Using and preparing spells

[L_Lawliet]

I am fairly new to the game and play version 3.5. After a bit of research into all of the prestige classes available to my character (human barbarian) I have finally settled on one, the runescarred berserker, I’ll have to come up with a way of tying it into the campaign due to having to join a berserker lodge, My main problem though is having little knowledge when it come it how spells work and their requirements, what I understand so far is:
• At any point thought the day my character can take one hour to scar a rune into his skin, taking the necessary damage. This can then be cast at any point from then on, then fades into a normal scar after use
• He can have up to 7 charged runescares at one
• To learn a runescar he must have a wisdom score of at least 10 + the spell level, so with his wisdom being 13 he can learn up to level 3 spells

Now onto the stuff that confuses me…..

Scribing a runescar takes 1 hour, the expenditure of materials equal to 5 gp × spell level × caster level, and the expenditure of XP equal to 1/25th the gp spent.

What does It mean by the expenditure of materials, and if for example I was going to scar a level 2 spell, bulls strength, what would it require me to do, apart from finding a free hour to do so.


And for casting the spell….

Components: V, S, M, DF,
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 1 min./level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
The subject becomes stronger. The spell grants a +4 enhancement bonus to Strength, adding the usual benefits to melee attack rolls, melee damage rolls, and other uses of the Strength modifier.
Arcane Material Component: A few hairs, or a pinch of dung, from a bull.

What do the components mean, and what would I do with the arcane material components?

Thanks for any help on this

[Zombimode]

Scribing a runescar takes 1 hour, the expenditure of materials equal to 5 gp × spell level × caster level, and the expenditure of XP equal to 1/25th the gp spent.

What does It mean by the expenditure of materials, and if for example I was going to scar a level 2 spell, bulls strength, what would it require me to do, apart from finding a free hour to do so.

First, you need to set the caster level. A runescared berserker can set the cl anywhere between the minimum level required to cast the spell up to his runescared berserker class level.

Say, your character has 4 levels in this prestige class. When scribing a runescar or Bulls Strength, he could set the cl to 3 (minimum for a 2nd level spell) or to 4 (his class level). Say he wants a cl 4 Bulls Strength. Taken the above formula, it would cost him 5 gp * 2 (Bull's Strength spell level) * 4 (the caster level he has set) = 40 gp and 40 * 1/25 in xp (fractions are probably rounded down, so he would have to pay a whooping amount of one xp).


What do the components mean, and what would I do with the arcane material components?

After you have scribed a runescar, your character can activate it with a standard action, as per the ability's description. Nothing else is required. Thus, you ignore the components line.
In effect, the runescared berserker is scribing a scroll and is "castin" his spell from this scroll.

[L_Lawliet]

Nice, thanks for the help on that one.


just one more thing though...


probably[/I] rounded down, so he would have to pay a whooping amount of one xp).

In the games world what would actually take place, by this I mean the costing of gold? would he simply leave the required amount on the floor or surface as a offering to a deity, or something else?

[Firest Kathon]

For scribing scrolls, the gold costs are explained as special inks and powders required for writing the scroll. I would go a similar route for the scar, maybe some special tatoo inks or alchemical substances.

[Azraile]

Scribing a runescar takes 1 hour, the expenditure of materials equal to 5 gp × spell level × caster level, and the expenditure of XP equal to 1/25th the gp spent.

This means you have to spend 5gp x the level of the spell x the level you are casting it... in mateireals you get.... usaly the GM asumes you had the forsight to stock up on them and you just have the GP suptracted... if not that means you have to go buy them and you lose the GP....

Ether way the materials don't mater, you just spend that much gold..... it's kinda silly in some cases while others it makes sense but your stuck with that stystem =p

and you have to spend the xp

when you do that and make what ever rolls are needed you make the rune scar and it can be used any time after that .... simple as that... you don't need to fill any other conditions of the spell... thats the arcane/devine means of casting the spell.... your are imbuing the power into your body through ritual sacrifice and self mutilation.

all you need to know is how much GP and XP it costs to ready the spell

you don't need a spell book or anything like that you just know them.

[AnonymousPepper]

Don't question it. The gold just disappears basically as far as the rules are concerned. >_>

[Dimcair]

The amount of gold represents having the right tools around and in good shape, having the (maybe magical?) Ink or colour around to make the runes.

In short: It is fluff.

When my wizard scribes a scroll I just assume I bought scroll, ink and a pen or the like in the last city or town I was in. Technically you can also scribe a scroll on a leave.

You can think of fun ways of fluffing it up. Maybe the components for your Ink are very expensive, maybe you even mix some gold in the Ink, something like that =).

[Azraile]

Yah I checked you don't need any to worry about anything the spell says it needs to be cast. You don't cast the spell actualy and it isn't counted as a spell, it's counted as an infusion.

There a few classes that can use infustions / invocations and they all have diffrent rules.

There may be feats that alter the rules even if you look them up.... I know there some rune spell rules but I don't know if they are runescared....

In the case of runescarring you just need to pay the gold and exp and your good.

The GM may say you have to be some where your can spend the gold for the mats, but most just ignore it and say you thought ahead.

[Zombimode]

Yah I checked you don't need any to worry about anything the spell says it needs to be cast. You don't cast the spell actualy and it isn't counted as a spell, it's counted as an infusion.

There a few classes that can use infustions / invocations and they all have diffrent rules.

Uhm, Runescared Berserker runes have nothing to do with infusions or invocations. And yes, they ARE actually casted, just like a spell from a scroll is actually casted.