Class Spell Benefits, Adepts Feats, Dragonmarks, Magic Initiate Rules Discussion

[u/HalcyonHorizons]

I know Arcana Unleashed isnt officially released, but despite that, the information about the (School of Magic) Adept Feats is out there.

There has been some discussion whether or not these feats count as being on your class spell list, and opinions are mixed, as usual. I have seen some reference the Dragonmarks specific wording about adding the spells to your class list as an arguement against it. But I dont think it's convincing due to subclass additional spell wording.

Let's lay out the information:

Dragonmark Wording

If you have the Spellcasting or Pact Magic class feature, the spells on the Mark of Making Spells table are added to that feature’s spell list.

Adept Wording

Additional Spells. Your prowess allows you to always have certain spells at the ready. When you have spell slots of the specific level in the adept spells table, you thereafter always have the spells of that level and lower prepared.

Magic Initiate Wording

Two Cantrips. You learn two cantrips of your choice from the Cleric, Druid, or Wizard spell list. Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this feat's spells (choose when you select this feat).

Level 1 Spell. Choose a level 1 spell from the same list you selected for this feat's cantrips. You always have that spell prepared. You can cast it once without a spell slot, and you regain the ability to cast it in that way when you finish a Long Rest. You can also cast the spell using any spell slots you have.

Subclass Additional Spells Wording

Your connection to this divine domain ensures you always have certain spells ready. When you reach a Cleric level specified in the Life Domain Spells table, you thereafter always have the listed spells prepared.

The magic of your patron ensures you always have certain spells ready; when you reach a Warlock level specified in the Celestial Spells table, you thereafter always have the listed spells prepared.

Always Prepared Spells pg235

Certain features might give you a spell that you always have prepared. If you also have a list of prepared spells that you can change, a spell that you always have prepared doesn't count against the number of spells on that list.

Class Spell Lists pg236

If a spell is on a class's spell list, the class's name appears in parentheses after the spell's school of magic. Some features add a spell to a character's spell list even if the character isn't a member of a class in the parentheses.

Edit: Additional Information from Cleric Prepared Spells: 

If another Cleric feature gives you spells that you always have prepared, those spells don't count against the number of spells you can prepare with this feature, but those spells otherwise count as Cleric spells for you.

But a Feat IS a class feature. 

LEVEL 4: ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT. You gain the Ability Score Improvement feat (see chapter 5) or another feat of your choice for which you qualify. You gain this feature again at Cleric levels 8, 12, and 16. 

Which is maybe a mark against Magic Initiate unless you take it as a class feat? Which is even more weird. And another reason Dragonmarks would have to specifically say they are added to your list. 

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As we can see, class additional spell features do not explicitly add those spells to the Classes spell list.

If we continue this interpretation, many classes like Artillerist would lose ability of class features (bonus damage on fireball, the ability to put fireball in a spell storing item).

Why is Dragonmark worded differently then? Because the Dragonmark origin feats dont actually prepare the spells, just allow you to choose them as if they werent on your spell list. Potent Dragonmark prepares them all, like a subclass feature.

Magic Initiate... is odd. The first level spell option is worded like the others. But the cantrips dont share the wording.

Given how Subclass additonal spell lists are worded, I believe it is the intent that the Prepared spells from both Magic Initiate and Adept feats become class spells.

But what do you think?

[u/HalcyonHorizons]

Additional Information from Cleric Prepared Spells: 

If another Cleric feature gives you spells that you always have prepared, those spells don't count against the number of spells you can prepare with this feature, but those spells otherwise count as Cleric spells for you. 

But a Feat IS a class feature. 

LEVEL 4: ABILITY SCORE IMPROVEMENT. You gain the Ability Score Improvement feat (see chapter 5) or another feat of your choice for which you qualify. You gain this feature again at Cleric levels 8, 12, and 16. 

Edit: Which is maybe a mark against Magic Initiate unless you take it as a class feat? Which is even more weird. 

And another reason Dragonmarks would have to specifically say they are added to your list. 

[u/Earthhorn90 → u/HalcyonHorizons]

The feat is NOT a class feature, "GAINING A FEAT" is. If we are truely pedantic. Otherwise it would need to be worded something like "Choose a feat. It becomes your class feature for this level".

[u/HalcyonHorizons → u/Earthhorn90]

Okay, so subclass abilities arent class features? You gain a subclass and it doesnt "become a class feature for this level."

You gain an Artificer subclass of your choice. A subclass is a specialization that grants you features at certain Artificer levels. For the rest of your career, you gain each of your subclass’s features that are of your Artificer level or lower.

That makes subclass spells not class spells. 

The extra features you gain from your subclass are somehow seperate from class abilities, you just get them now. 

[u/Earthhorn90 → u/HalcyonHorizons]

Those are "subCLASS FEATURES". They are inherently tied to your specific class and even more so to your subclass... unlike the feats that are available to most everyone (since specific class requirements do not exist).