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View Full Version : [3.5] Wizards, tired of running out of low level spells?



dextercorvia
2010-05-23, 03:47 PM
Are you tired of running out of low level spells? Really wish you had that celerity and teleport back? Do you cry yourself to sleep in your Magnificent Mansion every time your hour-per-level buffs get dispelled?

We have the spell for you...

Mage's Lucubration.

Now don't jaunt away just yet, I know what you are thinking. "What kind of schmuck trades a sixth level spell for a fifth, or worse?" Who said anything about trading? Step right up and I will give you the secret of the archmages. Never be without a prestigidation again.

Sanctum/Invisible/Repeat Mage's Lucubration with Arcane Thesis. Now for use with sixth fifth level spells. (Thank you sanctum.) Yes that's right. Repeat the Mage's Lucubration for free with Arcane Thesis, and next round, you can designate the Lucubration itself for recovery (once again thanks to sanctum).

Wash, rinse and repeat. Enjoy.

Now available at lower levels with Menemonic Enhancer. It's slower, and the spells are for a limited time only, but nothing says lovin' line near infinite spells in the oven.

Arakune
2010-05-23, 04:35 PM
Sanctum spell: awesome for any reason BESIDES it's intended function :smallbiggrin:

Moriato
2010-05-23, 04:38 PM
Looks like Lucubration...

http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/5048/horatiocain01.jpg

...makes everything go more smoothly

The Rabbler
2010-05-23, 04:41 PM
Looks like Lucubration...

http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/5048/horatiocain01.jpg

...makes everything go more smoothly

that was terrible. bravo :smallbiggrin:.

AstralFire
2010-05-23, 04:43 PM
Looks like Lucubration...

http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/5048/horatiocain01.jpg

...makes everything go more smoothly

YEAAAAAAAAAAAH

The Rose Dragon
2010-05-23, 04:43 PM
YEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAH!

Though lucubration and lubrication are two different words. Even though they sound and look pretty similar.

arguskos
2010-05-23, 04:44 PM
Sanctum spell: awesome for any reason BESIDES it's intended function :smallbiggrin:
Awesome for use with the Acorn of Far Travels. :smallcool:

Actually, just awesome in general.

Moriato
2010-05-23, 04:45 PM
YEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAH!

Though lucubration and lubrication are two different words. Even though they sound and look pretty similar.

Lol, I know, but I can't be the only person who thinks lubrication everytime they see lucubration.

...can I?

The Rabbler
2010-05-23, 04:46 PM
Lol, I know, but I can't be the only person who thinks lubrication everytime they see lucubration.

...can I?

you are not alone.

AstralFire
2010-05-23, 04:47 PM
Lol, I know, but I can't be the only person who thinks lubrication everytime they see lucubration.

...can I?

Even I do it, and I'm usually pretty clean-minded.


YEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAH!

Though lucubration and lubrication are two different words. Even though they sound and look pretty similar.

Ninja'd! -tweak-

Greenish
2010-05-23, 04:50 PM
Even I do it, and I'm usually pretty clean-minded.For a moment there, I wondered what being clean-minded had to do with having one word resemble another. Then I thought of it. Thanks a bunch.

AstralFire
2010-05-23, 04:54 PM
For a moment there, I wondered what being clean-minded had to do with having one word resemble another. Then I thought of it. Thanks a bunch.

Oh dear. Sorry... >.>

Kobold-Bard
2010-05-23, 05:16 PM
Lol, I know, but I can't be the only person who thinks lubrication everytime they see lucubration.

...can I?

Until literally yesterday I thought the spell was actually called Mage's Lubrication.

arguskos
2010-05-23, 05:22 PM
Until literally yesterday I thought the spell was actually called Mage's Lubrication.
Yeah, I did a double take the first time I read Lucubration. You are not alone. :smallwink:

Eldariel
2010-05-23, 05:22 PM
When I first saw the spell, I didn't even know word "Lucubration" existed so "Lubrication" was pretty much an automation-read for me. Once I found out differently, it was way too late to wash away the association...

Kobold-Bard
2010-05-23, 05:26 PM
I actually thought it made sense because you're lubricating your mind so the spell comes back.

It's amazing self imposed justifications for things that makes Urban Arcana so awesomely believable to me.

Ashram
2010-05-23, 05:27 PM
So, care to actually break down how this works? I don't see how a +1 caster level increase with Sanctum affects Mordenka- I mean, Mage's Lucubration.

AstralFire
2010-05-23, 05:27 PM
I actually thought it made sense because you're lubricating your mind so the spell comes back.

It's amazing self imposed justifications for things that makes Urban Arcana so awesomely believable to me.

You lost me with your second sentence.

Kobold-Bard
2010-05-23, 05:33 PM
You lost me with your second sentence.

It's a d20Modern setting where a D&D type world leaks into ours and 90% of people just don't notice because the human mind covers up what it cant understand.

Rannil
2010-05-23, 05:39 PM
So, care to actually break down how this works? I don't see how a +1 caster level increase with Sanctum affects Mordenka- I mean, Mage's Lucubration.

Arcane Thesis States: "When you apply a metamagic feat other than Heighten spell to that spell, the enhanced spell uses up a spell slot one level lower than normal. "
Sanctum is a metamagic feat without taking up a higher spell level slot.

So a Arcane Thesis Sanctum Mage's Lucubration takes up a slot lower, making it a 5th spell and makes it able to target itself for replenishing.

AstralFire
2010-05-23, 06:12 PM
It's a d20Modern setting where a D&D type world leaks into ours and 90% of people just don't notice because the human mind covers up what it cant understand.

Oh, now I follow. The setting. Yeah, I liked that. Reminded me of Pratchett/MIB.

taltamir
2010-05-23, 06:41 PM
Lol, I know, but I can't be the only person who thinks lubrication everytime they see lucubration.

...can I?

very true... its not the only word of its kind...
Ever heard of masticating?

dgnslyr
2010-05-23, 06:55 PM
I bet Mage's Lubrication is a cantrip in some obscure splatbook...

ScionoftheVoid
2010-05-23, 06:57 PM
masticating?

"What?!"
"You know, chewin'."[/Colour of Magic (the film) reference].

Anyway, yeah sometimes it's almost as if the language tries to trip you up.

Nice use of the "drawback" of Sanctum Spell. Weaker than Arcane Thesis within Arcane Thesis, but that's not saying much.

Kylarra
2010-05-23, 07:06 PM
I bet Mage's Lubrication is a cantrip in some obscure splatbook...Probably BoEF.

gbprime
2010-05-23, 07:41 PM
So infinate recharging on all spells levels 5 and under. Spiffy. But with the limit that it must be a home-base kind of structure, someplace you've spent 3 months or more and spent a week to attune yourself. Which means the only way for you to take advantage of this on the go is to teleport home, recharge, and teleport back. Or blow 55,000 on an Instant Fortress.

Still, this is a REALLY good reason why people don't attack a Wizard's Guild. :smallamused:

PId6
2010-05-23, 07:52 PM
Wow, I hope I'm not the only person who just found out that Mage's Lucubration is not spelled with with an 'i'. :smallredface:


So infinate recharging on all spells levels 5 and under. Spiffy. But with the limit that it must be a home-base kind of structure, someplace you've spent 3 months or more and spent a week to attune yourself. Which means the only way for you to take advantage of this on the go is to teleport home, recharge, and teleport back. Or blow 55,000 on an Instant Fortress.
Actually, this works as long as you're not in your sanctum, since otherwise it'd be a 7th level spell and thus not eligible for itself.

Jack_Simth
2010-05-23, 07:53 PM
So infinate recharging on all spells levels 5 and under. Spiffy. But with the limit that it must be a home-base kind of structure, someplace you've spent 3 months or more and spent a week to attune yourself. Which means the only way for you to take advantage of this on the go is to teleport home, recharge, and teleport back. Or blow 55,000 on an Instant Fortress.

Still, this is a REALLY good reason why people don't attack a Wizard's Guild. :smallamused:
Actually, part of the point of using Sanctum Spell, rather than a different metamagic feat, is that you're doing it outside your sanctum - which causes the spell to be treated as a level lower.

ScionoftheVoid
2010-05-23, 07:56 PM
So infinate recharging on all spells levels 5 and under. Spiffy. But with the limit that it must be a home-base kind of structure, someplace you've spent 3 months or more and spent a week to attune yourself. Which means the only way for you to take advantage of this on the go is to teleport home, recharge, and teleport back. Or blow 55,000 on an Instant Fortress.

Still, this is a REALLY good reason why people don't attack a Wizard's Guild. :smallamused:

You have to cast outside your sanctum for this to work. The level decrease is the useful bit. You do need to set up a sanctum and that place like the plague for the rest of your life to benefit from this. The level increase is terrible compared to what is supposed to be the feat's drawback. Note the "is supposed to be".

Edit: Aaagh, two Ninjas Swordsages! Flanking and Assasin's Stance is hideously bad for my health!

Ashram
2010-05-23, 08:08 PM
Actually, part of the point of using Sanctum Spell, rather than a different metamagic feat, is that you're doing it outside your sanctum - which causes the spell to be treated as a level lower.

It doesn't treat the SPELL LEVEL as lower, it treats the CASTER LEVEL as one lower.

gbprime
2010-05-23, 08:15 PM
Oh, right. 1 level lower outside.

But I'm not seeing the math on this now. Are you meaning...

6th Level Spell
-1 Sanctum (outside), -1 for Arcane Thesis
0 for Invisible spell, -1 for Arcane Thesis
+3 for Repeat Spell, -1 for Arcane Thesis

I don't think Arcane Thesis works that way. I'm pretty sure it gives you a 1 level reduction TOTAL on the spell, not 1 level reduction on EACH metamagic feat applied to the spell.

gbprime
2010-05-23, 08:17 PM
It doesn't treat the SPELL LEVEL as lower, it treats the CASTER LEVEL as one lower.

No, no. That part is correct. It actually lowers/raises the SPELL LEVEL, not the caster level.

PId6
2010-05-23, 08:17 PM
It doesn't treat the SPELL LEVEL as lower, it treats the CASTER LEVEL as one lower.
Nope; it's spell level. "...the spell has an effective spell level 1 lower than normal" are the exact words.


Oh, right. 1 level lower outside.

But I'm not seeing the math on this now. Are you meaning...

6th Level Spell
-1 Sanctum (outside), -1 for Arcane Thesis
0 for Invisible spell, -1 for Arcane Thesis
+3 for Repeat Spell, -1 for Arcane Thesis

I don't think Arcane Thesis works that way. I'm pretty sure it gives you a 1 level reduction TOTAL on the spell, not 1 level reduction on EACH metamagic feat applied to the spell.
The way it's written, "when you apply a metamagic feat...," the reduction happens for each metamagic feat you apply. Possibly goes against intention, but the errata clarifies nothing except that you can't reduce a spell below its original level, and by RAW it works.

Vizzerdrix
2010-05-23, 08:28 PM
Hmm... What would the potion applications of this be? maybe still too high in level, but what if we used RME instead? :smallconfused:

AstralFire
2010-05-23, 08:31 PM
Nope; it's spell level. "...the spell has an effective spell level 1 lower than normal" are the exact words.


The way it's written, "when you apply a metamagic feat...," the reduction happens for each metamagic feat you apply. Possibly goes against intention, but the errata clarifies nothing except that you can't reduce a spell below its original level, and by RAW it works.

It's either going against intention or the creator has horrible favoritism. :P But it doesn't rely on a shaky rules interpretation - just a bad combination of abilities.

gbprime
2010-05-23, 09:02 PM
Hmm. Beardy. But yeah, technically that's what it says. Needless to say, I wouldn't let this work in a game I DM. It's too much something for nothing.


Hmm... What would the potion applications of this be? maybe still too high in level, but what if we used RME instead? :smallconfused:

Well you could combine Sanctum, Maximize, and Arcane Thesis to make Maximized Fireball Throwies. And because of the +2 caster level of Arcane Thesis, you'd only have to brew them at CL 8.

Or heck, just use Quick Potion instead.

But Mnemonic Enhancer can only recover a spell if used within 1 round. You need Lucubration, and to get that in a bottle, you need to either turn it into a divine spell and use Create Infusion, or you need the Master Alchemist PrC from Magic of Faerun.

Lycanthromancer
2010-05-23, 10:15 PM
You'll want to use mage's lucubration for all of your standard spellcasting needs, and the rest of your 5th-level-and-below slots for metamagicked spells; after all, it's not like you'll need them for anything else.

Would this work for anyspell and greater anyspell? I don't have them in front of me, and don't remember the exact wording and effects of the spells.

PId6
2010-05-23, 10:18 PM
You can also recover 6th level spells if you prepare them all with Sanctum. Also, metamagic'd spells in 6th level or higher spell slots whose base spells are 5th or lower can be recovered just fine (since metamagic doesn't increase actual spell level [unless the metamagic was Heighten, of course]). This gets especially fun at epic levels, since most 10th+ slots will just be heavily metamagic'd versions of Combust, Enervation, and the like.

Another_Poet
2010-05-23, 10:25 PM
Um guys, Grease is only first level. It's not worth all that extra work.



Wait for it....

PId6
2010-05-23, 10:28 PM
Um guys, Grease is only first level. It's not worth all that extra work.
http://pix.motivatedphotos.com/2008/6/28/633502095110658970-Facepalm.jpg

DragoonWraith
2010-05-23, 10:30 PM
Um guys, Grease is only first level. It's not worth all that extra work.
...am I the only one who's first reaction was "latex tears in petroleum-based solutions" (not exactly in those words, but trying to obfuscate things for the sake of the children)

dextercorvia
2010-05-23, 10:32 PM
You'll want to use mage's lucubration for all of your standard spellcasting needs, and the rest of your 5th-level-and-below slots for metamagicked spells; after all, it's not like you'll need them for anything else.

Would this work for anyspell and greater anyspell? I don't have them in front of me, and don't remember the exact wording and effects of the spells.


Anyspell and it's big brother can't self reference, since they specifically refer to spells on the wizard/sorcerer list. I've been thinking of spells that I would like to lucubrate. Superior resistance for the whole party....

PId6
2010-05-23, 10:34 PM
Anyspell and it's big brother can't self reference, since they specifically refer to spells on the wizard/sorcerer list.
*Cough*Arcane Disciple*Cough*

Not that I want to start that particular argument again...

dextercorvia
2010-05-23, 10:39 PM
*Cough*Arcane Disciple*Cough*

Not that I want to start that particular argument again...

Yeah, I was trying to avoid that as well. But I first was toying with this idea on a Beguiler with Arcane Disciple (Spell), using the Mnemonic Enhancer...Not to retrieve, but to prepare extra. It was messy though.... What does it mean for a beguiler to prepare normally? I figured I'd need arcane preparation.... Plus, the casting time is a problem.

Evil the Cat
2010-05-23, 10:39 PM
You don't even technically need the invisible part, since using a higher slot specifically doesn't raise the spell level, you can recover it regardless.

Actually, on reading the srd, it gets worse. It just says cast in the last 24 hours, it doesn't say you need to have the slot still open. As long a you're repeating or twinning to get the lucubration back each time, you can add every spell you cast yesterday to your prepared spells today. Do that for a few weeks....

dextercorvia
2010-05-23, 10:40 PM
The invisible is so that you can do this before you can cast 7th level spells.

Evil the Cat
2010-05-23, 10:44 PM
The invisible is so that you can do this before you can cast 7th level spells.

Oh I know, i just mentioned that because even if its in a 7th level slot, its a fifth level spell (Sanctum spell is so wonderfully evil)

PId6
2010-05-23, 10:47 PM
Yeah, I was trying to avoid that as well. But I first was toying with this idea on a Beguiler with Arcane Disciple (Spell), using the Mnemonic Enhancer...Not to retrieve, but to prepare extra. It was messy though.... What does it mean for a beguiler to prepare normally? I figured I'd need arcane preparation.... Plus, the casting time is a problem.
Actually, just Mnemonic Enhancer seems to allow you to prepare an infinite number of (4th level or lower Sanctum'd) spells, though the casting time is a huge pain. Still, if a wizard sits around and does this for a few months, that's a lot of spell slots. Now imagine that same wizard with Arcane Strike...

dextercorvia
2010-05-23, 10:48 PM
Actually, just Mnemonic Enhancer seems to allow you to prepare an infinite number of (4th level or lower Sanctum'd) spells, though the casting time is a huge pain. Still, if a wizard sits around and does this for a few months, that's a lot of spell slots. Now imagine that same wizard with Arcane Strike...

The spells dissipate after 24 hours, so the casting time is a real burden.

PId6
2010-05-23, 10:50 PM
The spells dissipate after 24 hours, so the casting time is a real burden.
Oh. How unfortunate. Hmm... any way to get Shadow Miracle as a 5th level or lower spell?

Edit: Never mind, that uses Heighten.

Kobold-Bard
2010-05-24, 11:44 AM
Probably BoEF.

I love that book. Voyeuristic Seer is actually a very good PrC for Wizards who don't want to spend an hour casting a Scrying spell (and it doesn't lose Caster Levels).

Ormagoden
2010-05-24, 12:00 PM
Question:

When Repeat spell is used, isn't the spell on the second round the same exact spell with the same target and designations and such?

Might be a minor wrench in the gears of unlimited power. I'm just not sure if the OP's use is correct or if I'm not recalling the metamagic properly.

senrath
2010-05-24, 12:30 PM
The target is the only thing that remains the same.

gbprime
2010-05-24, 12:59 PM
The target is the only thing that remains the same.

Right. It's Twin Spell that has all the same decisions, not Repeat Spell. The difference is that Twin Spell is immediate, whereas Repeat Spell is a 1 round delay for the second casting. And, more importantly for this exercise, is one level adjustment less.

Vizzerdrix
2010-05-24, 01:29 PM
But Mnemonic Enhancer can only recover a spell if used within 1 round. You need Lucubration, and to get that in a bottle, you need to either turn it into a divine spell and use Create Infusion, or you need the Master Alchemist PrC from Magic of Faerun.

Aww. and I was hoping to make "Mana" potions. :smallfrown:

Ormagoden
2010-05-24, 01:45 PM
The target is the only thing that remains the same.

Ahhh, very nice then.

dextercorvia
2010-05-24, 02:32 PM
Bonus points for using this to recall a Sanctum Imbue Familiar with Spell Ability, and a bunch of other fun spells. The load your familar up with the recalled spells. (I like my familiar to carry Celerity and Teleport). And you can imbue a Sanctum Contingency.