Getting Commune at no XP cost for a Beguiler/Shadowcraft Mage

[TalonOfAnathrax]

I'm trying to get access to Commune at no XP cost on a Beguiler/Shadowcraft Mage. My whole race and build are set, so I can't just take levels in Dweomkeeper or whatever to get Commune as a (Su). My access to markets will be extremely limited, so no "just pay for it". I might be able to comission a magic item or two, but that's about it. And I won't be able to use any spells like Planar Binding until level 18 - but I'm aiming for Commune around level 9 or 12.

Any solutions? So far all I have is pray that I find an imp somewhere, and just keep it under constant Charm Monster. Or Dominate someone with an Imp familiar. 1/week Commune is decent, at least.

And question 2: If I use Shadow Evocation or Shadow Conjuration to mimic spells with an expensive Material Component, do I still have to pay for it? The Shadowcraft Mage class ability is specified to work like those spells, but the spells themselves don't say - yet they only have verbal and somatic components.
Shalantha's delicate disc seems like a great spell to mimic, for example!

[Necroticplague]

... so, you can’t change your race, build, or magic items. What, praytell, resources do you intend to be able to use to accomplish this sizable goal? Results typically cost some form of resource.

However, for part 2: no. You only have components to spells you cast. And even if your spell mimics some other spell, it’s still ultimately just a Shadow Conjuration/Silent Image spell, and thus has the components of that.

[TalonOfAnathrax]

... so, you can’t change your race, build, or magic items. What, praytell, resources do you intend to be able to use to accomplish this sizable goal? Results typically cost some form of resource.

However, for part 2: no. You only have components to spells you cast. And even if your spell mimics some other spell, it’s still ultimately just a Shadow Conjuration/Silent Image spell, and thus has the components of that.
In-game tricks like "get your hands on puny Imps" would be great!
Like I said, I can comission one or two magic items. Those could be used to get Commune. I just want to avoid recs for consumables or items that I could only buy at level 20. But if there's a convenient item that grants Commune or allows a trick that leads to Commune (like an imp-finder or imp-binder, or whatever works with any other means of getting Commune) I'd love to hear about that!
Otherwise I have access to a whole bunch of spells thanks to Shadowcraft Mage (all Sorc/Wiz Conjuration(summoning) or Evocation spells). Can those be leveraged to get access to Commune?

Edit: the magic item restriction is GM-imposed. We were told not to expect any magic item markets: getting them will involve finding them as loot or trading them for other magic items in small towns (local supply randomised, likely to be low). The rare powerful crafters that exist do do comissions, but they are often expensive or impractical. So I'm hoping to avoid depending on a huge supply of magic items.

About part 2:
So I can spam Shalantha's delicate disc in my downtime? Great!
My GM may rule that it has obly a 20% chance of working, but that's still pretty great. I may have to hold back to avoid cheese, but it's still a fun combo.

[Jowgen]

omniscient whispers feat for 1/week could be something

Or Dreamtelling from Heroes of Horror, if you can pump those knowledge checks.

[Jack_Simth]

I'm trying to get access to Commune at no XP cost on a Beguiler/Shadowcraft Mage. My whole race and build are set, so I can't just take levels in Dweomkeeper or whatever to get Commune as an SLA. My access to markets will be extremely limited, so no "just pay for it". I might be able to comission a magic item or two, but that's about it. And I won't be able to use any spells like Planar Binding until level 18 - but I'm aiming for Commune around level 9 or 12.

Any solutions? So far all I have is pray that I find an imp somewhere, and just keep it under constant Charm Monster. Or Dominate someone with an Imp familiar. 1/week Commune is decent, at least.
... do you mind selling your soul and turning lawful evil? The Fiendish Codex II, starting on page 22, has details on doing so. One of the options is a bonus feat, which can be used to get Commune periodically (Omniscient Whispers or Improved Familiar(Imp)).

[TalonOfAnathrax]

Thanks for all the advice! I hadn't known you could sell your soul for bonus feats. Good thing to keep in mind.

Still, I think I found something better.
Thanks to the Fiend Folio, Summon Monster VII gives access to a Deva that can cast Commune 1/day. Summon monster IX has a better one (3 used of Commune/day) but Summon Monster VII will do and is accessible early to a Shadowcraft Mage with Versatile Spellcaster, Heighten Spell and a metamagic reducer for Heighten Spell.

[Zaq]

Thanks for all the advice! I hadn't known you could sell your soul for bonus feats. Good thing to keep in mind.

Still, I think I found something better.
Thanks to the Fiend Folio, Summon Monster VII gives access to a Deva that can cast Commune 1/day. Summon monster IX has a better one (3 used of Commune/day) but Summon Monster VII will do and is accessible early to a Shadowcraft Mage with Versatile Spellcaster, Heighten Spell and a metamagic reducer for Heighten Spell.

Does the deva cast Commune as (Su) or as (Sp)? If (Sp), I have some bad news:


Summoning
A summoning spell instantly brings a creature or object to a place you designate. When the spell ends or is dispelled, a summoned creature is instantly sent back to where it came from, but a summoned object is not sent back unless the spell description specifically indicates this. A summoned creature also goes away if it is killed or if its hit points drop to 0 or lower. It is not really dead. It takes 24 hours for the creature to reform, during which time it can’t be summoned again.

When the spell that summoned a creature ends and the creature disappears, all the spells it has cast expire. A summoned creature cannot use any innate summoning abilities it may have, and it refuses to cast any spells that would cost it XP, or to use any spell-like abilities that would cost XP if they were spells.

SRD link here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/spellDescriptions.htm#summoning).

[TalonOfAnathrax]

Does the deva cast Commune as (Su) or as (Sp)? If (Sp), I have some bad news:



SRD link here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/spellDescriptions.htm#summoning).

Dammit!
Well, I'm a non-good Beguiler. I absolutely can summon a Deva and make it use that ability, right? Charm Monster and great social rolls could work?
That would require a friendly GM though, and probably couldn't be used often :/

Ah well. Hopefully someone here will suggest a better solution, or a better creature to try to get my hands on!

[Necroticplague]

To get around that Summoning restriction, you can use Channel Celestial if you're Good in order to basically fuse with it, then use that ability. Main problem is that the abstinence component is a major pain.

[Telonius]

Maybe taking a step back here, but why do you need Commune, specifically? Getting a game of 20 questions with your deity can be nice, but only if the deity knows something about what you're asking. Is it just that you need a "can't subvert this" method of divination, or is there something else going on there?

[TalonOfAnathrax]

To get around that Summoning restriction, you can use Channel Celestial if you're Good in order to basically fuse with it, then use that ability. Main problem is that the abstinence component is a major pain.
Tempting, but but being non-good unlocks Mindbender. And Mindsight is just perfect for me (I'm playing a Hide in Plain Sight scout/sneak/face Beguiler 11/Mindbender 1/Shadowcraft Mage 4/Unseen Seer 2/Wyrm Wizard 2, not quite in that order but you get the idea). As an Unseen Seer I get an extra Divination spell known, and it will probably be Divine Insight because I'm a skill monkey.


Maybe taking a step back here, but why do you need Commune, specifically? Getting a game of 20 questions with your deity can be nice, but only if the deity knows something about what you're asking. Is it just that you need a "can't subvert this" method of divination, or is there something else going on there?
I want Commune because it's a crazily good Divination (Divination and Augury are nice but asking the GM to make up dozens of weird rhymes every week is a one-way ticket to sudden character death) and I thought that it would be easier to access than Contact Other Plane (and Contact other plane risks removing my casting stat for a week, which is a little too risky).
My character is paranoid, and I figured that casting Commune every day would be fluffy and useful to keep safe and maybe even track down an enemy or two.
Got any equivalent solution? Surely this kind of thing has to be doable with an item or in-game exploit somehow!
[Mad hope]