On-the-fly metamagic

[weckar]

Does a Wizard have any options for adding metamagic to a prepared spell after it was prepared? I'm for example thinking of having prepared Finger of Death but wanting to add Reach Spell and Ray Coning to it to make a cone of death if there is a greater number of opposition than anticipated?

[icefractal]

There's a few:
* Sudden Metamagic feats let you apply a metamagic feat for free a few times a day.
* Metamagic Rods let you apply their metamagic 3/day.
* The Incantrix prestige class can apply metamagic to existing spells, but not their own Finger of Death.
* Spelldancer can also apply free metamagic, IIRC; don't remember the exact rules off-hand.
* I think Ultimate Magus has some kind of metamagic ability, but don't quote me on this one.

[etrpgb]

Level 1 class ability of the Spelldancer is essentially free metamagic outside combat if you do a perform check. Actually great for Bards, more than Wizards. Quite useful in general, very powerful with Persist.


HOWEVER, the requirements are INSANE. Plead your DM to change the 4 almost useless feats in something more reasonable; if I were him I'd go for something like 1 not-so-go-feat (like Dodge) and 1 metamagic feat.

Here is the description.
Spelldance (Su): Spelldancing is a means of increasing the effectiveness of a spell by performing a vigorous magical dance before casting. The spelldancer chooses one or more metamagic feats she knows to apply to a spell she wants to cast and begins her spelldancing. (Spells from the schools of Invocation and Necromancy can't be enhanced via spelldancing.) When she finishes spelldancing, she makes a Perform check with a DC of 10 + spell level (as modified by the metamagic feats). If she fails, the spell fizzles with no effect. If she succeeds, she casts the spell and it is modified by the selected metamagic feats (without the level of the spell being altered).

[Crake]

Does a Wizard have any options for adding metamagic to a prepared spell after it was prepared? I'm for example thinking of having prepared Finger of Death but wanting to add Reach Spell and Ray Coning to it to make a cone of death if there is a greater number of opposition than anticipated?

Isn't finger of death already a ranged spell? For that combo you would need to use occular spell instead of reach spell, or use slay living as the base spell (though that's not on the wizard's spell list)

[weckar]

... Weird. For some reason I could have sworn it was touch range and 5th level...

Extremely odd... Anyone feeling a Mandela Effect on this?

[etrpgb]

It's plenty of options anyway, Sculpt Spell is IMO the most fun.

If you really want Slay Living you can get it from Arcane Disciple Feat, using the Death or Abyss domain.

[weckar]

I'm just starting to wonder what the hell my DM was thinking FoDing my 8th level character...

[Psyren]

This is what rods are for, though I'm uncertain if there are published rods for the specific feats you want.

[weckar]

Rods eh? I'd have to ask DM.
As for ocular spell, I'm not sure the higher cost is worth the versatility...

[etrpgb]

What does "FoDing" mean?

[Psyren]

What does "FoDing" mean?

He mentioned Finger of Death in the OP.

(Note to OP: it's not aimed at all, it's a targeted spell and thus automatically hits; Ray Coning won't do anything to it.)

[weckar]

Yeah, I became aware of that when occular spell was suggested to make it a ray. Thanks anyway though. This whole idea just really isn't going to work.

[Eldariel]

HOWEVER, the requirements are INSANE. Plead your DM to change the 4 almost useless feats in something more reasonable; if I were him I'd go for something like 1 not-so-go-feat (like Dodge) and 1 metamagic feat.

I dunno, getting to persist unlimited spells with merely a skillcheck is worth a couple of trashy feats.

[barakaka]

My favourite book, Tome of Magic (I haven't played TrueNamer yet) has the Anima Mage PrC. Vestige Metamagic and Vestige Casting both allow you to apply metamagic to prepared spells. Although if you're not entering the class in a cheesy way, you may wanna avoid INT and WIS based casting since Binder has a CHA focus.

[Zaq]

... Weird. For some reason I could have sworn it was touch range and 5th level...

Extremely odd... Anyone feeling a Mandela Effect on this?

You're thinking of Slay Living (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/slayLiving.htm).

[Rebel7284]

Level 1 class ability of the Spelldancer is essentially free metamagic outside combat if you do a perform check. Actually great for Bards, more than Wizards. Quite useful in general, very powerful with Persist.


HOWEVER, the requirements are INSANE. Plead your DM to change the 4 almost useless feats in something more reasonable; if I were him I'd go for something like 1 not-so-go-feat (like Dodge) and 1 metamagic feat.


In the right campaign, you can get two of the prerequisies with permanent magic items. Check out Shadahkar’s Swift Wind and Mobility armor enhancement. The Dex penalty of the former stings, but totally worth it for free metamagic.

[Anthrowhale]

Circle Magic can add Empower, Maximize, and/or Heighten to a prepared spell.

There are a large number of metamagic components which can add metamagic to spells as they are cast.

Uncanny Foresight and Versatile Spellcaster each plausibly allow a wizard to spontaneously cast spells with metamagic.

[weckar]

My favourite book, Tome of Magic (I haven't played TrueNamer yet) has the Anima Mage PrC. Vestige Metamagic and Vestige Casting both allow you to apply metamagic to prepared spells. Although if you're not entering the class in a cheesy way, you may wanna avoid INT and WIS based casting since Binder has a CHA focus.From what I've seen a Binder is CHA focused in the same way a Warlock is CHA focused: pick the right options and you can dump the stat.

[barakaka]

From what I've seen a Binder is CHA focused in the same way a Warlock is CHA focused: pick the right options and you can dump the stat.

Yup yup, with the right measures taken you don't need it at all. Wizard is often contested as the best base class to get into Anima Mage.

[Jack_Simth]

I dunno, getting to persist unlimited spells with merely a skillcheck is worth a couple of trashy feats.The Spelldance ability entry is four paragraphs long; etrpgb didn't post the entire section (for good reason - copyright stuffs). It's only unlimited if you're immune to the drawback, and that segment is in the last of the four paragraphs of the ability description:
A spelldancer can safely spelldance a number of rounds per day equal to her Constitution modifier plus her spelldancer class level. Every spell she casts with spelldancing after that causes her to make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + total rounds spent spelldancing in the last day) to avoid taking 2 points of temporary Constitution damage and becoming fatigued (if already fatigued, the character becomes exhausted and can't spelldance again until only fatigued).If you're immune to Con damage and fatigue for one reason or another (like, say, the first thing you persist is Sheltered Vitality), then there's no drawback. Otherwise? There is. There really is.

[Rebel7284]

The Spelldance ability entry is four paragraphs long; etrpgb didn't post the entire section (for good reason - copyright stuffs). It's only unlimited if you're immune to the drawback, and that segment is in the last of the four paragraphs of the ability description:If you're immune to Con damage and fatigue for one reason or another (like, say, the first thing you persist is Sheltered Vitality), then there's no drawback. Otherwise? There is. There really is.

Sheltered Vitality is not easily persistable (outside of ocular spell shenanigans.) However, a simple wand of Lesser Restoration allows you to dance as much as you want in exchange for a few gp.

[Andezzar]

Is there anything prohibiting a spelldancing skeleton necropolitan? Undeath should take care of the con damage as well.

[Jack_Simth]

Sheltered Vitality is not easily persistable (outside of ocular spell shenanigans.) Keep in mind: That's just one more bit of metamagic of the free metamagic that you're putting on a spell. It's a few rounds more of spelldancing, and once complete, further rounds of spelldancing are free.
However, a simple wand of Lesser Restoration allows you to dance as much as you want in exchange for a few gp.Depends greatly on your fort save... but that fort save scales FAST if you plan on persisting more than a very small number of spells. You're going to go through a lot of charges, so this starts to get into a cost/benefit analysis - which in turn turns into a question on your income. If your adventures are almost always dungeon crawls (or otherwise where your character is the 'active' party) and are close-to-constant, standard random treasure will likely support this method with a relatively modest investment. If, on the other hand, you go months (in character) between adventures, and have to be read for attack at almost any time? That'll get to be a very severe resource drain.
Is there anything prohibiting a spelldancing skeleton necropolitan? Undeath should take care of the con damage as well.
Nothing whatsoever. Any method of getting immunity to con damage and to fatigue will work. For that matter, with a little essentia investment, the Strongheart Vest can take care of the con damage too (prevent two con damage per incident, max one incident per round - so...). Goes well on a Warforged Spelldancer (get rid of the fatigue, too).