Bakkan
2014-02-28, 04:04 PM
I'm working on a 20th-level wizard at high-mid to high levels of practical optimization, and one of the things I wanted to do was to take advantage of some consumptive field shenanigans. Unfortunately, as far as I can tell it is only on the cleric list (and not on any domains), so I don't see an easy way to cast it myself.
I want to be able to use my own caster level in order to get the maximum benefit from the caster level boost. It seems that this requires either being able to cast it myself or casting it from a staff. I can take levels in a class with access to the cleric spell list, but this won't allow me to use my Wizard caster level (which will be much higher), kind of defeating he purpose. Also, between 10 levels of Incantatrix and at least 4 levels of Dweomerkeeper (accessed through Southern Magician), I don't have a lot of free levels in the build. I don't know of any published staff that has consumptive field as one of its spells, so I'd have to make my own, which runs into questions about buying or making custom magic items.
A custom staff including consumptive field as its only spell (assuming such is even possible), and using 1 charge per casting (because I want to be using this most days, often twice per day), will have a base price of 12,000 gp (375 x 4 x 8). If I wished to craft it, I would need to either purchase 12 scrolls of consumptive field for a cost of 8064 gp, or purchase the services of a 7th-level cleric to cast the spell for me on each of 12 days, which would cost 3360 gp. I am therefore looking at a cost of between 9360 gp and 14,064 gp to obtain this staff, for a total cost per casting of between 187.2 gp and 281.28 gp.
A custom staff including greater consumptive field as its only spell and using 1 charge per casting will have a base price of 34,175 gp (375 x 7 x 13). To craft it, I would need 35 scrolls of greater consumptive field (79,625 gp), or the services of a 13th-level cleric to cast the spell on each of 35 days (31,850 gp. Total cost between 34,175 gp and 96,687.5 gp to obtain this staff, for a total cost per casting of between 683.5 gp and 1993.75 gp.
The money required to craft custom staffs is a minor concern, as I am restricting myself to WBL before crafting. However, access to custom-made staffs, or large quantities of scrolls, or a willing caster, are highly campaign-dependent, and thus I am a little unsatisfied with this solution.
I would greatly prefer to be able to cast the greater version of the spell. I considered some sort of early entry into Ur-Priest, but as far as I can tell, I would need to somehow manage to get Wizard 1/Ur-Priest 1/Mystic Theurge 4/Incantatrix 10/Dweomerkeeper 4 (almost impossible with two skill requiring 8 ranks each for Ur-Priest), and send two of the Dweomerkeeper levels to the Ur-Priest in order to be able to cast the 7th-level greater consumptive field and still cast Wizard 9ths. However, this still doesn't solve the problem of needing to use my Ur-Priest caster level for the spell rather than my Wizard level.
TL;DR: What is the cheapest way (in terms of levels, feats, gp, etc.) to cast consumptive field or its greater version as a Wizard (i.e. using my Wizard caster level)? So far my best idea is a custom staff.
I want to be able to use my own caster level in order to get the maximum benefit from the caster level boost. It seems that this requires either being able to cast it myself or casting it from a staff. I can take levels in a class with access to the cleric spell list, but this won't allow me to use my Wizard caster level (which will be much higher), kind of defeating he purpose. Also, between 10 levels of Incantatrix and at least 4 levels of Dweomerkeeper (accessed through Southern Magician), I don't have a lot of free levels in the build. I don't know of any published staff that has consumptive field as one of its spells, so I'd have to make my own, which runs into questions about buying or making custom magic items.
A custom staff including consumptive field as its only spell (assuming such is even possible), and using 1 charge per casting (because I want to be using this most days, often twice per day), will have a base price of 12,000 gp (375 x 4 x 8). If I wished to craft it, I would need to either purchase 12 scrolls of consumptive field for a cost of 8064 gp, or purchase the services of a 7th-level cleric to cast the spell for me on each of 12 days, which would cost 3360 gp. I am therefore looking at a cost of between 9360 gp and 14,064 gp to obtain this staff, for a total cost per casting of between 187.2 gp and 281.28 gp.
A custom staff including greater consumptive field as its only spell and using 1 charge per casting will have a base price of 34,175 gp (375 x 7 x 13). To craft it, I would need 35 scrolls of greater consumptive field (79,625 gp), or the services of a 13th-level cleric to cast the spell on each of 35 days (31,850 gp. Total cost between 34,175 gp and 96,687.5 gp to obtain this staff, for a total cost per casting of between 683.5 gp and 1993.75 gp.
The money required to craft custom staffs is a minor concern, as I am restricting myself to WBL before crafting. However, access to custom-made staffs, or large quantities of scrolls, or a willing caster, are highly campaign-dependent, and thus I am a little unsatisfied with this solution.
I would greatly prefer to be able to cast the greater version of the spell. I considered some sort of early entry into Ur-Priest, but as far as I can tell, I would need to somehow manage to get Wizard 1/Ur-Priest 1/Mystic Theurge 4/Incantatrix 10/Dweomerkeeper 4 (almost impossible with two skill requiring 8 ranks each for Ur-Priest), and send two of the Dweomerkeeper levels to the Ur-Priest in order to be able to cast the 7th-level greater consumptive field and still cast Wizard 9ths. However, this still doesn't solve the problem of needing to use my Ur-Priest caster level for the spell rather than my Wizard level.
TL;DR: What is the cheapest way (in terms of levels, feats, gp, etc.) to cast consumptive field or its greater version as a Wizard (i.e. using my Wizard caster level)? So far my best idea is a custom staff.