Moment of Prescience Spell (Luck 8/Sor/Wiz 8)

[saucercrab]

Can moment of prescience be used on an Initiative roll?

I want to say 'yes' because, from a certain point of view, Initiative is an opposed ability roll (Dexterity being the ability). I'm just not sure if this the correct point of view.

 

[CronoDekar]

Proooobably not by RAW. An ability check as defined in the book (PHB 66) is something you try to do in which isn't covered by a skill. Plus it's not really "opposed" in the classical sense -- an opposed check is one in which "the higher result succeeds, while the lower result fails"; with init, the person who got the lower check still gets to act.

 

[Thanee]

No, it cannot.

Thought that would be nice, too, once, but when I checked the rules, it became obvious, that it does not work, because initiative is not an opposed ability check. Too bad, really, that would be a rather good use (maybe a bit too good, actually) of the spell.

Bye
Thanee

 

[saucercrab]

Damn, I must've had Obi Wan's point of view there.

Follow-up question then, is there any way in only the PHB or DMG (spell, magic item, etc.) to substantially boost initiative? Other than maxing out Dexterity, that is.

 

[Thanee]

Improved Initiative [PHB]
Blooded [PGtF]
Thug [PGtF]
Kaupaer's Skittish Nerves [MoF; PGtF]

Bye
Thanee

 

[UltimaGabe]

Too bad, really, that would be a rather good use (maybe a bit too good, actually) of the spell.

I agree that it would be a good use of the spell- and fully within the spirit of the spell, in my opinion- but I wouldn't say it'd be too good. After all, for an 8th-level spell, I'd expect it to make me breakfast and drive me to work in addition to whatever it already does, so I don't think allowing such a high-level spell to automatically make you go first in battle (which it won't even necessarily do every time, depending on who you're up against) would be too powerful at all. I just might allow that in my games, in fact, if we ever get to that high of a level.

Speaking of Initiative, there was a Rogue in my last group with an initiative in the mid-20's...

 

[saucercrab]

Improved Initiative [PHB]
Blooded [PGtF]
Thug [PGtF]
Kaupaer's Skittish Nerves [MoF; PGtF]

Bye
Thanee

So, just Improved Initiative, then, hmm?
I'll have to rely on a creative contingency to get the jump, then.

BTW, it's pretty funny, but in the My Subscribed Threads page of My Account, this thread is labeled with the Comics gif & the other thread I have, for the Invisible Blade, is labeled with the People gif.

UltimaGabe,
Yeah, I like HR'ing it to that effect as well, but I'm going to have to take it like it is as RAW for a duel I'm supposed to be participating in with my friend (me a straight wizard, he a straight fighter); I egotistically told him that fighters are the weakest class & wizards can ultimately whup them.

Wish me luck.

(BTW, did you find the answer you were looking for in regards to Eldritch Blast & caster level?)

 

[UltimaGabe]

Wish me luck.

You don't need luck. You're a Wizard.

 

[UltimaGabe]

(BTW, did you find the answer you were looking for in regards to Eldritch Blast & caster level?)

Yes, I believe I did. In addition, however, a recent pre-errata has been released, I believe, that states that an Eldritch Blast by itself counts as a 1st-level spell, regardless of the caster, and therefore is eligible for Quickening and Maximizing and Empowering and whatnot. That should clear things up a LOT. (Remember, of course, that it only counts as a first level spell when it's on its own- whenever a blast shape or essence invocation is applied to it, the invocation's level replaces the EB's level. So it's still possible to get through a Globe of Invulnerability and whatnot.)

 

[saucercrab]

You don't need luck. You're a Wizard.

Yeah, I figured that, or else I wouldn't've made that claim to him. But I did want to be a wizard that absolutely went first in the duel.

I'm happy for you, but I loathe that errata. Well, the part about the EB being a mere [1st level-equivalent spell if you're not using invocations] anyway.