Scrolls created by Warlock. Arcane? Divine? or Neither?

[Shin Okada]

Official FAQ says scrolls created by an artificer are neither arcane nor divine.

Well, then, how about scrolls created by a warlock? The class is of arcane power and warlocks have arcane caster level. But they are not true arcane casters. And, the Imbue item is suggesting the difference between emulating arcane spells and divine spells.

A) All the scrolls created by warlocks are neither arcane nor divine.
B) All the Scrolls created by warlocks are arcane.
C) Scrolls created by emulating arcane spells are arcane. Scrolls created by emulating divine spells are divine.

Which one will you take?

 

[Nifft]

Official FAQ says scrolls created by an artificer are neither arcane nor divine.

Well, then, how about scrolls created by a warlock?

Good comparison. I'd treat them the same. (A) for me.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Runestar]

C. Makes sense. A bard who scribes a scroll of CLW creates an arcane scroll, while a cleric makes a divine scroll. A warlock can opt to emulate the arcane or divine version of the scroll, and determine its type accordingly.

 

[irdeggman]

I would say that anything a warlock creates is arcane.

The text under Imbue Item also contains the following"

If the check succeed, the warlock can create the item as if he had cast the required spell."

And since warlocks are treated as arcane casters (except when it is specifically called out as arcane caster levels or capable of casting arcane spells of X level) - but none of that matters for this reference) for almost all purposes it follows that also applies to this case.

The artificer errata specifically states that they are neither arcane nor divine - nothing in the warlock's class description would indicate that they are anything other than arcane.

 

[blargney the second]

I'd go with B - the scrolls are arcane because warlocks are arcane casters. (Artificers create neither divine nor arcane because they are neither arcane nor divine casters.)

 

[Runestar]

Where does it state that the warlock is treated as an arcane caster? I can only find text stating that it is merely treated as having a caster lv for purposes of qualifying for abilities such as prcs, but nothing about it being specifically arcane.

 

[irdeggman]

Where does it state that the warlock is treated as an arcane caster? I can only find text stating that it is merely treated as having a caster lv for purposes of qualifying for abilities such as prcs, but nothing about it being specifically arcane.

You have to put it together from the text.

CA pg 7 "Finally, unlike other spell-like abilites, invocations are subject to arcane spell failure chance as described under Weapon and Armor Proficieny above."

Note that artificers (who cast as neither arcane nor divine) do not have ASF chance and only those who cast arcane spells (or equivalent) suffer arcane spell failure chance.

pg 8 "Every invocation has a spell level equivalent, which is used in the calculation of save DCs and for other purposes."

They have a caster level (CA pg 72)

They count as knowing a specific spell if they know an invocation that dupicates it (so do any creature with spell like abilities) Pg 72

From the CA errata:

“An eldritch blast is the equivalent of a 1st-level spell. If you apply a blast shape or eldritch essence invocation to your eldritch blast (see page 130),
your eldritch blast uses the level equivalent of the shape or essence.”

 

[Shin Okada]

The grey zone is there. And that is the question.

Warlocks have caster level, because they use (not cast) spell-like abilities.

Invocations have equivalent spell level. But that is also true for all the other spell-like abilities (including which has no spells to refer, such as mind blast of mindflayer).

Invocations have somatic component and has arcane spell failure.

As a special rule, warlocks are benefitted from prestige classes that have "+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class" or "+1 level of existing spellcasting class".

But they are not spellcasters. They don't cast spells. They just use spell-like abilities.

 

[irdeggman]

The grey zone is there. And that is the question.

It would be but this is the kicker for this case, IMO

Invocations have somatic component and has arcane spell failure.

Only arcane casters have ASF (no divine caster does) and it is not because of the somatic components (that text is similar to the bard's text about simple somatic components).

Divine casters also have somatic components. So the true reason (from a non-game balance mechanic stand point) is that their SLA are arcane in nature.

Hence what warlocks do is arcane and not neutral nor divine.

As I pointed out artificers do not suffer ASF because they are not arcane at all.

For some comparisons

When a cleric picks up spells that are from the wizard's list (not basic cleric spells) either by domain spells or via feat - the spell is divine and not arcane.

Spell thieves suffer the penalties of the spell they steal when casting it - so the spell is cast as either divine or arcane depending on the source. Their normal spell list is arcane though.

 

[irdeggman]

As a special rule, warlocks are benefitted from prestige classes that have "+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class" or "+1 level of existing spellcasting class".

Noting that "+1 divine spellcasting class" is not included in this benefit, which provides further evidence that the class is arcane in nature and not divine nor neutral.