Artificer/Incantatrix (aka a DM's worst nightmare)

[Thealtruistorc]

I was leafing through my collection the other day when I reread the Incantatrix class in Player's Guide to Faerun. Upon some analysis, I realized something: it meshes disgustingly well with the Metamagic-Spell-Trigger-Focused Artificer. Both share a similar role, utilizing lots of metamagic to buff like the dickens and provide lots of support to your party. In addition, the Artificer's ability to take 10 on spellcraft checks is downright awe-inspiring when combined with some of the more infamous Incantatrix features. In a setting where it is possible to combine the two, an Artificer 13/Incantatrix 4/Cannith Wand Master 3 or even Artificer 17/Incantatrix 3 can be immensely potent.

And before you all say that the two are incompatible, I would like to point out the errata on page 58 of Magic of Eberron, stating that infusions count as spells for the purpose of prerequisites. What do you all think of this combination?

[Jeff the Green]

First, infusions count as spells, but not arcane spells. Incantatrix specifies arcane.

Second, you'd basically be destroying your ability to craft items if you take more than a few levels of incantatrix, and that's kind of what an artificer does.

Third, you can take 10 on Spellcraft anyway as long as you're not threatened, and if you feel the need to do so while threatened you can dip Exemplar.

Fourth, a wizard can get the Metamagic Spell Trigger feat. And with UMD and a wand can use the metamagic scroll infusion.

[RedMage125]

Third, you can take 10 on Spellcraft anyway as long as you're not threatened, and if you feel the need to do so while threatened you can dip Exemplar.

Jeff, you are correct in everything else, but I'll address this.

You may take 10 on Spellcraft if there is no consequence for failure. An incantatrix can NOT take 10 on his spellcraft checks to use Cooperative Metamagic, Metamagic Effect, etc. Because if you don't make your check for Cooperative, for example, your ally still casts the spell without your added benefit. And Metamagic Effect, if you are in combat and the loss of a round of that effect not being metamagicked could affect the next people's turns, then that's a consequence. It takes time to take 10. It takes as much time as it would take to use that skill 10 times. So a skill check that takes 1 minute to complete, takes 10 minutes to take 10. A skill check that takes a mere standard action, takes 10 rounds. In theory, is a skill check is purely mental and knowledge related, one could take 10, but the Incantatrix specifically has standard (or readied, as the case may be) action uses of the Spellcraft skill.

[Jeff the Green]

Jeff, you are correct in everything else, but I'll address this.

You may take 10 on Spellcraft if there is no consequence for failure. An incantatrix can NOT take 10 on his spellcraft checks to use Cooperative Metamagic, Metamagic Effect, etc. Because if you don't make your check for Cooperative, for example, your ally still casts the spell without your added benefit. And Metamagic Effect, if you are in combat and the loss of a round of that effect not being metamagicked could affect the next people's turns, then that's a consequence. It takes time to take 10. It takes as much time as it would take to use that skill 10 times. So a skill check that takes 1 minute to complete, takes 10 minutes to take 10. A skill check that takes a mere standard action, takes 10 rounds. In theory, is a skill check is purely mental and knowledge related, one could take 10, but the Incantatrix specifically has standard (or readied, as the case may be) action uses of the Spellcraft skill.

That's only a rule for taking 20. You can take 10 to hop over a pit, for instance, but you can't take 20 (unless the pit's shallow and easy to climb out of, I suppose).

[ryu]

Yeah man rule for no taking 10 is that you can't while being threatened by something outside the task at hand. For example no taking 10 in combat. Pretty much any other time is fine though.

[icefractal]

The "takes 10 times as long thing" is wrong also. Taking 10 takes the normal amount of time for the skill.

I think that naming the two cases so similarly was a bad idea, in retrospect. "Take average" and "Take 20" would have been better, or "Take average" and "Thorough effort". Because I've seen a lot of people make this mistake, thinking that "take 10" works at all like "take 20".

[Jeff the Green]

Yeah man rule for no taking 10 is that you can't while being threatened by something outside the task at hand. For example no taking 10 in combat. Pretty much any other time is fine though.

Taking 10 in combat is fine, as long as you're not threatened. The other issue is distraction, as per the Concentration skill. Neither of which are usually an issue when applying metamagic to allies' spells.

[Crake]

Taking 10 in combat is fine, as long as you're not threatened. The other issue is distraction, as per the Concentration skill. Neither of which are usually an issue when applying metamagic to allies' spells.

Concentration checks are for being disrupted, not distracted. Having combat nearby, people yelling, swords being swung, it's pretty distracting, especially when one of those people could suddenly decide to make you a priority. Would you say that same spellcaster would be getting -5 on spot and listen checks for being distracted? Because I sure as hell would.

[Jeff the Green]

Concentration checks are for being disrupted, not distracted. Having combat nearby, people yelling, swords being swung, it's pretty distracting, especially when one of those people could suddenly decide to make you a priority. Would you say that same spellcaster would be getting -5 on spot and listen checks for being distracted? Because I sure as hell would.


You must make a Concentration check whenever you might potentially be distracted (by taking damage, by harsh weather, and so on) while engaged in some action that requires your full attention.

The list of things you can be distracted by is:


Damaged during the action.
Taking continuous damage during the action.
Distracted by nondamaging spell.
Vigorous motion (on a moving mount, taking a bouncy wagon ride, in a small boat in rough water, belowdecks in a stormtossed ship).
Violent motion (on a galloping horse, taking a very rough wagon ride, in a small boat in rapids, on the deck of a storm-tossed ship).
Extraordinarily violent motion (earthquake).
Entangled.
Grappling or pinned. (You can cast only spells without somatic components for which you have any required material component in hand.)
Weather is a high wind carrying blinding rain or sleet.
Weather is wind-driven hail, dust, or debris.
Weather caused by a spell, such as storm of vengeance.