Class and Level Geekery XVIII - Everyone's an Expert

[TooSoon]

We can add tumble to Serini's skills. I believe Rich has used that swirly pattern when others have been tumbling.

I just want to focus on this point to underscore again the problematic standard of proof shift we see when it comes to the casters v.s the non-casters. Compare the proof used here, of "that swirly pattern looks the same", to the proof demanded of V proving level 17. when fighters are shown doing 3 attacks in a round it's "well, that's it, it must be proof of X", but when casters use a spell that requires level 17 people cast around for other explanations. In this case maybe the illustration means nothing. When the art shows 3 attacks per round maybe the author just didn't show us all the action, or is ignoring the rules. I don't think we should use either of those explanations, but we definitely could. Yet when V performs a telepathic bond which requires level 17 to do, it's "well, Rich might have not been paying attention to the rules here".

I would just ask again whether people are ready to list V as level 17 yet. To me it's pretty clear. The author has shown the familiar distance limits don't bind Blackwing before (see True Seeing in the desert search for the Gate), so we can disregard that. The author has also shown us the caster level generally effects spells per usual (e.g. 12 pikeman can be effected by level 12 V). Ergo the Occam's razor conclusion is V is level 17. It's far stronger proof than the non-caster characters feats seem to require.