Questions about sorcerer/mage of the arcane order 3.5

[Kymro]

Alright, I'll just get down to the details. Would I have to take arcane preparation to take advantage of the spell pools provided by MotAO? And if so how exactly does that work for sorcerer? Do I leave a spell slot empty when I gain a new one from leveling up?

[Tiri]

You don't need to take Arcane Preparation as a sorcerer to use the Spellpool, but you do need it to qualify for the class, as it requires the ability to prepare 2nd-level spells.

All you need is a spell slot you haven't used for the day yet to use the called spell with, which a Sorcerer should have plenty of.

[Kymro]

You don't need to take Arcane Preparation as a sorcerer to use the Spellpool, but you do need it to qualify for the class, as it requires the ability to prepare 2nd-level spells.

All you need is a spell slot you haven't used for the day yet to use the called spell with, which a Sorcerer should have plenty of.

So I guess I am, or was confused on how a spell slot would be empty. I had assumed that, as wizards prepare spells every day, they just didn't prepare a slot in for instance 2nd level. I was under the impression that since sorcerers don't prepare spells, all of their spell slots would automatically be full

[Tiri]

So I guess I am, or was confused on how a spell slot would be empty. I had assumed that, as wizards prepare spells every day, they just didn't prepare a slot in for instance 2nd level. I was under the impression that since sorcerers don't prepare spells, all of their spell slots would automatically be full

Actually, a sorcerer's slots are never full, since they don't need to put spells in them beforehand like wizards do. Unless they take Arcane Preparation, of course, in which case they can prepare spells if they like.

[Kymro]

So your known spells as a sorcerer don't take up spell slots?

[Grim Reader]

Not until you cast them.

[Kymro]

Not until you cast them.

Hmm good to know. So a little tangent here. If I took arcane preparation, could I prepare say, a shocking grasp spell, then move into combat and release it, therefore not taking the attack of opportunity for casting a spell?

[torrasque666]

Hmm good to know. So a little tangent here. If I took arcane preparation, could I prepare say, a shocking grasp spell, then move into combat and release it, therefore not taking the attack of opportunity for casting a spell?
No, because the AoO is part of the whole "casting spells" thing. What the preparation does allow you to do is prepare metamagiced spells in advance and cast them at the normal casting time instead of the increased time (unless using something like rapid metamagic)

[Segev]

Hmm good to know. So a little tangent here. If I took arcane preparation, could I prepare say, a shocking grasp spell, then move into combat and release it, therefore not taking the attack of opportunity for casting a spell?

No.

Prepared casters cast the spell when they actually use it. Spontaneous casters do likewise. The difference is that a prepared caster must choose which spell goes in which slot at the start of the day. Spontaneous casters choose when they cast the spell which spell they're casting from which slot.

A sorcerer's spell slots can be used for any spell he knows of that level or lower, and it isn't until the moment of casting that the sorcerer chooses what spell to cast.

A wizard's spell slots are filled with prepared spells. While the wizard chooses, at the moment of casting, which slot to use, he can only use the prepared spell with that slot. So if he has two fireballs and a suggestion prepared, he can only cast one suggestion before he's out of them, and just has the two fireballs left.

A sorcerer, on the other hand, who knows both fireball and suggestion and has 4 third-level spell slots can cast 4 fireballs, 4 suggestions, 2 of each, or 3 of one and 1 of the other, his choice.

If that same sorcerer uses Arcane Preparation to prepare suggestion in one of those four slots could cast 4 suggestions, 3 suggestions and one fireball, 2 of each, or 3 fireballs and 1 suggestion, but could not cast 4 fireballs because he prepared a suggestion in one of those four slots.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Hmm good to know. So a little tangent here. If I took arcane preparation, could I prepare say, a shocking grasp spell, then move into combat and release it, therefore not taking the attack of opportunity for casting a spell?

No. When you use arcane preparation, it functions exactly as if you were a prepared caster casting the spell. The major advantage is the ability to prepare metamagicked spells and cast them in the normal time rather than the longer casting time using metamagic normally takes a spontaneous caster and the ability to apply multiple metamagicks to the same spell.

[Kymro]

No. When you use arcane preparation, it functions exactly as if you were a prepared caster casting the spell. The major advantage is the ability to prepare metamagicked spells and cast them in the normal time rather than the longer casting time using metamagic normally takes a spontaneous caster and the ability to apply multiple metamagicks to the same spell.

That was my next question, so I can prepare a few meta magic spells ahead of time and not have to take the round action to cast them in combat

[Grod_The_Giant]

That was my next question, so I can prepare a few meta magic spells ahead of time and not have to take the round action to cast them in combat
Yup! Among other things, it's one of the few ways for spontaneous casters to use Quicken Spell.