How to trick the Wizard?

[Srasy]

I am a master of many forms who has a unmagic adamantine rock with blue shiny slivers imbued into it... I am thinking about casting magic aura on it so the wizard thinks its really powerful and maybe make the wizard think its intelligent... I want the wizard to think he wants this rock so maybe bluff that it gives a untyped intelligence bonus or something... What do you guys think?

[BowStreetRunner]

I think you had better hope that the wizard does not attempt to identify the object, as it is unlikely the wizard has a low will save.

[Diarmuid]

I think it entirely depends on whether the Wizard has any reason to doubt your claims or to want to take such a thing from you if he were to believe your claims.

What's your end goal here?

[Daer]

put it to chest middle of volcano guarded by several dragons. Or something like that. Something that even if he finds out it is mundane item he wont believe that is all.

[Story]

By level 5, the Wizard is probably identifying any putative magic object he sees as a matter of course. (Artificer's Monocle makes this viable). Heck, he may even spend his downtime reidentifying objects dozens of times just in case they're cursed.

[searlefm]

you put ''ANY THING'' under a volcano guarded by dragons and it has value based just on that alone.

also 5 words

''Wizards don't have sense motive''
Me.

so anyone could fool them for a wile

[Story]

They do however get Detect Thoughts and Insiduous Insight.

[Prime32]

Artifacts don't have magic auras and can't have their powers identified, so there's that. However, the wizard would know whether or not his Intelligence has actually become higher; you could try saying it needs to be equipped for a while to attune it before it grants any powers.

[searlefm]

They do however get Detect Thoughts and Insiduous Insight.

very true

and Prime32 characters are not aware of there own characters sheets,
as i consider my self intelligent but only because i have met more stupid people that smart ones (this form excluded from the comparison to avoid flame wars) and when drunk, intoxicated, deceased or poisoned during tows times i have very little awareness of how much they affect my mental faculties,
so if i suddenly got only 4%(assuming the wizard has 18 intelligences and an item of +1 int) smarter i probably would not notice it.

[Story]

It has a measurable impact on the number of spells they can cast.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Artifacts don't have magic auras and can't have their powers identified, so there's that. However, the wizard would know whether or not his Intelligence has actually become higher; you could try saying it needs to be equipped for a while to attune it before it grants any powers.

Artifacts most certainly do have magic auras; usually strong or overwhelming ones. The -are- impossible to identify with anything less than legend lore or vision though.

[Togo]

It has a measurable impact on the number of spells they can cast.

On the amount they can memorise. They don't suddenly get extra spells upon picking up the rock. You might be able to fool them until they get chance to memorise some.

However, an INT bonus isn't the best choice, as there aren't very many things that give an INT bonus that isn't enhancement, and the wizard may be suspicious that he's never heard of this one.

[Deophaun]

Detect magic + Spellcraft check = Almost guaranteed discovery that Magic Aura has been cast on the object (DC 21 to identify existing 1st level spell effect that you can see or detect). So, you're going to have to go the mundane route.

Your stone, actually, is a ciphered map to a powerful artifact. It's useless to you, of course, because who has ranks in Decipher Script?

May I ask what the goal of this con is supposed to be?

[Magesmiley]

I am a master of many forms who has a unmagic adamantine rock with blue shiny slivers imbued into it... I am thinking about casting magic aura on it so the wizard thinks its really powerful and maybe make the wizard think its intelligent... I want the wizard to think he wants this rock so maybe bluff that it gives a untyped intelligence bonus or something... What do you guys think?

A much dirtier trick would be to put to show it to him and have him check it for magic. Then later cast the spell and claim that you're hearing things from it. If you can get your DM in on it, it can be even better. A few passed notes and a roll for no reason with you publicly announcing the result of the roll to the DM, etc. (Fooling the metagamers this way can be fun, and most DMs will go for it to teach the players a lesson about not metagaming.)

Ideally this would be:
1. Have the wizard cast a detection spell.
2. Later cast the magic aura spell in secret.
3. DM passes you a note
4. You roll and announce the result
5. DM passes you another note
6. You carefully scrutinize the note and then announce that you are hearing voices in your head. Have the wizard do a detection routine again
7. DM announces that the rock is detecting magic now.

Most wizard players I know would push hard to get the item at this point. If you play your cards right this could be a lot fun. A ventriloquism or telepathic spell of some flavor could make it go even farther.

[BowStreetRunner]

Detect magic + Spellcraft check = Almost guaranteed discovery that Magic Aura has been cast on the object (DC 21 to identify existing 1st level spell effect that you can see or detect).

The effect of Magic Aura (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/magicAura.htm) specifically overrides this, as "it registers to detect spells...as though it were nonmagical, or a magic item of a kind you specify, or the subject of a spell you specify." [emphasis added]

[Deophaun]

The effect of Magic Aura (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/magicAura.htm) specifically overrides this, as "it registers to detect spells...as though it were nonmagical, or a magic item of a kind you specify, or the subject of a spell you specify." [emphasis added]
No, it doesn't. The Spellcraft check involved here has NOTHING to do with detect magic. You can see the effect of Magic Aura, therefore you can use Spellcraft to identify the exact spell that caused it. This is completely independent of detect magic's ability to let you use spellcraft to determine the school of magic (which is what Magic Aura hides).

[BowStreetRunner]

"If the object bearing magic aura has identify cast on it or is similarly examined, the examiner recognizes that the aura is false and detects the object’s actual qualities if he succeeds on a Will save. Otherwise, he believes the aura and no amount of testing reveals what the true magic is."

[TuggyNE]

No, it doesn't. The Spellcraft check involved here has NOTHING to do with detect magic. You can see the effect of Magic Aura, therefore you can use Spellcraft to identify the exact spell that caused it. This is completely independent of detect magic's ability to let you use spellcraft to determine the school of magic (which is what Magic Aura hides).

Except... from the quote, magic aura can imitate a specific spell; what's more, the only way you can see the effects of it (required to use Spellcraft) is by means of a detect spell which is specifically fooled.

I think I have been convinced by this little exchange that magic aura is more useful than I had thought.

[Deophaun]

"If the object bearing magic aura has identify cast on it or is similarly examined, the examiner recognizes that the aura is false and detects the object’s actual qualities if he succeeds on a Will save. Otherwise, he believes the aura and no amount of testing reveals what the true magic is."
Identify is a spell, not a skill. The two are not similar.

But yes, unless he passes his Will save, all that the character knows is that the object is enchanted with Magic Aura and radiates transmutation magic. If he passes his Will save he knows that the object is enchanted with Magic Aura and is not magical in the least.