Can you make it so that a spell can be tied only to a specific race, rather than requiring it be tied to a class? I would like to make a race that has innate magic abilities(2 cantrips), but I am forced to designate a class it is tied to, then add the spell as a racial trait. Anyone else that would like this to be added in?
The need for the spells to be tied to a class (I suspect) is because they need to be based on a specific Ability in order to calculate all the variables. Should you be talking about Homebrew spells, same principle would apply to an extent, although you can assign it to multiple classes/subclasses.
I do not think making a spell exclusive to a certain race would be advisable. What you could do instead is create a race feature and input the same thing you would as for a spell as actions granted by the feature, this way you would have a spell-like ability that is exclusive to that race without it need be the spell itself.
I magical ability that is tied to a race and can't be learned by spellcasters is not a spell. See dragonborn breath weapon as an example.
Not true, tieflings get thaumaturgy, hellish rebuke and darkness as racial spells. You can be a completely non-spellcaster tiefling and still cast spells.
Forest gnomes know the minor illusion cantrip, and firbolgs have detect magic and disguise self spells.
These are still spells (and are called such, even referencing spell levels in the case of the tieflings racial abilities)
Additionally, some classes can use spells without 'learning' them without ever getting the spellcaster trait. Monks for example can use ki points to cast spells, but aren't spellcasters.
I magical ability that is tied to a race and can't be learned by spellcasters is not a spell. See dragonborn breath weapon as an example.
Not true, tieflings get thaumaturgy, hellish rebuke and darkness as racial spells. You can be a completely non-spellcaster tiefling and still cast spells.
Forest gnomes know the minor illusion cantrip, and firbolgs have detect magic and disguise self spells.
These are still spells (and are called such, even referencing spell levels in the case of the tieflings racial abilities)
Additionally, some classes can use spells without 'learning' them without ever getting the spellcaster trait. Monks for example can use ki points to cast spells, but aren't spellcasters.
I think what DxJxC meant is that a Spell is a spell because it can be used by spellcasting classes, and Race features granting access to spells still use the spell in the same form available to spellcasters (with the exception of the need for spell slots).
The Dragonborn Breath weapon is a perfect example of a race feature that is a spell-like ability, but is not a spell per-se.
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Born in Italy, moved a bunch, living in Spain, my heart always belonged to Roleplaying Games
I think what DxJxC meant is that a Spell is a spell because it can be used by spellcasting classes, and Race features granting access to spells still use the spell in the same form available to spellcasters (with the exception of the need for spell slots).
The Dragonborn Breath weapon is a perfect example of a race feature that is a spell-like ability, but is not a spell per-se.
This is indeed what I meant. I think the meaning of my second sentence is clearer when not taken out of context against my first sentence.
The whole concept behind a spell is that they are learned and used by spellcasters.
I magical ability that is tied to a race and can't be learned by spellcasters is not a spell. See dragonborn breath weapon as an example.
To clarify: a magical ability is a spell when it can be cast as a spell by a spellcaster. A magical ability is not a spell when it cannot be learned as a spell by spellcasters. A spell that can be used by a non-spellcaster is still a spell if it can be cast as a spell by a spellcaster. A dragonborn's breath weapon is not a spell, because it cannot be learned as a spell by spellcasters.
Sorry if the explanation is 9/10 the same as the original text except repeating itself a lot.
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Can you make it so that a spell can be tied only to a specific race, rather than requiring it be tied to a class? I would like to make a race that has innate magic abilities(2 cantrips), but I am forced to designate a class it is tied to, then add the spell as a racial trait. Anyone else that would like this to be added in?
The need for the spells to be tied to a class (I suspect) is because they need to be based on a specific Ability in order to calculate all the variables.
Should you be talking about Homebrew spells, same principle would apply to an extent, although you can assign it to multiple classes/subclasses.
I do not think making a spell exclusive to a certain race would be advisable. What you could do instead is create a race feature and input the same thing you would as for a spell as actions granted by the feature, this way you would have a spell-like ability that is exclusive to that race without it need be the spell itself.
Born in Italy, moved a bunch, living in Spain, my heart always belonged to Roleplaying Games
The whole concept behind a spell is that they are learned and used by spellcasters.
I magical ability that is tied to a race and can't be learned by spellcasters is not a spell. See dragonborn breath weapon as an example.
Not true, tieflings get thaumaturgy, hellish rebuke and darkness as racial spells. You can be a completely non-spellcaster tiefling and still cast spells.
Forest gnomes know the minor illusion cantrip, and firbolgs have detect magic and disguise self spells.
These are still spells (and are called such, even referencing spell levels in the case of the tieflings racial abilities)
Additionally, some classes can use spells without 'learning' them without ever getting the spellcaster trait. Monks for example can use ki points to cast spells, but aren't spellcasters.
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I think what DxJxC meant is that a Spell is a spell because it can be used by spellcasting classes, and Race features granting access to spells still use the spell in the same form available to spellcasters (with the exception of the need for spell slots).
The Dragonborn Breath weapon is a perfect example of a race feature that is a spell-like ability, but is not a spell per-se.
Born in Italy, moved a bunch, living in Spain, my heart always belonged to Roleplaying Games
This is indeed what I meant. I think the meaning of my second sentence is clearer when not taken out of context against my first sentence.
To clarify: a magical ability is a spell when it can be cast as a spell by a spellcaster. A magical ability is not a spell when it cannot be learned as a spell by spellcasters. A spell that can be used by a non-spellcaster is still a spell if it can be cast as a spell by a spellcaster. A dragonborn's breath weapon is not a spell, because it cannot be learned as a spell by spellcasters.
Sorry if the explanation is 9/10 the same as the original text except repeating itself a lot.