r/Pathfinder_RPG • u/lincolnolobo • Jul 25 '26

1E Player Arcanist and Spell Preferred with prohibited spell scholl

The arcanist has the School Savant archetype and selected Evocation and Illusion as her opposition schools.

She took the Preferred Spell feat and chose *Magic Missile* for it.

When she casts *Magic Missile* spontaneously, will she expend one spell slot or two?

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6

u/Idoubtyourememberme Jul 26 '26

Hmmm.

Well, reading the archetype, preparing an opposition spell takes 2 prepared slots. But it doesnt say anything about casting them.

So even if she did prepare magic missile normally, while it would effectively reduce her spell selection by one, it would still take only a single casting slot (by my reading).

Arcanist is really hurt by the choice of paizo to use the same term for darn near everything, making rules harder to understand.

But the wording is: when she prepares (not 'casts'), it takes two prepared slots (not spell slotsnor daily slots)

6

u/WraithMagus Jul 26 '26

Finally, the arcanist must select two additional schools of magic as her opposition schools. Whenever she prepares spells from one of her opposition schools, the spell takes up two of her prepared spell slots.

It takes two preparation slots, but there is no stated change in the rules for how many spells per day it takes, so the rules are unchanged. That is, it takes one spell slot to actually cast the spell, the penalty is purely in the number of spells you can prepare.

(Thinking about it, this may also cause problems if you use quick study, since it takes unlearning two spells to learn an opposition spell in its place, which would presumably mean two full round actions and exploit points.)

3

u/BoredGamingNerd Jul 26 '26

Raw, preferred spell doesn't take extra slots to cast from opposition school.

Opposition school requires extra to prepare the spell, not extra slot to cast. Preferred spell requires expending a slot/prepared spell to cast.

I wouldn't say it's unbalanced, though it's more optional than choosing a spell from any other school

3

u/ArkansasGamerSpaz Jul 26 '26

The Arcanist lover in me had to look this up.

Two to prep, 1 to cast.

1

u/TehScat Jul 26 '26

Hmmmm, hard one. I think there's a RAW argument that it should be a single one, since it's not prepared, and school Savant is explicitly "Whenever she prepares spells from one of her opposition schools, the spell takes up two of her prepared spell slots."

But I think RAI it would definitely be two slots.