[Epic] Improved Spell Capacity and specialists

[the Jester]

If I'm, say, a necromancer, and I take Improved Spell Capacity as one of my Epic feats, do I get bonus necromancy slots as well? Does that 10th level spell slot come with a bonus slot for being a specialist?

It seems logical, but also too good to be true...

From the ELH:

Improved Spell Capacity
Benefit: When you select this feat, you gain one spell slot per day of any level up to one level higher than the highest level spell you can already cast in a particular class. For instance, if you select this feat as a 21st-level wizard, you would gain one wizard spell slot of any spell level up to 10th.

You must still have the requisite ability score (10 + spell level) in order to cast any spell stored in this slot. If you have a high enough ability modifier to gain one or more bonus spells for this pell level, you also gain the bonus spells for this spell level.

Blah blah...

You can gain this feat multiple times.

 

[Darkness]

The answer ought to lie in the write-up for Szass Tam in the ELH; he's a necromancer...

 

[Pax]

Improved Spell Capacity gives you a new spelllevel -- one spell per day of that level, barring bonus spells.

And therein lays the key ... the bit about bonus spells.

The answer, therefor, is "yes, Specialists get their bonus spell-per-level for spell levels gained via epic feats, too".

 

[the Jester]

Thanks for the help!

Szass Tamm's writeup seems to indicate no specialist spell slots are gained. Pax, I'm not sure where you got the 'barring bonus spells' bit from- my version of the ELH doesn't mention anything about bonus spells under ISC.

 

[Crothian]

they do gain bonus spells for a high casting stat, so I see no reason they would not gain a bonus spell from being a specialist

 

[James McMurray]

I see no reason for them to not get bonus spells either. The Epic NPCs section doesn't follow the rules in the rest of the book in quite a few places, so a lack of specialist spells for one character isn't necessarily telling. Neither the wizard section, the higher level spell slots section, nor the feat itself prohibits specialists from gaining bonus spell slots.

 

[James McMurray]

Pax, I'm not sure where you got the 'barring bonus spells' bit from- my version of the ELH doesn't mention anything about bonus spells under ISC.

He's just saying that the feat grants you only one spell of that level, unless you get bonus spells from some source. There are no sources that are disallowed specifically, so all should be viable.

 

[Darkness]

Here's the answer, courtesy of the ELH FAQ:

If you’re a specialist wizard, do you get a bonus spell for each spell level you gain from the Improved Spell Capacity feat?

Yes, when you’re a specialist wizard and you get access to spells of a new spell level, you also get a bonus spell (of your specialty school) for that spell level.

Hehe. Looks like Szass Tam's writeup is indeed in error.

 

[the Jester]

Wow- I'm glad I checked back in before I leave for work to print this bad guy for today's game....

 

[gfunk]

Those bonus spells are a mighty powerful ability, since you can't even get them without a 30 ability score. Yet another reason not to play a general mage.