Contemplative Question...

[Maho-Tsukai]

The contemplative class is open to any divine spellcaster yet nowhere in the text of the class in complete divine dose it say that it grants domain spell slots to divine caster classes which lack domain spell slots such as archivists and favored souls. Thus, when taking levels in the contemplative class and gaining bonus domains are divine casters without domain spell slots unable to cast domain spells or do they gain domain spell slots?

By complete divine RAW, it appears they are unable to cast domain spells from their bonus domains(it says that the spells of the bonus domains can be prepared and cast as domain spells, nowhere dose it say that a class without domain spell slots gets them and thus, since they lack domain spell slots and therefore cannot prepare domain spells, by complete divine RAW they are unable to cast said spells.)...but I am almost always unaware of erratas so was there an errata on wizard's part that allows classes like the favored soul and archivist to gain domain slots/cast bonus domain spells when taking contemplative levels or dose the RAW hold true and make it so the contemplative bonus domain spells are unable to be cast by an archivist or favored soul?

[darbythegambler]

there's a part in complete divine that talks about bonus domains and those without domains at all, i believe it was in complete divine, if not, check complete champion

[Psyren]

Your question is answered in Complete Divine itself, page 20.

To summarize:

(1) "Fixed-list" divine casters (e.g. casters who automatically know all their spells, like Druids, Rangers, Paladins) simply add the domain spells to that list. They may memorize one domain spell per level each day.

(2) Prepared casters (i.e. those with spellbooks, like Wizards and Archivists) must scribe the domain spell from a scroll. Archivists already have this ability; Wizards are allowed to break the rules and use divine scrolls for this.

(3) Spontaneous casters (e.g. those who have to choose their spells known, like Sorcerers, Favored Souls, Shugenja) have to use some of their spells known to learn the spells of the domain(s). However, they can cast domain spells freely rather than being restricted to 1/level/day.

None of these classes gain any special "domain slots" to prepare or place domain spells in - in the case of (1) and (2), they give up one of their regular spells to prepare a domain spell of that level on that day.

[Maho-Tsukai]

I see, since wizards and archivists have to scribe the spells from scrolls dose that mean that they can cast it as any other spells they have in their spell/prayerbook or are the domain spells, while recorded as normal in their spell/prayerbook still limited to once per-day as if they where gained from the Arcane Disciple?

[Psyren]

I see, since wizards and archivists have to scribe the spells from scrolls dose that mean that they can cast it as any other spells they have in their spell/prayerbook or are the domain spells, while recorded as normal in their spell/prayerbook still limited to once per-day as if they where gained from the Arcane Disciple?

Wizards are restricted to 1/level/day. Archivists treat domain spells as cleric spells (using their class abilities) so this text actually doesn't apply to them - they don't need to have the actual domains in order to use the domain spells.

[Maho-Tsukai]

I see. However, I assume archivist still have to find/buy scrolls of said spells. Am I correct on this or do they actually gain those domain spells without having to find/buy scrolls? If I am correct, I would like to know where to find the prices on splatbook/non-core spells, mainly the spells of the deathbound domain? Likewise, if an archivist took levels in a class that granted them domain slots, like say Dracolyte, would they then be able to prepare the contemplative bonus domain spells in those slots?

[Keld Denar]

If you took a level of Contemplative to gain a domain, that would eliminate the need to learn the spell from a scroll, yes. In a roundabout fashion, you could then scribe it and then write it into your prayer book, if you needed further justification.

[Psyren]

Actually, you would still have to learn it from a scroll, because Archivists don't automatically know all the spells on their "list."

I put "list" in quotes, because Archivists don't actually have a list. (i.e. there are no spells that say "Archivist 1" or "Archivist 9" for instance.) Thus they would fall under the second bullet point of prepared casters. Only the casters in the first bullet automatically learn the spells in a domain when they gain that domain.

Archivists simply have an ace in the hole - they don't need access to the domain itself in order to learn the domain spell. Getting the domain gives Archivists the domain-granted power, and no other benefit or restriction.

[Elric VIII]

I see, since wizards and archivists have to scribe the spells from scrolls dose that mean that they can cast it as any other spells they have in their spell/prayerbook or are the domain spells, while recorded as normal in their spell/prayerbook still limited to once per-day as if they where gained from the Arcane Disciple?

You could probobly just approximate from the tables on DMG 287. 7th level scrolls cost 2275gp when made by a Cleric, and 8th level cost 3000gp.

[Bakkan]

To add on to what Elric VIII said, here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/creatingMagicItems.htm) are the rules for calculating the cost of basic magic items, including scrolls, potions, and wands. The simplest thing to do is to use this cost.

However, if the DM wants to include a little bit of economics in his D&D, scrolls of cleric spells that can only be cast as a domain spell could be more expensive, since relatively few clerics will have access to that spell, so the scrolls will be in shorter supply. I would increase the price by 10-50%, depending on how common the domain is in the campaign world.

[Maho-Tsukai]

I see, then in that case Contemplative is a LOT less attractive then I first thought for an Archivist...I mean, yeah, it gives me the deathbound domain power(which was one of the main reasons I was taking it since I was going to be a gestalt Death Master///Archivist/Contemplative focused on making an undead legion. Contemplative was mainly taken for the deathbound domain However, without the bonus domain spells is contemplative really all that worth it? I mean, it has SOME nice abilites, but without the bonus spells is it really any better then taking some other PrC and using something like say planar touchstone to get the deathbonud domain power? Likewise, should I drop archivist all togther and go Death Master////Wizard/PrC(Pale Master perhaps?) and use the Wizard ACF that grants me domain powers in place of bonus feats?

Also, if I took levels in PrC class that grants me domain spell slots, like say the Dracolyte, would that allow me to be able to prepare contemplative domain spells in said domain slots?

Also, while the wizard/sorc list is in many ways inferior to the cleric list for necromancy would I be better off scraping archivist and going death master///wizard(/Pale Master?) using the ACF that gives wizards cleric domain powers in place of bonus feats? I ask because I don't expect very many magic-marts in this game and thus the ACF/Feat/Whatever it is that gives Wizards 4 spells per-level up as appose to 2 may be EXTREMELY helpful if scrolls and spellbooks are in short supply.

[Bakkan]

Just to let you know, since you mentioned it:

The Collegiate Wizard feat from Complete Arcane p 181 doubles the number of spells you get per level, among other things.

The Elven Generalist ACF from Races of the Wild p 157 gives you one extra spell known for free each level in exchange for your ability to specialize.

So, if you are an Elf Generalist with the Collegiate Wizard feat, you gain 7 + Int spells known at 1st level and 5 spells known at every additional level, granting 102+Int spells known for free by 20th level.

[Maho-Tsukai]

I see. That may be a solid option, especially with gray elf + int...not being a necromancer specalist may not be all that great for fluff but since the other side of the gestalt is the DEATH MASTER that's more then enough to justify my character calling himself a "Necromancer."