me and the group I'm playing with were slightly confused by the awakened spell book, specifically the damage type changing. is that specifically elemental damage, or just any damage as long as I have a spell that does that type of damage?
There's nothing that says it's elemental damage only. It says it has to be in your spellbook (so not a scroll that you haven't copied yet, or in your ritual casting book if you have that as well for some reason, or a cantrip, which also won't matter because of the next part), and it has to be "of the same level as the spell slot you expend." So if you cast Fireball but want to make it Iceball, and the only cold spell you have is Ice Storm, you've got to cast Iceball at 4th level. Want to do Deathball instead? If you have Vampiric Touch, you can cast Deathball at 3rd level.
Clarification for this (yes, I'm late to the party)...
What about spells that can be upcast? For example, Chromatic Orb can be cast at higher levels. Does that mean a Fireball can become a Poisonball because of a 3rd level Chromatic Orb? I didn't see anything in the ability description stating the spell's original level had to be equal, so would this be possible?
"The latter spell must be of the same level as the spell slot you expend." That's the part that's not letting you use Chromatic Orb to turn a Fireball into a Poisonball. Chromatic Orb is 1st level, upcasting doesn't come into play. If you want to do Poisonball, you have to upcast your Fireball to fifth level and have Cloudkill in your spellbook.
I thought that also, until I reviewed casting spells in PHB:
"When a spellcaster casts a spell using a slot that is of a higher level than the spell, the spell assumes the higher level for that casting. For instance, if Umara casts magic missile using one of her 2nd-level slots, that magic missile is 2nd level. Effectively, the spell expands to fill the slot it is put into."
Clarification for this (yes, I'm late to the party)...
What about spells that can be upcast? For example, Chromatic Orb can be cast at higher levels. Does that mean a Fireball can become a Poisonball because of a 3rd level Chromatic Orb? I didn't see anything in the ability description stating the spell's original level had to be equal, so would this be possible?
You would not be able to use Chromatic Orb to change the damage type of Fireball. Chromatic orb is a 2nd level spell. You can cast is as a 3rd+ level spell, but the spell itself is still only a 2nd level spell in your spellbook. If you upcast Magic Missile at 2nd level, you can change it to a damage type in Chromatic Orb. If you upcast Magic Missile at 3rd level, you would now be unable to change it to a damage type in Chromatic orb. However, you can change it to a damage type in Fireball, since Fireball is a 3rd level spell.
Essentially take the level that you are casting at, then look for damage types in spells of that level (not a lower level).
I thought that also, until I reviewed casting spells in PHB:
"When a spellcaster casts a spell using a slot that is of a higher level than the spell, the spell assumes the higher level for that casting. For instance, if Umara casts magic missile using one of her 2nd-level slots, that magic missile is 2nd level. Effectively, the spell expands to fill the slot it is put into."
This is what made me think of that.
But you're not casting the second spell. You're just drawing from its presence in your spellbook. Casting a spell at ninth level doesn't make all your spells ninth level spells, allowing you to use the damage type from any spell in your spellbook.
I think it's definitely intended to have its limits, otherwise you'd be getting a Sorcerer's Transmuted Spell Metamagic at zero cost.
Personally I think it's just better to embrace the limitation; I'm playing an Order of Scribes wizard and my reasoning is that it takes time to learn to swap damage on new spells, i.e- when you gain fireball it's still new so it makes sense you can "only" cast it using its default damage type at that point in your progression, but you can fairly easily pick up spells that deal other damage types to unlock that ability; they may not be the exact damage type you want in any given moment, but it's rare to find enemies that are resistant to multiple of the damage types you have available.
The only problem is that mechanically it's quite difficult to keep track of what damage types are valid for each spell; I've taken to keeping a note of the damage types I have available at each spell level, though I have to be careful to keep it updated. But if you keep it simplified it's not too bad, e.g- for 1st-level I currently have "All except necrotic and radiant" so I can pick nearly anything I want there, but 2nd I'm more limited for now, and 3rd more limited still, but I'll aim to expand as much as possible. Especially since it's cheaper/quicker to add spells as order of scribes anyway.
me and the group I'm playing with were slightly confused by the awakened spell book, specifically the damage type changing. is that specifically elemental damage, or just any damage as long as I have a spell that does that type of damage?
There's nothing that says it's elemental damage only. It says it has to be in your spellbook (so not a scroll that you haven't copied yet, or in your ritual casting book if you have that as well for some reason, or a cantrip, which also won't matter because of the next part), and it has to be "of the same level as the spell slot you expend." So if you cast Fireball but want to make it Iceball, and the only cold spell you have is Ice Storm, you've got to cast Iceball at 4th level. Want to do Deathball instead? If you have Vampiric Touch, you can cast Deathball at 3rd level.
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
alright thanks for clearing that up
Clarification for this (yes, I'm late to the party)...
What about spells that can be upcast? For example, Chromatic Orb can be cast at higher levels. Does that mean a Fireball can become a Poisonball because of a 3rd level Chromatic Orb? I didn't see anything in the ability description stating the spell's original level had to be equal, so would this be possible?
"The latter spell must be of the same level as the spell slot you expend." That's the part that's not letting you use Chromatic Orb to turn a Fireball into a Poisonball. Chromatic Orb is 1st level, upcasting doesn't come into play. If you want to do Poisonball, you have to upcast your Fireball to fifth level and have Cloudkill in your spellbook.
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
I thought that also, until I reviewed casting spells in PHB:
"When a spellcaster casts a spell using a slot that is of a higher level than the spell, the spell assumes the higher level for that casting. For instance, if Umara casts magic missile using one of her 2nd-level slots, that magic missile is 2nd level. Effectively, the spell expands to fill the slot it is put into."
This is what made me think of that.
You would not be able to use Chromatic Orb to change the damage type of Fireball. Chromatic orb is a 2nd level spell. You can cast is as a 3rd+ level spell, but the spell itself is still only a 2nd level spell in your spellbook.
If you upcast Magic Missile at 2nd level, you can change it to a damage type in Chromatic Orb.
If you upcast Magic Missile at 3rd level, you would now be unable to change it to a damage type in Chromatic orb. However, you can change it to a damage type in Fireball, since Fireball is a 3rd level spell.
Essentially take the level that you are casting at, then look for damage types in spells of that level (not a lower level).
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But you're not casting the second spell. You're just drawing from its presence in your spellbook. Casting a spell at ninth level doesn't make all your spells ninth level spells, allowing you to use the damage type from any spell in your spellbook.
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
I think it's definitely intended to have its limits, otherwise you'd be getting a Sorcerer's Transmuted Spell Metamagic at zero cost.
Personally I think it's just better to embrace the limitation; I'm playing an Order of Scribes wizard and my reasoning is that it takes time to learn to swap damage on new spells, i.e- when you gain fireball it's still new so it makes sense you can "only" cast it using its default damage type at that point in your progression, but you can fairly easily pick up spells that deal other damage types to unlock that ability; they may not be the exact damage type you want in any given moment, but it's rare to find enemies that are resistant to multiple of the damage types you have available.
The only problem is that mechanically it's quite difficult to keep track of what damage types are valid for each spell; I've taken to keeping a note of the damage types I have available at each spell level, though I have to be careful to keep it updated. But if you keep it simplified it's not too bad, e.g- for 1st-level I currently have "All except necrotic and radiant" so I can pick nearly anything I want there, but 2nd I'm more limited for now, and 3rd more limited still, but I'll aim to expand as much as possible. Especially since it's cheaper/quicker to add spells as order of scribes anyway.
Characters: Bullette, Chortle, Dracarys Noir, Edward Merryspell, Habard Ashery, Legion, Peregrine
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It's quicker but not cheaper. Still costs 50gp per spell level.
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