[RPG] Are the spells learned from the “Touched” feats considered class spells when cast using spell slots

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The Fey Touched and Shadow Touched feats published in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything each grant the use of two spells. Among other things, they say:

  1. You learn the [spells].
  2. You can cast each of these spells without expending a spell slot [once per long rest].
  3. You can also cast these spells using spell slots you have of the appropriate level.

The spellcasting ability for these spells is specific to the feat, so it may or may not be the same as the ability of a class that grants spell slots.

Casting classes all have their own quirks regulating their spellcasting features, but these shouldn’t be relevant to how the Touched feats’ spells are cast in #2 because that casting isn’t using a spellcasting feature. This is clear because even non-casting classes can cast the spells in this way, so only the generic spellcasting rules apply there.

(This is related to why racial feat spells can’t be cast with a focus, as discussed at If a spellcaster's racial trait grants a spell that requires material components, can they use their class' focus to cast that spell?)

However, things get more complicated when the feats’ spells are cast as described in #3, because the spell slots referenced there do come from a class spellcasting feature. In that case, does the caster simply use the spell slot as “fuel” and otherwise cast the spell exactly as it had been cast for #2? Or is this inherently different, with the caster actually using their class spellcasting feature and therefore having to follow all of its specific rules?

Furthermore, is the answer different depending on whether the specific Touched feat spell being cast is on the caster’s class’ spell list or not?

Potentially Related:

Does Magic Initiate allow the chosen spell to effectively be “always prepared” if the spell is on their spell list?

What makes a spell being cast considered to be a {class} spell?

Are spells learned from feats considered to be associated with your class?

Best Answer

Only select feats associate their spells with a class

Let's look at the Sorcerer's Spellcasting feature:

[...] The Sorcerer table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your sorcerer spells of 1st level and higher. [...]

From this we can conclude that the spell slots from the Sorcerer class can be used to cast a spell only if that spell is a Sorcerer spell (whatever that means).

The Sage Advice Compendium (pdf link) states the following about the Magic Initiate feat (emphasis mine):

Q. If you have spell slots, can you use them to cast the 1st level spell you learn with the Magic Initiate feat?

A. Yes, but only if the class you pick for the feat is one of your classes. For example, if you pick sorcerer and you are a sorcerer, the Spellcasting feature for that class tells you that you can use your spell slots to cast the sorcerer spells you know, so you can use your spell slots to cast the 1st-level sorcerer spell you learn from Magic Initiate. [...]

In short, you must follow your character’s normal spellcasting rules, which determine whether you can expend spell slots on the 1st-level spell you learn from Magic Initiate.

From this we can conclude two things:

  1. A spell granted by a feat that explicitly links the spell to a given class is associated with that class (a Sorcerer taking Magic Initiate under Sorcerer and choosing to learn magic missile can use their spell slots to cast magic missile; therefore, magic missile must be considered a Sorcerer spell).

  2. A spell that is granted by a feat and appears on our class spell list is not necessarily associated with our class (a Sorcerer taking Magic Initiate under Wizard and choosing to learn magic missile cannot use their spell slots to cast the spell; therefore, magic missile must not be considered a Sorcerer spell).

Thus, most spells gained from feats are not associated with any class whatsoever. The most notable exception is Magic Initiate, which associates the spell with whichever class you pick. Other examples would be Ritual Caster and Spell Sniper as well as the Wood Elf Magic feat's cantrip in particular which is required to be a Druid cantrip.

The feat in question does not associate the spells learned from it with a particular class; thus they do not count as class spells for whoever is casting them and they are not subject to various requirements or usable with various abilities that say "When you cast a {class} spell..."

Instead, what this feat says is:

[...] You can also cast these spells using spell slots you have of the appropriate level. The spells' spellcasting ability is the ability increased by this feat.

This means that you are explicitly able to use your spell slots on these spells (a rather rare thing), however they are not associated with your class. This is especially clear given that their spellcasting ability need not be the same as the one your class actually uses, though even if they were the same, this would still be the case.

That all said, ultimately, whether a given spell is associated with your class and considered a class spell is up to the GM. We have several questions on this (and related topics) with numerous differing answers:

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