I wanted to suggest an implementation of a "Detect Magic" ability much in the way paladin's detect evil and ranger tracking currently work.

Why?

I think that it would lead to a lot of interesting scenarios for RP. Mages with appropriate skill could detect the presence of magical auras on other characters and monsters, and perhaps even areas.

Countless opportunities spring from this. A few basic examples: You can detect when someone has spells up, perhaps indicating that they are planning something, or cheating in a contest. Then you would know to dispel them, which I think isn't used very much currently. Detect magic could aid in Spellguard investigations; was there illegal spellcasting? Also people could explore areas following magical auras, or perhaps they are trying to avoid them.

How?

I base my mechanics suggestions on the following spell description: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/detectMagic.htm

Again following the examples of detect evil and rnager tracking. It would be a custom scripted command. I envision that it would be open to all casters at 1st level (brd, sor, wiz, drd, clr). Since it is normally a lvl 0 spell, the uses should be limited. Maybe just once per lvl per day, or even 1 per 2 levels per day. Your ability to detect magic can depend on the amount of time you spend concentrating, the caster level, and/or your spellcraft skill. A report similar to the tracking result comes up giving you info on things in the area nearby (60 ft. cone?). It would include and the strength, number, and even school of the magics detected depending on your detection score. Also this can be disabled in certain areas due to strong innate magical auras, or dead zones, if we wanted to get really fancy.

Personally, I don't think it is very interesting to have the spell affect items. I also think that it would make the scripting too cumbersome.

The exact implementation will have to be sorted out, but I hope this post gives an outline. Looking forward to seeing other people's comments.

I think this is a great idea, I loathe it how not all PnP cantrips are in NWN. I'd like to see this introduced. If the detection ability is going to be based on a skill, I think spellcraft or concentration would be the most suitable

I Also think this is a good idea. Spellguard robes and personall robes as well as Responsiple Magical Users. (what .1?) Cant be detected. However Abjururs Nightshade Lowers the chances of being Detected. Also another Awsome idea if You are a skilled caster you can detect where the Magic user casted and open a portal. (allowing you or your friends to jump in and port to the iresponsiple User.) I believe only wizards should have the means to however make portals to iresponsiple users. I mean magic eaters can port to unwarded casting I bet other casters could do it also. I mean Imagine suddenly your casting a spell in Dunwarren suddenly something ports you And you see A spellguard Agent Saying. "Your Under arrest for magic within Sanctuary." Combust Fireball. *begins torturing you"

Actually, there is no need for the Detect Magic spell (as spells can not be added to the server with a .HAK). However, making a succesful Spellcraft Check (DC 15 + Spell-Level), will suffice to identify already cast spells (opposed to a DC 10 + Spell-Level at moment of casting). I was greatly in favour of this ability, and talk had it that Arkov was going to script it into the /c commands.

This was over half a year ago. What happened?

I'm against this suggestion by virtue of it being a spell. As Coldburn said (or meant to, either way), spells can only be added via haks. Paladins have Detect Evil because it's a spell-like ability -- Detect magic isn't, and clerics don't get Detect Alignment either. I'm much more in favour of having the Spellcraft check Coldburn mentioned implemented.

I think it remained as it would be if this was implanted.

You need a DM to detect magic or what the nature of the magic is, spellcraft is the key.

It all comes to a roll. Usually you have time to ask, if you don't, than it might be that your char has no time to decipher the nature of this magic and therefore shouldn't know.

It would be redundant to code this extremely tedious and time-consuming script to do this automatically for an ability that could be mimicked easily by DMs.

Think about it, code it for every item? every spell? every enchantment? every location? -everything-. It sounds like hell as opposed to the alternative of asking a DM.

Snoteye, perhaps you would agree with it if using the ability consumed a cantrip level spell somehow? I don't know if that's possible or not. Another idea would be allowing it to be used once per day or something, such as how PrC's get spells (which, I know I know, is extremely stupid, but we still use PrCs, so that's fair enough justification for me).

My reasons are the same as expressed in this thread, specifically in SoO's first reply. As a spell, I'm against this; as a Spellcraft check (which indeed is also a canon thing), I'm not. I'm not really convinced it'd be worth the trouble, though -- if you want to know what kind of beneficial/detrimental magical effects a PC is subject to, you can always just try and dispel her. >.>

I'm against this one. Spellcasters have it good enough.

-Cross

I think this would probably take a lot of scripting to implement in terms of magical locales, such as Dunwarren, in addition to the PCs using Magic.

Okay, so the critcism so far has been mainly on 2 points:

1) The fact that it is a spell and not an ability.

2) The cost/benefit of the amount of work to script it (properly).

Some comments on each.

1) I agree, its a spell and not an ability. (more at the end) Otherwise, I don't think there are big drawbacks for this particular spell as an ability. The reasons are:

- it could have limited use like 1 per day/lvl or even 1 per day;

- there is no saving throw to worry about (and vis. effects etc. don't really matter here);

- perhaps it could be done as an override (as Garem suggests). Maybe on current spells that are IMO useless like Virtue

But if not, and it was just an ability, then its a matter of taste. Obviously, I don't think its too bad to go against the exact rules for what it adds.

With regard to why this spell and not others: personally I think its one that could be implemented, and it would be cool for RP. Some of the others, like those mentioned in Meldread's thread would be great for RP, but just can't be scripted.

2) I'd like an expert opinion, but I'm pretty sure its not too much work to do the following on the activation of the ability.

a) List those creatures around you that have spell effects b) Then depending on the spellcraft score determine the strength (lvl) of the strongest spell, and possibly school, and maybe the exact spell at a high DC

ie. ignore all auras from areas and items

Adding in the areas, which would be desirable for a full implementation would be a lot of work. I'm satisfied ignoring it, or having a simplified rule such as it doesn't work in Sanctuary (just a random example!).

Adding it for items is not even desirable IMO. They already glow if they are magical in your inventory. Otherwise they'll just get in the way of the real spell effects you are trying to detect.

Other comments:

I disagree that this is something that you should have a DM for, that's exactly what I want to avoid. Many players have a hard time getting DM attention for any reason, much less checks like this (eg. because they play at times when no DMs are on).

As for just having only a spellcraft check (without detect magic) to determine the exact spell cast, I think this could be overpowered. The uses should be restricted, and even in PnP you need to know someone has spells up (either by detecting magic or by seeing a visual effect) to be able to make this check to determine the spell.

Finally, regarding Crosswinds statement about casters having it good enough. It would mainly be something for caster vs. caster so it wouldn't really make them more powerful. This is highly debatable though.

My thesis seems to have ended the discussion.

Further comments please even if you agree with opinions already expressed.

I like this suggestion and think it would be cool to have a mage tracker. Could give some more reason for a person to aim for the Arcane Archer aspect if they take ranger and wiz/sorc levels.

But again someone pointed out that this, is in effect, a spell and not a spell-like ability that NWN left out.

I want this, but I don't think the DM's will go for it.