Alternate Spell Source (3.5)

[Haldir]

The feat Alternate Spell Source allows you to prepare an arcane spell as divine or a divine spell as arcane at -2 CL. The only requirements for the feat are the ability to cast spells of both types. The feat specifies that you prepare the spell, but does not specifically word against spontaneous casters qualifying for the feat.

If I have arcane spellcasting from a spontaneous class and I want to prepare divine spells from my ranger class as arcane, do I also need the Arcane Preparation feat, or does the Alternative Spell Source feat allow it? RAW, it requires any form of Arcane casting, but specifies the spell must be prepared.

Don't suggest asking the DM, I am the DM.

[Falcon X]

I've heard both sides of this and would love to see somebody cite something firmly.

Some say that "prepared" means that it disallows spontaneous casters. Others say that "prepared" is implied for spontaneous casters.

RAW, I might lean away from allowing spontaneous casters to take it, because it's merely implied.

[Segev]

From the description (and realizing I don't have the actual text in front of me), it sounds like the RAW are:

You must be able to cast both arcane and divine spells in order to take this feat. It says nothing here about whether you prepare them or not.
The feat allows you to prepare arcane spells as divine or vice-versa. This says nothing about spontaneously casting one as the other at all.

Since you can't normally spontaneously cast arcane as divine nor vice-versa, and this does not change that normal restriction, you cannot spontaneously cast arcane spells as divine.

However, since it doesn't say anything about having to PREPARE either kind of spell in order to take the feat, you can take the feat as a Sorc/Ranger. You could even do so as a Sorc/Favored Soul, though you'd literally be unable to use it.

If you pick up Arcane Preparation, you can now prepare arcane spells in your spontaneous spell slots, which would allow you to choose to prepare them as Divine spells via this feat, if you so chose.

[Falcon X]

For reference, I checked this straight with the DM325 Article:


Type: Metamagic
Source: Dragon #325

You can prepare any of your spells as either divine or arcane.
Prerequisite: Ability to cast both divine and arcane spells.
Benefit: You can choose to prepare any of your divine spells as arcane spells or any of your arcane spells as divine spells. An alternative-sourced spell uses up a spell slot from the class that normally grants the spell. Such a spell is prepared normally. An alternative-sourced spell is cast as if your caster level were 1 level lower. For example, a 1st-level cleric/6th-level wizard casts a divine fireball as a 5th-level wizard.

It's a great DM article, btw. It has Easy Metamagic and a bunch of other Theurge feats.

[Haldir]

As long as I can prepare my Ranger slots as Arcane while taking a dip in Bard, it's completely fine with me. This one feat opens up Mystic Ranger9/Bard1/Sublime Chord 10.

[Falcon X]

I might conceive of treating the wording of this feat the same way as Metamagic. With metamagic, they never make reference to "preparing" spells. The wording most used is "can be cast" instead of "can be prepared"

[Chronos]

A sorcerer/ranger can take this feat, and can use it with his ranger slots, since those are prepared. This means that you could, for instance, use one of your first-level ranger slots to prepare an arcane Entangle. You could not, however (short of other feats or class abilities) cast a divine Magic Missile, because Magic Missile is one of your sorcerer spells, and those aren't prepared.

Even if you were a ranger/wizard, so both classes are prepared, you could still only prepare Magic Missile in a wizard slot, and Entangle in a ranger slot.