Incantatrix Question

[herrhauptmann]

So the incantatrix requires that you not ban abjuration, and requires that you ban another school as well. But what happens with the spells you've already learned from that school?

Example:
Bob is a new player with a wizard. Bob thought lightning bolts and fireballs were cool, so he learned both even though he didn't specialize.
A few game sessions later, Bob realizes that as fun as those spells are, they don't do a whole lot. At around the same time, Bob discovers the incantatrix, and decides that since he's not getting much out of fireball, he might as well choose that as his banned school.

Does this mean Bob can suddenly no longer cast fireballs, even though he was previously having a blast with them?
Or is he able to keep the evocations he already learned, but is just unable to learn new ones, regardless of level?

[ddude987]

Arguably I've heard RAW interpretations to say you can still cast the spells you know before you ban the school because it never specifies casting spells when describing what can and can't be done with a banned school. However, I believe the rules compendium cleared this up and stated casting spells from banned schools is strictly prohibited.

[herrhauptmann]

Rules Compendium?
That's a problem, mine is in a box. Somewhere.

[Icewraith]

I think the relevant rules are in the ICX section.

Last I checked, you retain the ability to cast any spell from the banned school you knew or had casted before you banned it. This includes using staffs, wands and scrolls. This is in the prestige class, since specializing is otherwise usually done at first, and so specific would trump any general rule on casting from banned schools.

Technically I think this means if you can somehow drum up the cash to successfully use scrolls of dominate person/monster and charm person/monster the level before you specialize, you can pretty safely ban enchantment.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

The 3.0 Incantatrix specifically made an exception allowing you to still cast spells from your new prohibited school that you'd already learned. The 3.5 Incantatrix contains no such exception, and you cannot cast any spells from your prohibited school at all, regardless of whether or not you already knew them. Also note that it's treated exactly as a Wizard's prohibited schools, so you can't even cast those spells from scrolls, wands, or staffs.

[Icewraith]

Memory, what a fickle beast you are.

[Firechanter]

We did the following: the Trix can still cast any spells from banned schools that she was able to cast before she entered the prc.
As simple as that. No cheese like "learn 9th Level spells before you ban school." Come on, srsly, it's not like the Trix needs more power.

[Icewraith]

That's the healthier school of thought for play at your gaming table. The other one (which can still be a lot of fun) is "If I'm going to use this much cheese, I may as well just go all-in."

[herrhauptmann]

The 3.0 Incantatrix specifically made an exception allowing you to still cast spells from your new prohibited school that you'd already learned.
I'd swear there was another 3.5 PrC that did the same, master specialist maybe? I dunno, looked at MS online, I didn't see anything like that.


The 3.5 Incantatrix contains no such exception, and you cannot cast any spells from your prohibited school at all, regardless of whether or not you already knew them. Also note that it's treated exactly as a Wizard's prohibited schools, so you can't even cast those spells from scrolls, wands, or staffs.
UMD would probably still work right?
I mean, at that point you're just trying to fake it as much as a rogue or anyone else.

I'm asking for a character in a high level game, and extreme cheese seems plausible, perhaps necessary. So waiting until 18th level for my first incantatrix doesn't seem like such a bad idea.

Thank you everyone.

[Karnith]

I'd swear there was another 3.5 PrC that did the same, master specialist maybe? I dunno, looked at MS online, I didn't see anything like that.
Red Wizard explicitly lets you cast spells from your new prohibited school that you learned prior to taking levels in Red Wizard.