
Master of Realmslore
USA
1618 Posts |
Posted - 12 May 2008 : 04:50:36
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| there is the 3e sourcebook, Magic of Faerun. The FRCS has some info about magic as well. |
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Varda
Acolyte
Argentina
11 Posts |
Posted - 12 May 2008 : 05:08:14
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| I read those books, but i did not find anything :S. |
Define the nature of the universe. Knowledge must be absolute or chaos will envelop all. The elemental forces of the universe must not be left to the caprices of the unknown |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 12 May 2008 : 05:15:36
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| The closest idea I had when reading your post is the caster's mage sigil could be used to leave an identity on who crafted/casted the spell..... Beyond that, I have no idea. |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
Edited by - Kuje on 12 May 2008 05:15:57 |
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Varda
Acolyte
Argentina
11 Posts |
Posted - 12 May 2008 : 05:22:35
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quote:
Originally posted by Kuje
The closest idea I had when reading your post is the caster's mage sigil could be used to leave an identity on who crafted/casted the spell..... Beyond that, I have no idea.
Do you mean a personal stamp or something like that? if you mean that, how can i know? with a spellcraft check? |
Define the nature of the universe. Knowledge must be absolute or chaos will envelop all. The elemental forces of the universe must not be left to the caprices of the unknown |
Edited by - Varda on 12 May 2008 05:24:43 |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 12 May 2008 : 06:02:23
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quote:
Originally posted by Varda
quote:
Originally posted by Kuje
The closest idea I had when reading your post is the caster's mage sigil could be used to leave an identity on who crafted/casted the spell..... Beyond that, I have no idea.
Do you mean a personal stamp or something like that? if you mean that, how can i know? with a spellcraft check?
I thought Magic of Faerun has some info on the personal mage sigils of arcane casters.... Not sure what the spellcraft check would be to figure out the sigils though. |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
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Daviot
Senior Scribe
USA
372 Posts |
Posted - 12 May 2008 : 06:54:19
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| Within the context of individual adventures(e.g. the recent Shadowdale published adventures), I have seen the spell arcane mark used like this, albeit with Knowledge(arcana) checks. According to 3.5E, Spellcraft represents the technical aspects of spellcasting, whereas Knowledge(arcana) covers the lore aspects. In what I've seen, the DC's to recognize a mage's sigil start at 20 and vary up and down depending on obscurity or fame, respectively. |
One usually has far more to fear from the soft-spoken wizard with a blade and well-worn boots than from the boisterous one in the ivory tower.
My Tabletop Writing CV. |
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BENTISTOS
Acolyte
Germany
9 Posts |
Posted - 12 May 2008 : 08:21:08
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I'm not sure if I understood you correctly, do you want to know if you can trace a spellcaster by his spells, i.e., by some kind of aura he unwillingly left behind, like in Shadowrun?
You could cast detect magic to see if there's some magic left in the place of casting (aura lingering merely up to an hour for a 9th lvl spell), but I don't think you could find out about the caster unless he willingly left some kind of (arcane) mark. |
Eternal Might I Was Born To Wield |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 12 May 2008 : 11:33:57
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quote:
Originally posted by Varda
hello, when an arcanist casts a spell (any), it is possible that the magician can leave in that site where he casted the spell a kind of a stamp of itself? I mean, can I with a check of spellcraft for example, know about who was the caster? Thank you.
This is my take and purely houserules - I have no idea how this applies to 3.x
Magic that has been cast in an area does leave an 'aura' that can be detected by detect magic and similar magics - how long this aura lasts is subjective (in other words if it adds to the story then the aura lasts as long as necessary for the players to find it!! ).
In general I would say the more powerful (level) the spell the longer it lasts and the more 'impact' it had the longer it lasts. So the aura from a gate spell that summoned a horde of demons through to the prime would last longer than the aura from a shapechange spell, and the aura from a shapechange spell would last longer than the aura from invisibility.
To your main question - can you determine who the caster was? I would say yes. but not with detect magic or a spell craft check (unless you make the check DC50+ the caster level of the spell or something equally difficult to make). I would say that appropriate use of more powerful divination magics (legend lore et al) would reveal who cast the spell, but preferabley I would hope that the PC wizard develops some specific spells that allow them to trace magic, identify what spell was cast, and who cast the spell. I think specific spell research is the key that should unlock the question of who cast that spell and it gets the PC wizard engaged in at least three lots of spell research and three new spells for the campaign  .
Just my thoughts
Damian |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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Wyvernspur
Acolyte
15 Posts |
Posted - 13 May 2008 : 04:29:58
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I'm not sure if there is a book rule for this. The closest thing I could see is if you had a character use a search check to find material components. Then use spellcraft to identify the components, add a knowledge history/arcana/nature/dungeoneering check to identify where the component could be from. If the component is rare as in a powerful spell this actually would be easier to trace as opposed to low level spells which have more common components. In its self this could be a good adventure.
Example
Priest slaughtered in a temple by an odd spell. Upon investigation you find strange leavings identified as spell components. Characters determine(bardic knowledge, visiting another mage or a library, or just a spell craft check) that the spell components are a rare item available only in a far away land or through a certain group of merchants. Visiting the merchants either proves worthwhile and the merchants have knowledge of the culprit, which the characters can confront, or leads the characters to the distant land. There in the distant land the characters discover similar killings and are able to trace the caster of the spells to a evil magician bent on overthrowing said faith. |
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Varda
Acolyte
Argentina
11 Posts |
Posted - 13 May 2008 : 05:27:14
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| I understand your point Wyvernspur, butut that does not say anything to me of the mage who casted the spell, I just want to know who casted the spell :p, if it is possible. |
Define the nature of the universe. Knowledge must be absolute or chaos will envelop all. The elemental forces of the universe must not be left to the caprices of the unknown |
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Vangelor
Learned Scribe
USA
183 Posts |
Posted - 14 May 2008 : 21:01:07
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| None of the big divinations in the PHB - Analyze Dweomer, Arcane Sight, &c. - tell one who cast a spell. I would be willing to allow this to be sought with a Vision, or with Legend Lore if the spell effect (say, a mythal) or its caster (Larloch, the Srinshee, Karsus) was of legendary stature. Otherwise, no - I don't think you get this kind of "whodunnit" information from a mere Spellcraft or Knowledge: Arcana skill check. |
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Aravine
Senior Scribe
USA
608 Posts |
Posted - 15 May 2008 : 15:58:55
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| Umm...could you be a little clearer? I mean no offence, but I am not entirely sure what the question means... |
The brave don't live forever,the cautious don't live at all |
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Varda
Acolyte
Argentina
11 Posts |
Posted - 15 May 2008 : 16:13:24
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| I just want to know if you know the mage you can detect his sigil, aura or something like that. That's my question. |
Define the nature of the universe. Knowledge must be absolute or chaos will envelop all. The elemental forces of the universe must not be left to the caprices of the unknown |
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Aravine
Senior Scribe
USA
608 Posts |
Posted - 15 May 2008 : 16:18:44
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quote:
Originally posted by Varda
I just want to know if you know the mage you can detect his sigil, aura or something like that. That's my question.
After he casts the spell?
how long after? And what type of spell? |
The brave don't live forever,the cautious don't live at all |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 15 May 2008 : 19:40:54
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There might be certain PrCs that have that abilty, like Halruaa's Magehounds, or that 'tracker' from Deep Imaskar in the novel Dark Vision, but I don't think that anyone who was not specifically trained to track a wizard by his 'magical residue' could do such a thing.
But this is definately a House-rule situation, I think.
However, certain divination spells can help you figure it out, if you can at least sense the magic leftover in an area. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 18 Jun 2008 16:58:36 |
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QueenofShadows
Acolyte
13 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jun 2008 : 04:20:49
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| In my opinion, unless the mage wants to be known that he cast the spell, than no there is no way of determining who cast a spell with Spellcraft or even K.Arcana. If you could say talk to the trees or plants in the area, they might be able to give you a description of a caster, but thats about it. |
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Jamallo Kreen
Master of Realmslore
USA
1537 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jun 2008 : 07:18:27
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I don't know of any rule which would permit the identification of a spellcaster based upon the "residue" of a spell, unless the spell was unique to the caster (and the investigator knew that), but I might be persuaded that a spell cast with unusal spell thematics might be suitable "spoor" for an investigator, if he understood the caster's thematics.
A big exception might have to be made if the investigator is from the non-D&D character class of "rune weaver" (from Arduin, and which uses the word "rune" in the sense of "spell," not in the sense of "a symbol inscribed on a surface"). A rune weaver can "follow the weave" of a spell, which might lead back to the caster. In the last book of the War of the Spider Queen sextet, a spellcaster follows the path of an intricate series of wards by looking at them with magically-enhanced sight, and one spellcaster's spells "woven" into the pattern are distinctive; that've canonical, and very close to what a rune weaver would do, but using his hands instead of his sight.
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I have a mouth, but I am in a library and must not scream.
Feed the poor and stroke your ego, too: http://www.freerice.com/index.php.
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Purple Dragon Knight
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1796 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jun 2008 : 22:38:38
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quote:
Originally posted by Jamallo Kreen
I don't know of any rule which would permit the identification of a spellcaster based upon the "residue" of a spell, [snip]
Yes, it's under the Spellcraft skill section of the PHB; identifying a spell as it's being cast is DC 15 + spell level; identifying existing spell effects is DC 20 + spell level; and after rolling a saving throw against a spell targeted at you, it's DC 25 + spell level.
By the way identifying a potion is DC 25 and takes a minute; no retry. Thought I'd throw that in there... |
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Magic in Faerun - Question
