Uses For Quicken?

[glitterbaby]

So my 19th level Wizard has acquired the ability to effectively Quicken 19 spell levels per day (equal to his character level) so I was wondering what are some examples of spells that'd be really good with this?

[Flickerdart]

Normally spells that work best when quickened are buffs or utility, since the DC and power level of a spell that's 4 spell levels behind is too low, generally, to use as an offensive spell.

However, if you don't have to pay the cost, the ballgame changes. Suddenly, your highest level spells are available. Now you need to think about it the other way - you're casting two spells per round. What should those spells be?

You have two options, really. You can just cast two of the same spell, if it's a single target spell. You can try and combo your spells (for example, forcecage + dimensional lock to really lock down someone). You can summon a creature and immediately polymorph it into a different creature. Or you can summon a creature and then teleport out of there, leaving your enemy to deal with your minion while you go do the important thing you were going to do.

[sleepyphoenixx]

Generally, anything you rely on to escape melee is worth quickening (since quickened spells don't provoke AoO's). This is especially useful if your DM puts Mageslayer on his melee monsters.
It also means you get to escape and then throw out BFC with your standard action to keep the enemies away from you.

Otherwise Flickerdart has the right idea: Anything you want to use in a combo in one round.
Dimensional Anchor is generally useful to quicken since a lot of enemies at that level can teleport. Letting enemy casters escape is bad, because they'll come back prepared.
Greater Dispel (or its variants) is always useful, because almost every enemy with casting uses buffs. Chain Dispel deserves special mention for the ability to suppress all magical items on several targets at once.
Spell Turning, Absorption and other situational buffs with a short duration and/or limited capacity - when you want to cast them you really want them up asap, getting to cast offensively in the same round is useful and even if you could persist them it makes no sense.
True Seeing, See Invisibility, True Strike, Gust of Wind - anything you need to cast first in order to hit your target with your spells is best if you can follow up immediately.

[Psyren]

Limited Wish is a great one - it's cheap and you can get a staggering variety of effects as a swift action. Cover nearly every contingency your prepared spells didn't plan for.

[Aracor]

Would quickened Time Stop still leave you with your standard and move action after the time stop effect ended (and you got your free 1d4+1 rounds to act)? That seems useful.

~Aracor

[Psyren]

Would quickened Time Stop still leave you with your standard and move action after the time stop effect ended (and you got your free 1d4+1 rounds to act)? That seems useful.

~Aracor

Yes - in fact, the psionic version is a swift action by default.

If your DM is antsy about that, you can also just take your standard and move, and then do the quickened TS.

[sleepyphoenixx]

Would quickened Time Stop still leave you with your standard and move action after the time stop effect ended (and you got your free 1d4+1 rounds to act)? That seems useful.

~Aracor

It does, but it has the drawback that you can no longer use it as an immediate action with Celerity, which is often a lot more useful then merely quickening it.

[Psyren]

It does, but it has the drawback that you can no longer use it as an immediate action with Celerity, which is often a lot more useful then merely quickening it.

Couldn't you use Celerity to ready a swift action, and then use that to Quicken?

[glitterbaby]

It does, but it has the drawback that you can no longer use it as an immediate action with Celerity, which is often a lot more useful then merely quickening it.

Good thing my DM has houseruled that I can go down in actions. I can use a standard for a move and a move for a swift/immediate. XD

[Beheld]

You can also just cast Timestop with a standard action, then Ready an action in the last round of the Timestop, so you still get a spell at the end. (If 1d4+1 move actions didn't get you to where you wanted to go, nothing will).


Good thing my DM has houseruled that I can go down in actions. I can use a standard for a move and a move for a swift/immediate. XD

This is terrible :( Move actions should not allow Wizards to cast additional spells.

[sleepyphoenixx]

Couldn't you use Celerity to ready a swift action, and then use that to Quicken?

You can't ready a swift action, only a standard action. The only way i know of to get more swift actions is Ruby Knight Vindicator. There's also a Diamond Mind stance, but that applies only to counters iirc.

Well, you could also use Shapechange (or Polymorph + Reserves of Strength + Assume Supernatural Ability) to change into a Chronotyrn (FF) for their Dual Actions ability. That lets you take 2 rounds worth of actions per round.

There are a lot of easier ways to get extra standard actions though, and most of them are available earlier, so i don't really see why you'd need to quicken Time Stop when there's so many other spells that gain a greater benefit.