Earliest method for self-contained access to 9th level spells?

[Crake]

Topic is pretty clear, as a thought exercise, what is the earliest you can gain access to 9th level spells legitimately?

I remember seeing a build that focused around using elven generalist's floating bonus slot and a really high int modifier and some various feats to push the bonus slot nice and high, I think as early as level 1? (IIRC though this one was defunct base on the wording of how the bonus slot was given out)

Are there any other methods?

Cheese is irrelevant, since this is just for fun, not for use in an actual game

[Chronos]

The build you're referring to is an elf with both the Elven Generalist substitution level and the Domain Wizard variant (which are technically not incompatible with each other, though they should be) who has the feats Alacritous Cogitation and Versatile Spellcaster (doable at 1st level if flaws are allowed, otherwise 3rd). The reason some argue that it doesn't work is that there's a rule that you can't cast a spell at a lower caster level than its minimum, and some argue that a caster level of 1 is lower than the minimum. The problem with this argument is that the rules never actually say what the minimum caster level actually is.

[HaikenEdge]

The build you're referring to is an elf with both the Elven Generalist substitution level and the Domain Wizard variant (which are technically not incompatible with each other, though they should be) who has the feats Alacritous Cogitation and Versatile Spellcaster (doable at 1st level if flaws are allowed, otherwise 3rd). The reason some argue that it doesn't work is that there's a rule that you can't cast a spell at a lower caster level than its minimum, and some argue that a caster level of 1 is lower than the minimum. The problem with this argument is that the rules never actually say what the minimum caster level actually is.

A nitpicky reason why it also wouldn't work is that, Alacritous Cogitation only allows you to spontaneously cast one spell a day, while Versatile Spellcaster requires you be able to spontaneously cast spells, plural.

[Crake]

A nitpicky reason why it also wouldn't work is that, Alacritous Cogitation only allows you to spontaneously cast one spell a day, while Versatile Spellcaster requires you be able to spontaneously cast spells, plural.

would that mean that when the wizard hit level 5 and picked up spontaneous divination, then at 6 got versatile spellcaster, he'd be good to go?

[HaikenEdge]

would that mean that when the wizard hit level 5 and picked up spontaneous divination, then at 6 got versatile spellcaster, he'd be good to go?

Kind of, but no. Spontaneous Divination will allow you to get Versatile Spellcaster, but Versatile Spellcaster only lets you cast spells one level higher, without giving you a spell slot of that level, due to the following text:


You can use two spell slots of the same level to cast a spell you know that is one level higher. For example, a sorcerer with this feat can expend two 2nd-level spell slots to cast any 3rd-level spell he knows.

Basically, it's problematic because, while you could take two 3rd level slots and push up to a 4th level spell, you still can't cast a 9th level spell with it, because you're not getting a 4th level slot at all.

[bekeleven]

If you play an elf with unlimited access to DCFS and 1 flaw, you can get:

Elf 1: Heighten Spell
Elf 2: Earth Sense
Elf 3: Earth Spell
Elf 4: Sanctum Spell
Level 1: Extra Spell Slot (2nd level)
Flaw: Extra Spell Slot (3rd level)

Then you can DCFS your 2nd-level spell slot for Extra Spell Slot (4th Level), and so on.

This works because Earth Spell + Sanctum Spell lets you cast a first level spell as 3rd level, and Extra Spell Slot gives you a slot at 1 level below your maximum.

[Crake]

If you play an elf with unlimited access to DCFS and 1 flaw, you can get:

Elf 1: Heighten Spell
Elf 2: Earth Sense
Elf 3: Earth Spell
Elf 4: Sanctum Spell
Level 1: Extra Spell Slot (2nd level)
Flaw: Extra Spell Slot (3rd level)

Then you can DCFS your 2nd-level spell slot for Extra Spell Slot (4th Level), and so on.

This works because Earth Spell + Sanctum Spell lets you cast a first level spell as 3rd level, and Extra Spell Slot gives you a slot at 1 level below your maximum.

Yeah, I know of that trick, which is why I specified self contained, otherwise it's too easy. You can do a similar trick using chameleon's floating bonus feat to have access to 9th level divine spells (from any list no less) by level 9 without chaos shuffling (then, since you have access to chaos shuffle yourself, you can shuffle all the other feats into more 9th level slots)