Changeling wizard ACF RAW type questions

[daremetoidareyo]

Can I take the changeling dual specialization (RoE) and then take the Focused specialist acf from complete mage to get 4 more spells, or can I split them up between transmutation and illusion?

If I take the immediate magic ACF from PHB2, do I get both abilities? The way it reads, it appears that I would but I am constrained by the number of uses per day.

If I then take the master specialist prestige class, can I get double benefits for esotericas?

Can I trade my focused specialist abilities to get both the transmuter and illusionist acfs from UA (both require giving up specialist spells per day)?

The only text that seems to limit me is this line from RoE "This substitution feature replaces the standard wizard's specialization option." Does that render all of these shenanigans moot, seeing as how I am not trading on the standardized option? The specific texts for focused specialist and immediate metamagic just mentions specialization, not specifically wizard specialization unmodified by ACFs. Definitely ask your DM territory, huh?

Bonus question: If I change summon monster 3 using spell versatality (UA transmuter ACF) into a transmutation spell, can I then therefor summon a dretch into someone's guts, seeing as how the prohibition against doing such a thing is listed in the description of conjuration spells and not transmutation spells? If the answer is yes, we should start an optimization thread based on this. Planar bind some tiny fiends to your colon...and other such things. Maybe even use that blockade spell for falling 2000 pound block damage. Or transmute an enchantment spell so that it is no longer mind affecting: I can charm monster plants! or Constructs!

If this is possible, you wind up with this as a pimped out changeling wizard.
Specialized in illusion and transmutation, no extra spells per level. Prohibited schools are evocation, necromancy, abjuration, enchantment. No familiar. As an immediate action, changeling can alter climb, swim or flight speed or gain a mirror image for a round. Any new illusion spells learned are treated as having the spell mastery feat applied (no spell book necessary) and half of the spells that I memorize can be spontaneously swapped with transmutation spells. If I trade away wizard feats, I can grab one spell of any school and treat it as a transmutation spell, which may, depending on RAW, allow you to summon fiendish osquips into someone's lungs by turning their alveoli into fiendish osquips.

[MisterKaws]

This is why I ban UA in my games...

[nedz]

Can I take the changeling dual specialization (RoE) and then take the Focused specialist acf from complete mage to get 4 more spells, or can I split them up between transmutation and illusion?

This substitution feature replaces the standard wizard's specialization option.

You must be a specialist Wizard
Only one or the other since: if you take the Changeling Wizard ACF you are no longer a specialist Wizard and if you take Focussed Specialist you no longer have the standard wizard's specialization option.

If I take the immediate magic ACF from PHB2, do I get both abilities? The way it reads, it appears that I would but I am constrained by the number of uses per day.
No because: even if you could take both then you only have one familiar to swap.

If I then take the master specialist prestige class, can I get double benefits for esotericas?

Special: Must be a specialist wizard.
No can do: you do not qualify, either way

Can I trade my focused specialist abilities to get both the transmuter and illusionist acfs from UA (both require giving up specialist spells per day)?
There are three different options here, for each class. They require that you give up different things.
E.g. Two require giving up your familiar - you can only do this once.

The only text that seems to limit me is this line from RoE "This substitution feature replaces the standard wizard's specialization option." Does that render all of these shenanigans moot, seeing as how I am not trading on the standardized option? The specific texts for focused specialist and immediate metamagic just mentions specialization, not specifically wizard specialization unmodified by ACFs. Definitely ask your DM territory, huh?
Also this.

[Jeff the Green]

What nedz said.

If you want some fun shenanigans with the changeling wizard, pick up Racial Emulation at 1st level, then choose the 1st and 3rd level of elf wizard and the 5th of changeling wizard.

You now have a floating doubled bonus from your familiar. That's +4 to any saving throw, +6 to a number of useful skills, or +4 to two skills at the same time (including Spot and Listen).

Granted, it's not as cheesy as what you proposed, but it's legal and fun. You also get the very nice elven generalist and can choose a wizard domain too.

You could also pick up a domain as a changeling wizard.

[nedz]

I skipped this question earlier.

Bonus question: If I change summon monster 3 using spell versatality (UA transmuter ACF) into a transmutation spell, can I then therefore summon a dretch into someone's guts, seeing as how the prohibition against doing such a thing is listed in the description of conjuration spells and not transmutation spells?
You might have found a hole here but you would still need Line of Effect, which you don't have. A more interesting exploit would be to get it to use some XP on a spell or SLA.

Or transmute an enchantment spell so that it is no longer mind affecting: I can charm monster plants! or Constructs!
Challenge: Find an Enchantment spell which doesn't also state [Mind-Affecting] in it's description. I think that there are 2-3, but I'm not aware of any cases where this would help. Specific trumps General.

[daremetoidareyo]

What nedz said.

If you want some fun shenanigans with the changeling wizard, pick up Racial Emulation at 1st level, then choose the 1st and 3rd level of elf wizard and the 5th of changeling wizard.

You now have a floating doubled bonus from your familiar. That's +4 to any saving throw, +6 to a number of useful skills, or +4 to two skills at the same time (including Spot and Listen).

Granted, it's not as cheesy as what you proposed, but it's legal and fun. You also get the very nice elven generalist and can choose a wizard domain too.

You could also pick up a domain as a changeling wizard.

Good idea.

I think, as DM, I would allow it. See where that road takes me. These changeling wizard shinanigans are like a weird semi-sorcerer. Only 4 schools of magic available, it seems like it could be a lot of fun.

I think that the wordings are still a bit arguable as possible of working out. I mean, the RAI would be totally subverted, but these could be rules lawyered step by step, and you wouldn't be totally wrong, you'de only be 90% wrong, because divorced of context, the specialization is still a type of wizard specialization, it just isn't THE type of specialization that those other features had in mind. None of the specialization features had it in mind that there would be a case where a single character was a specialist in two different schools of magic. I mean, if we allow acf and variant chaining, this is just as "rules loose." And with the exception of the transmutation versatility UA thing (which has nothing to do with changelings), these features actually serve to nerf a wizard down to lower tier one. This character has a schtick that just isn't as versatile as how forums describe wizards.


You might have found a hole here but you would still need Line of Effect, which you don't have.

So a ring of x-ray vision is necessary. Gotcha. Would blindsight work?


A more interesting exploit would be to get it to use some XP on a spell or SLA.

This is why I post here.

[Cerefel]

So a ring of x-ray vision is necessary. Gotcha. Would blindsight work?

Line of Sight is a separate thing from Line of Effect.

[RedMage125]

What nedz said.

If you want some fun shenanigans with the changeling wizard, pick up Racial Emulation at 1st level, then choose the 1st and 3rd level of elf wizard and the 5th of changeling wizard.

You now have a floating doubled bonus from your familiar. That's +4 to any saving throw, +6 to a number of useful skills, or +4 to two skills at the same time (including Spot and Listen).

Granted, it's not as cheesy as what you proposed, but it's legal and fun. You also get the very nice elven generalist and can choose a wizard domain too.

You could also pick up a domain as a changeling wizard.

There's some part of me that twitched when I saw this. I mostly DM, and I stick pretty close to RAW (I have exactly 5 houserules for 3.5e, and they're mostly for player benefit). But...I honestly don't think that this is in violation of RAW. ARGUABLY it's against RAI, because the 1st level of Elven Wizard RSL is due to the specialized training that elves only train other elves in (although that is easily solved as a Changeling with Racial Emulation lived among elves for a long time, and passed as one of them), but the 3rd level Elf Wizard, flavor-wise, comes from the close bond that true elves have with nature.

But I do think that would be totally appropriate for a Changeling who lived most of his early (pre-adventuring) life as a Passer (see the changeling philosophies in Races of Eberron), and once he started adventuring, began to truly embrace what it means to be a changeling, even eventually applying his own racial mutability to his familiar.

So no real RAW objections, I think it's actually quite legal. A mild flavor objection, but with me things like that can be easily overcome with an appropriate and flavorful backstory for one's character.

EDIT: had the changeling philosophy wrong

[daremetoidareyo]

Line of Sight is a separate thing from Line of Effect.

Just realizing that I never used line of effect rules. Just sort of always figured out the common sense. It's been YEARS.

[bean illus]

What nedz said.

If you want some fun shenanigans with the changeling wizard, pick up Racial Emulation at 1st level, then choose the 1st and 3rd level of elf wizard and the 5th of changeling wizard.

You now have a floating doubled bonus from your familiar. That's +4 to any saving throw, +6 to a number of useful skills, or +4 to two skills at the same time (including Spot and Listen).

Granted, it's not as cheesy as what you proposed, but it's legal and fun. You also get the very nice elven generalist and can choose a wizard domain too.

You could also pick up a domain as a changeling wizard.

Thanks, I've been working on this very thing for weeks. I'm also trying to get Extra Familiar worked in. I'll go re-read the points you brought up before i go further.