Archivist -- int/wis mix?

[Daftendirekt]

So, I randomly decided to read through the Archivist in its entirety. Correct me if I'm wrong, but in its Spellcasting section it says that DCs and the ability to cast certain level spells are based on INT, while bonus spells based on a high ability score is based off of WIS.

Is this a typo, or did they actually intend to make the Archivist (at least somewhat) dependent on both scores?

[Waker]

Pretty sure it isn't a typo. There are a few other instances of spellcasting classes being reliant on two scores. I imagine this is to balance them out against some of the mundane types that might need multiple good scores.

[HunterOfJello]

Not a typo. Favored Souls use both Wisdom and Charisma for spellcasting. Favored Souls deserve the split significantly less than Archivists though.

[Thurbane]

Indeed, as Waker says, a few other classes have dual casting stats (Favored Soul, Healer etc.).

If you play an Illumian, you can key bonus spells off DEX (or STR), so for an Archivist you could ditch WIS altogether, since INT determines your DC and highest level spells.

[Andion Isurand]

Or you can take the Academic Priest first level only feat from Legends of the Twins (Dragonlance).

[JaronK]

Note that Archivists already get one more spell per level than Wizards, so it's not like they're hurting for bonus spells.

JaronK

[HunterOfJello]

Archivist compared to Wizard

Pros:
Extra spell per day compared to Generalist Wizard
(or same spells per day as Specialist Wizard without specializing)
higher HD
Good Fort Save
2 more skill point per level
Simple Weapons and Armor
Diplomacy, Gather Information, Heal, and Search as class skills
Good Class Features that scale with levels!!!
(including stun/daze as a move action at level 11)

Cons:
Wisdom for bonus spells (instead of Intelligence)

~

Sounds like a pretty good tradeoff to me.

[Yuki Akuma]

Don't forget "access to every single spell in the game", Hunter of Gelatin Products.

[Pigkappa]

Archivist compared to Wizard

Pros:
Extra spell per day compared to Generalist Wizard
(or same spells per day as Specialist Wizard without specializing)
higher HD
Good Fort Save
2 more skill point per level
Simple Weapons and Armor
Diplomacy, Gather Information, Heal, and Search as class skills
Good Class Features that scale with levels!!!
(including stun/daze as a move action at level 11)

Cons:
Wisdom for bonus spells (instead of Intelligence)

~

Sounds like a pretty good tradeoff to me.


Pro:

Very good at finding traps, likely better than rogues (Search Trap spell + high Int).


Con:

There are many wizards' spellbooks and arcane scrolls in the world; in most campaign, there are no archivists' spellbooks and few divine scrolls. How many paladins are going to take the Scribe Scroll feat to let you use Lesser Restoration as a level 1 spell?

[Douglas]

How many paladins are going to take the Scribe Scroll feat to let you use Lesser Restoration as a level 1 spell?
You don't need any, just take Scribe Scroll yourself and find a Paladin willing to spend one day helping you. Cooperative magic item making FTW!

[Daftendirekt]

Pro:

Very good at finding traps, likely better than rogues (Search Trap spell + high Int).

Always found that spell rather ridiculous.

"Hey guys, I found a trap here!"

"Awesome, can you disarm it?"

._. "No..."

Either you can't do anything about a trap you find, or you have a rogue in the group that should be doing this whole process anyway.

[imperialspectre]

Actually, a lot of traps are solved just by knowing they're there, or can be disabled more efficiently by a caster anyway. Most of the really scary traps are magical, which means Dispel Magic is much safer than trying to beat a fairly high disarm DC with a chance of the trap triggering on failure.

Mundane traps can also often be bypassed with magic - wall scythes lose to Walls of X, pit traps lose to flight and spiderclimbing, etc.

[zimmerwald1915]

Always found that spell rather ridiculous.

"Hey guys, I found a trap here!"

"Awesome, can you disarm it?"

._. "No..."
But s/he can! (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/shatter.htm) Well, if s/he knew where the mechanism was located so as to target the spell, that is.

[Togo]

Only if the mechanism or heart of the trap was clearly visible from the outside. Which apart from a few exceptions, such as magical glyphs and runes, I can't see happening often...

Wouldn't recognising which bit was the mechanism that drove the trap be a... disable device check?

[Psyren]

There are many wizards' spellbooks and arcane scrolls in the world; in most campaign, there are no archivists' spellbooks and few divine scrolls. How many paladins are going to take the Scribe Scroll feat to let you use Lesser Restoration as a level 1 spell?

You don't; you find a Warlock. And while he's at it, have him make the Adept, Shugenja, Divine Bard and Paladin of Tyranny scrolls too.

[Greenish]

You don't; you find a Warlock.Or an artificer, to provide the spells with UMD. You'll have to craft them yourself, though.

[Thurbane]

Or an artificer, to provide the spells with UMD. You'll have to craft them yourself, though.
Would that work? I'm not very familiar with Artificer, but I thought their infusions were neither arcane nor divine.

[Thrice Dead Cat]

Would that work? I'm not very familiar with Artificer, but I thought their infusions were neither arcane nor divine.

They aren't providing the infusions: they're mimicing spells via UMD and letting the Archivist do the real work.

[Psyren]

Would that work? I'm not very familiar with Artificer, but I thought their infusions were neither arcane nor divine.

To elaborate on TDC's answer, it's a loophole. Technically the archivist is the one creating the scroll, thererfore it always comes out divine.

[stainboy]

You don't; you find a Warlock. And while he's at it, have him make the Adept, Shugenja, Divine Bard and Paladin of Tyranny scrolls too.

I was under the impression a scroll was a scroll. There's no Scroll of Lesser Restoration (Paladin) or Scroll of Lesser Restoration (Cleric), just Scroll of Lesser Restoration. So as I understand it, if an archivist wants to learn Lesser Restoration he can get it from a cleric and still learn it as a level 1 spell.

Is there an official ruling on this anywhere?

[Goonthegoof]

Not really, just logic- The scroll is spell level times caster level. Whatever spell level the scroll was at is the level you learn the spell at.