Comoke1024
2016-10-19, 09:22 AM
Hello everyone!
New poster here! I apologize for any improprieties, I'm not normally a forum-poster.
I'm a 10th level character who just hit level 3 on Shadowcraft Mage and I have a few questions about the Shadow Illusion / Earth Spell combo. I'll include the full texts of both abilities at the very bottom so they don't muck up things.
EDIT: I forgot to mention, I have seven levels of wizard before taking Shadowcraft Mage, so I am casting as a 10th level wizard.
1 - First question is regarding the Earth Spell's level increase. Is it possible to Heighten a Spell to a level I cannot cast? For example, if I heighten Silent Image to level 5, would Earth Spell allow it to be cast as a level 6 spell and then I could use Shadow Illusion to cast, say, Cone of Cold?
2 - Second is about the Caster Level increase. I'm asking because my interpretation seems a bit OP. If I use Earth Spell to increase Silent Image to level 3 and then cast Scorching Ray, it sounds like I would increase my caster level to 12 and I would get that third ray. Or alternatively, if the answer to my first question is yes and I cast Cone of Cold, would that allow me to use 14d6 for damage as I've heightened Silent Image 4 times?
I appreciate any responses! Thank you for your time and I apologize for my lack of brevity. I've never been great at being terse. If you could provide any references or sources, I would appreciate that as well. Based on how I'm understanding the workings above, I'm expecting one of the other players to object and if I can refer him somewhere to back up my argument, it would go more smoothly. Thanks again!
Shadow Illusion (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, a shadowcraft mage is able to infuse some of her figments (see the list below) with material from the Plane of Shadow, making them partially real. The subschool of these spells changes from figment to shadow. A shadowcraft mage can use the altered spell to mimic any sorcerer or wizard conjuration (summoning), conjuration (creation), or evocation spell at least one level lower than the illusion spell. The altered spell functions identically to the shadow conjuration or shadow evocation spell, except that the spell's strength equals 10% per level of the figment spell used. For example, a shadowcraft mage who uses silent image to create an acid splash would deal 10% of the normal damage to a creature that succeeds on its Will save to disbelieve the shadow. If she used programmed image to mimic summon monster V, the creature would have 60% of the hit points of a normal creature of its kind, and its damage would be 60% normal against a creature that succeeds on its Will save to disbelieve. A shadowcraft mage can apply shadow illusion to any of the following figment spells: silent image, minor image, major image, persistent image, and programmed image.
Earth Spell: As long as you are standing on stone or unworked earth (including normal soil), you can use the Heighten Spell feat to added effect. If you cast a spell using a spell slot one level higher than the spell's actual level, the spell is treated as a spell of two levels higher and your effective caster level is increased by one. If you use a spell slot two levels higher, the spell is treated as three levels higher and your effective caster level is increased by two, and so on. You cannot gain the benefit of this feat when casting a spell with the air, fire, or water descriptor.
New poster here! I apologize for any improprieties, I'm not normally a forum-poster.
I'm a 10th level character who just hit level 3 on Shadowcraft Mage and I have a few questions about the Shadow Illusion / Earth Spell combo. I'll include the full texts of both abilities at the very bottom so they don't muck up things.
EDIT: I forgot to mention, I have seven levels of wizard before taking Shadowcraft Mage, so I am casting as a 10th level wizard.
1 - First question is regarding the Earth Spell's level increase. Is it possible to Heighten a Spell to a level I cannot cast? For example, if I heighten Silent Image to level 5, would Earth Spell allow it to be cast as a level 6 spell and then I could use Shadow Illusion to cast, say, Cone of Cold?
2 - Second is about the Caster Level increase. I'm asking because my interpretation seems a bit OP. If I use Earth Spell to increase Silent Image to level 3 and then cast Scorching Ray, it sounds like I would increase my caster level to 12 and I would get that third ray. Or alternatively, if the answer to my first question is yes and I cast Cone of Cold, would that allow me to use 14d6 for damage as I've heightened Silent Image 4 times?
I appreciate any responses! Thank you for your time and I apologize for my lack of brevity. I've never been great at being terse. If you could provide any references or sources, I would appreciate that as well. Based on how I'm understanding the workings above, I'm expecting one of the other players to object and if I can refer him somewhere to back up my argument, it would go more smoothly. Thanks again!
Shadow Illusion (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, a shadowcraft mage is able to infuse some of her figments (see the list below) with material from the Plane of Shadow, making them partially real. The subschool of these spells changes from figment to shadow. A shadowcraft mage can use the altered spell to mimic any sorcerer or wizard conjuration (summoning), conjuration (creation), or evocation spell at least one level lower than the illusion spell. The altered spell functions identically to the shadow conjuration or shadow evocation spell, except that the spell's strength equals 10% per level of the figment spell used. For example, a shadowcraft mage who uses silent image to create an acid splash would deal 10% of the normal damage to a creature that succeeds on its Will save to disbelieve the shadow. If she used programmed image to mimic summon monster V, the creature would have 60% of the hit points of a normal creature of its kind, and its damage would be 60% normal against a creature that succeeds on its Will save to disbelieve. A shadowcraft mage can apply shadow illusion to any of the following figment spells: silent image, minor image, major image, persistent image, and programmed image.
Earth Spell: As long as you are standing on stone or unworked earth (including normal soil), you can use the Heighten Spell feat to added effect. If you cast a spell using a spell slot one level higher than the spell's actual level, the spell is treated as a spell of two levels higher and your effective caster level is increased by one. If you use a spell slot two levels higher, the spell is treated as three levels higher and your effective caster level is increased by two, and so on. You cannot gain the benefit of this feat when casting a spell with the air, fire, or water descriptor.