Reducing Metamagic Costs to zero

[dextercorvia]

I'm building an arcane caster, and I want to use a specific+1 metamagic on practically every spell I cast.

I know Arcane Thesis does it for one spell, and Metamagic School Focus will do it for any three from a specific school per day.

Anima Mage's Vestige Metamagic is good for Persisting, but it is limited in times per day, and costs your swift action making it impractical for combat.

Ultimate Magus' Augmented Casting will let me chew through my first level slots to do so, but is impractical to get on higher level spells

Divine Metamagic only works on divine spells, and Naenhoon is limited to twice per day.

Midnight Metamagic is limited to the amount of essentia I can invest in it per day, which is fairly limiting.

What other ways are there?

[Zaq]

If it's one of the +1s from the PHB, the Wu Jen's Spell Secret will give it to you for free on one spell. Depending on the group and the specific metamagic, many GMs can be talked into houseruling that Spell Secret can apply to other +1s as well. This only works on one spell per secret, but it's something.

[dextercorvia]

I didn't mean to keep it a secret. It is one of the alignment ones, like Purify Spell, or Consecrate Spell. I haven't actually decided which one, but the character is likely to pick up an alignment domain, and I'd like to actually benefit from the domain ability.

If I can't find anything, I'll probably just swap it for the devotion feat.

[Hirax]

A generous reading of halruaan elder might allow you to to reduce metamagic feats to 0, as long as the total spell level after all feats are applied isn't less than original+1.

[dextercorvia]

A generous reading of halruaan elder might allow you to to reduce metamagic feats to 0, as long as the total spell level after all feats are applied isn't less than original+1.

That's a good thought, but a little more generous than I'm likely to see. Especially since Halruaan Elder calls out viable metamagics as those +2 and higher.

I'd still be casting the spell at an increased level, and I'm trying to avoid that, anyway.

[Hirax]

Damn. Other than that, the sudden line and circle magic (for empower, max, heighten only) are the only others that I can think of.

[dextercorvia]

It looks like I'll end up with a Devotion feat then. Thanks for the help.

[Amador]

A Slaymate would do this.

[dextercorvia]

A Slaymate would do this.

Source????

[olentu]

Source????

Libris mortis. Only for necromancy spells though.

[Snowbluff]

Incantatrix 10, Spelldancer (works best with persist), Easy/Practical Metamagic {fave metamagic} (Easy is much easier to qualify for), Dweomer Keeper 10. If you are unsing PF traits, magic lineage {your fave spell}.

Did I miss anything important?

[Wings of Peace]

The second level of Mind Mage (http://www.angelfire.com/pro/demon_1/prc_mind_mage.htm) is here for you! Compensation is by far the best general purpose metamagic reducer available if you focus on your arcane side. I recommend the psionic side be Ardent combod with Practiced Manifester.

[dextercorvia]

Incantatrix 10, Spelldancer (works best with persist), Easy/Practical Metamagic {fave metamagic} (Easy is much easier to qualify for), Dweomer Keeper 10. If you are unsing PF traits, magic lineage {your fave spell}.

Did I miss anything important?

None of these (except Spelldancer) has any effect on a +1 metamagic -- they all have a minimum +1 clause.

I don't remember the specifics, but don't I have to dance for like a round per level of mitigation--not the most practical here.


The second level of Mind Mage (http://www.angelfire.com/pro/demon_1/prc_mind_mage.htm) is here for you! Compensation is by far the best general purpose metamagic reducer available if you focus on your arcane side. I recommend the psionic side be Ardent combod with Practiced Manifester.

Is there any way to do this without losing 3 casting levels? Ardents have to choose 1st level powers at first level, which means taking a second level after Practiced Manifester, and then you lose one a Mind Mage2. That seems like a pretty steep price to pay for +1 CL from my spells.

[Snowbluff]

None of these (except Spelldancer) has any effect on a +1 metamagic -- they all have a minimum +1 clause.

I don't remember the specifics, but don't I have to dance for like a round per level of mitigation--not the most practical here.



Is there any way to do this without losing 3 casting levels? Ardents have to choose 1st level powers at first level, which means taking a second level after Practiced Manifester, and then you lose one a Mind Mage2. That seems like a pretty steep price to pay for +1 CL from my spells.

Throw in some UM/Spontaneous Wizard or UM/Fortunate Ruling On Magical Training Sorceror for the extra levels. 4 Levels in UM should make up for the loss.

[dextercorvia]

Throw in some UM/Spontaneous Wizard or UM/Fortunate Ruling On Magical Training Sorceror for the extra levels. 4 Levels in UM should make up for the loss.

Not likely. If I were going to molest the RAW with that kind of Bad Touch, I would just take Spell Domain Cleric5/Mystic Theurge6/Windicator7 with DMM Quicken and Nightstick stacking.

In other words, UM won't advance the same class twice per level.

[Wings of Peace]

Is there any way to do this without losing 3 casting levels? Ardents have to choose 1st level powers at first level, which means taking a second level after Practiced Manifester, and then you lose one a Mind Mage2. That seems like a pretty steep price to pay for +1 CL from my spells.

The trick with Ardent is that you take the Magic Mantle so that your spells count as Powers as well thus allowing your Wizard spells to meet all prequisites. I wouldn't try and push your dm into letting you advance Wizard on both sides however as that is likely to get books thrown at you. Another alternative to Arden since we're just in it for the PP is to take Mantled Erudite (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070629a) either way you're going to lose some CL though.

If flaws are allowed you could in theory enter Mind Mage at level 2 with some excess early entry abuse, though that would make your first level a bit cramped compared to how things would be if you shot for level 3 qualification and level 4 entry.

It might not be worth it for something as small as +1 CL though. The loss of CL is usually justifiable because you can use all sorts of metamagics at once not just a couple like you're proposing.

[dextercorvia]

The loss of CL is usually justifiable because you can use all sorts of metamagics at once not just a couple like you're proposing.

Yeah, I figured, but that is going to take my character a completely different direction. That is better though.