Where is the powerful Incantatrix?

[Thealtruistorc]

I heard some chatter about how powerful a little prc called the incantatrix is, so out of morbid curiousity I decided to check it out myself. Upon finding a copy of Magic of Faerun, I was very confused, as the prc listed within gave no mention of the cooperative metamagic feature mentioned on all of the various forum posts. Is there something I should know about?

[Zanos]

3.5 version is in Player's Guide to Faerun on page 61.

[NoACWarrior]

Use the PGtF instead - but in both versions you get Instant Metamagic and Improved Metamagic.

Instant Metamagic basicly gives you a free pass to cast a spell with a metamagic feat without having to apply it or take a spell slot higher than the spell you are trying to cast.

Improved Metamagic is like Arcane Thesis for every one of your spells (with a few restrictions).

[eggynack]

The citations are accurate, but the really relevant ability isn't instant metamagic, improved metamagic, or cooperative metamagic, though those are all great. The best class feature is metamagic effect, which comes early in the class, and is one of the best metamagic reducers out there. Instant metamagic is a similar ability, but it has less uses/day, and comes later.

[RedMage125]

Metamagic Effect is nice, as is Cooperative Metamagic, for all out-of combat healing. Both require INSANE Spellcraft checks though, making Skill Focus (Spellcraft) and extremely useful feat (as a bonus, it's also one of the prereqs for Archmage).

I'm a fan of Seize Concentration and Snatch Spell, if you are ever afforded the opportunity to use them (Sieze Concentration being less likely, in my experience), but that depends on the DM.

Metamagic Spell Trigger would be better if it didn't require you to have the relevant Item Creation feat. Still, the Incantator I played took Craft Wand, and was able to get some beastly uses out of wands that party found. I would basically get wands and scrolls for most of my combat spells, and use my memorized ones for more versatile options (and a handful of really devastating attack spells).

Improved Metamagic has cascading effects with all the Incantatrix's other powers (Metamagic Effect, Cooperative, and Metamagic Spell Trigger) as well as the preparation of metamagicked spells. Instant can be nice. If you ever have a scenario in which you can blow both of them at once, you can really devastate an encounter. When my Incantatrix was level 16, we had just spent 3 sessions crossing a huge anti-magic zone desert, and I was useless. We get to this tomb, and underground the zone was not present, so my magic came back, I stopped, spent an hour regaining spells, and we went into the tomb. There was basically 1 room, and we could see our goal, so I knew we'd be leaving after that. So I used Spell Enhancer (5th level spell, lets you cast another spell as a swift action with a +2 to save DC and caster Level) twice, in conjunction with a Maximized Disintegrate (Instant Metamagiced to be Twinned) and another spell, I can't remember which off hand, but also Instant Metamagicked, and basically took what was supposed to be an EL 18 or 19 encounter and reduced to to one half-dead creature and one villanous peon in 2 rounds. Man, my DM was ticked, but hey, I spent a lot of resources doing it.

But yes, the PrC is amazing.