List of meta-spells

[ayvango]

The wizard class is extremely good for starters since it is really hard to ruin. The class main feature is spellcasting and wizard could adapt to anything relying solely on it and ignoring feats. There are spells for everything. No wonder there are spells devised to enhance other spells behavior.

So I invested my time to create comprehensive list of meta-spells, i.e. spells that affects other spells.

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Spell descriptions

Spoiler: 1st level

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Feather Fall (PHB)
Transmutation
The spell hides its metaspell nature. At first sight it suits only for escaping falling damage. The hidden power lies in its casting time. It is free action that could be invoked out of turn sequence, it could be used even when flat-footed. Which is even better then trivial immediate action. There are spells and magic items that activates on trigger. You can use them in two ways: passive and active. Mage could amass triggered spells to invoke them all willingly at the same time. Triggering them on Feather Fall casting allows to react even when character is caught flat-footed. Example: use Feather Fall to trigger contingent Celerity and cast Time Stop to react to any danger before it strikes at you.

Summon Component (CM)
Conjuration (Summoning)
Just use swift action to get any noncostly materials for single spell. Emulate Eschew Materials feat. Could rescue wizard from troubles when malevolent fate (DM) robs him of his component pouch. In case your DM insists on components micromanagement and bans mundane infinite component pouch, you could make magic one basing on the spell and custom magic item rules.

True Casting (CM)
Divination
Add +10 insight bonus to overcome spell resistance. In many cases the spell combined with the Arcane Mastery feat effectively overrides spell resistance "Yes" to "No". Perfect auxiliary choice for the Arcane Fusion spell.

Spoiler: 2nd level

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Aiming at the Target (SpC)
Abjuration
+10 circumstance bonus to concentration checks for single spell. Sometimes concentration checks are forced on you as for ongoing damage.

Create Magic Tattoo (SpC)
Conjuration (Creation)
Increases your caster level on 1. There are spells that relies heavily on caster level. e.g. Phantom Stag gains etherealness 1 level earlier.

Quick Potion (SpC)
Transmutation
Convert appropriate spell into potion for hours. Familiars could activate potions. You could break action economy providing familiar with spells embedded in potions.

Spectral Hand (PHB)
Necromancy
Deliver touch spells at medium distance. Emulate Reach Spell metamagic. Unfortunately its application is limited to spells of 4th level maximum. Touch spells tends to have more destructive power than range spells of the same level.

Whispercast (LoM)
Transmutation
Swift action to cast. Next spell is activated as pure mental action. Note that Whispercast itself require verbal component (whisper). Emulate Still Spell metamagic. Efficient way to get out of grapple. Good for stealth application.

Spoiler: 3rd level

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Anyspell (SpC)
Transmutation
Cleric version of Rary's Mnemonic Enhancer. Has odd wording about taking place of cleric domain spell slot. How should it work for non-cleric classes? Initiate of Mystra that removes that contradictory point could be used as precedent.

Battlemagic Perception (HoB)
Divination
Automatically detects all spells in 100ft and gives you opportunity to counterspell. Like the Reactive Counterspell feat allows out of sequence action, but better since the feat eats your next action and using the spell is free.

Enduring Scrutiny (CM)
Divination
Yet another not so obvious meta-spell. It could be used efficiently to trigger other spells. Most contingency triggers has limitation on triggering program size. That hinders complex behavior implementation. Downright solution is to divide complex logic on subtriggers. And Enduring Scrutiny could provide such subtriggers. And it could be cast multiple times on the same target.

Siphon (CS)
Transmutation
Extremely wasteful method to regain cast spells. For every 5 charges you gain only 1 spell of the same level. There are still two excuses: metamagic and caster level.

Sonorous Hum (SpC)
Evocation [Sonic]
Offload maintaining concentration to the spell. There is no spell level limit to the Sonorous Hum advantage. So you could use it to support truly devastating spells like Black Blade of Disaster and Summon Elemental Monolith. Designers quite often uses concentration duration to balance spell down. And you could bypass estimated limits.

Spell Vulnerability (SpC)
Transmutation
Drop target's SR up to -15. Unfortunately Fortitude save negates. Full round casting time impairs utility further. On positive side the spell works for rounds and all your teammates gain the benefit. I'm not certain if this improvement worth 2 level difference comparing with the True Casting.

Spellcaster's Bane (CM)
Divination
Yet another counter-spell enhancer. Like Battlemagic Percerption provides autodetection for spells. But casts faster and wear off faster. Has advantage of unlimited detection range. Unlike Battlemagic Perception it is pure detection spell and it grants no benefits to action economy.

Wand Modulation (CS)
Transmutation
Yet another way to waste your wand charges for nothing. It's better to spend some time on planning and buy necessary items beforehand.

Spoiler: 4th level

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Assay Spell Resistance (SpC)
Divination
Greater version of True Casting. Conveys the same SR bonus, consumes the same swift action, but works for rounds. Good thing bonuses from both spells has different nature, so you could stack them to get +20SR.

Lower Spell Resistance (Draco)
Transmutation
Spell Vulnerability's big brother. Still allows Fortitude save, but imposes huge penalty on it. Unfortunately inconvenient full round casting remains unchanged. Too pity arcane fusion limits casting time to standard action. It would be a great choice to incorporate into Greater Arcane Fusion.

Mystic Surge (PHB2)
Universal
+1 CL, +2 DC for next spell cast. Universal spell enhancer.

Rary's Mnemonic Enhancer (PHB)
Transmutation
Spell potency is hidden from a rapid eye. Spend 10 minutes and 4th level slot to prepare 3th level slot. It's easier to leave 4th level slot open and fill it with 15 minute preparation. Unexpected usage is based on the spell duration. It works for 24 hours. So you could prepare extra 3rd level slots, take rest and after it you have double amount of 3rd level spells. And it cost you nothing, no special magic item invoked, only good spell choice. Another trick is sharing the spell benefit with your familiar. Taking Spell-Linked Familiar feat gives familiar abilities to prepare spells. And the Mnemonic Enhancer spell benefit allows to prepare spell. So you could spend 4th level slot to prepare fireball on yourself and your familiar. And then cast them simultaneous. Its like casting twin metamagic fireball from the 4th level slot instead of 7th. Of course you relies on familiar's help but it is what familiar is meant for: to offload action balance.

Shadow Conjuration (PHB)
Illusion (Shadow)
It is very famous spell and core utility for an illusionist mage. The spell provides unparalleled versatility of spontaneous casting which is is not fit to the topic. The reason I mention shadow spell family is that they override casting time and materials. Create magic tattoo is prime example. It consumes both long time to cast and expensive material component. Shadow Conjuration nullify both restrictions.

Spell Enhancer (SpC)
Transmutation
Better version of mystic surge: +2 CL, +1 DC, swift action to cast. You could stack them both to increase CL significantly. Spells like Control Winds relies heavily on CL.

Stifle Spell (PHB2)
Abjuration
Yet another countrespelling utility. It takes higher level than battlemagic perception and do less. Concentration check is quite unreliable counterspelling method.

Spoiler: 5th level

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Arcane Fusion (CM)
Universal
Sorcerer-specific metaspell. Allows to cast two spells (1st level and 4th level) with standard action casting time at once. Fortunately it was errated and accommodated to metamagic feats. Sometimes additional actions have more importance than rather power of high level spell.

Permanency (PHB)
Universal
Make spell duration permanent. The Permanency spell is more like item creation then spellcasting. Permanent spells is like magic items but without corporeal anchor. Permanency just uses price list based on efficiency like magic items and unlike magic scrolls whose price is calculated from spell and caster levels.

Shadow Evocation (PHB)
Illusion (Shadow)
Same thing as for other shadow spells. Product continual flames for free.

Spell Matrix, Lesser (SpC)
Transmutation
Cast 3rd level spell into matrix and activate it lately as swift action. Emulate Quicken Spell metamagic. There are two drawbacks: d6 hitpoints are irrecoverable lost for the spell duration and 10 min/lvl duration. 3rd level spell limit is not so limiting since it relates not to prepared slot level, but level of the spell cast. So you could store metamagic versions of fireballs inside the matrix. Eats your slots and your HP, but boosts alpha strike potential. Could be used on your familiar instead to offload some actions to him. Unfortunately you could not get double benefit for sharing spells, because you could share matrix itself but not spell you cast into it.

Triadspell (SpC)
Transmutation
Wasteful cleric spell that trades one 5th level slot to two 3rd level. Not so wasteful if you managed somehow to get familiar and imbue it with 3rd level spells.

Spoiler: 6th level

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Anyspell, Greater (SpC)
Transmutation
Like anyspell, but with higher level cap.

Contingency (PHB)
Evocation
Iconic wizard spell, sole reason for keeping evocation school unbanned. Made one spell up to 6th level contingent, it would be activated automatically based on some conditions. Every wizard must have the spell in his spellbook. It gives 3 advantages. Firstly it gives extra 6th level spell besides normal spell allocation. Secondly it could be activated as free action (just trigger it on minor gesture). So for one round you could cast three spells bypassing normal limit of two. Thirdly contingent spell could be activated out of action sequence, even when character is unconscious given you had developed well-suited passive activation trigger. Don't forget to pass some contingency on familiar too.

Imbue Familiar with Spell Ability (SpC)
Universal
Transfer number of your spells (5th level maximum) to your familiar. From now your familiar is a full-fledged combatant, it could spend his actions very efficiently. With the same choice as normal wizard: to boost comrades, to control battlefield, to blast, etc. Note, you could transfer metaspells so your familiar could boost your spells. This is a simplest way to combine spell boosters that works on "next" spell you cast. Normally casting two boosters in succession would trigger first booster effect and it would be lost. But if your familiar put this boosters on you then "next" spell condition is not triggered.

Mordenkainen's Lucubration (PHB)
Transmutation
Mnemonic Enhancer's big brother. Has higher spell level limit and faster casting time. Unfortunately duplicates only recalling part without preparing part.

Rary's Arcane Conversion (CM)
Universal
Retrain any one prepared spell. It pays for adjusting higher level slots. Wonderful tool to make wizard a bit more spontaneous. Brings up notorious rule collision on what spells should be considered known for a wizard. Especially if he has several spellbooks or put his spellbook safe into his hideout.

Spellstaff (PHB)
Transmutation
Straight and simple druid cheese. Store single spell permanently in a staff. Just gain extra highest level slot for free.

Spoiler: 7th level

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Arcane Spellsurge (DrM)
Universal
Quicken Spell metamagic for free for rounds of the spell duration. Its description specifically reminds that you have only one swift action per turn. There is homerule in our table that one standard action could be traded for exactly one swift action since it has perfect sense. If you prefer RAW then the spell is useful anyway. You could use tricks that prolongs spellcasting time, e.g. applying metamagic on spontaneous caster. Or you could use full round spells originally, like summoning. Or you could theurge and intermix swift arcane spells with standard divine. Incanatatrix tends to have this spell always on.

Energy Transformation Field (SpC)
Transmutation
Outright broken spell. First candidate to ban. Spend 250 XP to get permanent buffing machine. Just buy talisman of the disk to power it.

Project Image (PHB)
Illusion (Shadow)
Originate your spells from the illusory double. Enlarge range spells placing double in midway. Or use double to deliver touch spells.

Shadow Conjuration, Greater (PHB)
Illusion (Shadow)
Like Shadow Conjuration but with higher level cap.

Spell Matrix (SpC)
Transmutation
Has the same effect as two casts of Lesser Spell Matrix. Alternatively could be used to store 2nd level spells and activate them at once. Arm it with two splitted empowered maximized scorching rays for the greatest effect.

Synostodweomer (SpC)
Transmutation
Convert arcane spells to inefficient healing. But wizard could not afford to be picky, his spell list have almost no healing.

Spoiler: 8th level

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Arcane Fusion, Greater (CM)
Universal
Like Arcane Fusion, but provides 4th and 7th level slots.

Forest Child (CC)
Transmutation
Druid version of wizards Project Image.

Shadow Evocation, Greater (PHB)
Illusion (Shadow)
Like shadow evocation but with higher level cap

Spell Engine (SpC)
Abjuration[Force]
Freak spell with crazy description. Takes grand casting time, 500 gold and 250 XP. In return it allows you to retrain all spell slots. Very situational.

Spoiler: 9th level

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Eye of Power (SpC)
Divination (Scrying)
Combine scrying with spell casting. Eye of Power may be used as spell origin with rather limiting 3rd level spells restriction. Yet another substitution for the Reach Spell metamagic which definitely doesn't worth its level. The spell has too long casting time to has practical usage.

Invoke Magic (LoM)
Evocation
Offer a unique opportunity to cast up to 4th level spells in an antimagic field and dead magic zones. It is enough to teleport you out of danger. Odd combo may be used to escape from dimensional locks and anchors. Cast antimagic field to nullify them, use invoke magic after that to teleport out.

Shades (PHB)
Illusion (Shadow)
Like Shadow Conjuration but with higher level cap.

Shapechange (PHB)
Transmutation
Spellguard of Silverymoon class provides unique ability to cast personal spells on teammates. The same effect may be obtained from shapechanging into Symbiots (FF). 9th level slot seems to be overpriced for such ability, but Shapechange spell have many other application, so it would not be wasted anyway.

Spell Matrix, Greater (SpC)
Transmutation
Supersedes all other matrices. The first mode is just storing 3 swift action activated spells. Equivalent for casting 5th level matrix 3 times. The second mode is like 7th level matrix: you could store 3 spells of 3rd level max (one level higher than 7th level counterpart could store) and activate them all with single swift action. The third mode is triggering stored spells under predefined condition. Unlike Contingency spell Greater Spell Matrix is not limited to single application. It could be cast multiple times until caster drains all his HP to support matrices.

Time Stop (PHB)
Transmutation
Time Stop spell has many application most of them are out this topic. One of possible views to the spell is Quicken Spell metamagic on steroids. Pay huge 9th level tax to cast bunch of spells in single turn.

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Notes
Slot level vs spell level
There is a huge difference between spell slot level and level of the spell itself. The first is used during spell preparing phase. The second is set when the spell is cast. You could use higher-level slot to prepare lower-level spell. Spells could gain boost under certain cirumstance like in case of the Earth Spell feat. The most common cause of level discrepancy is applying metamagic feats. Metamagiced spell requires higher level slot but retains his low level.

Most metaspells limit their effect to low-level spells. So metamagic feats synergize nicely with metamagic spells. Metamagiced fireball occupies 9th level slot and has power fit to the slot. And it could be retained with cost of Mnemonic Enhancer that occupies only 4th level slot. Mnemonic Enhancer is good example for slot and spell levels disparity. It has two modes of operation. Retaining mode operates on spell levels, and preparation mode operates on slot levels. So you should clearly understand which version a metamagic spell works with.

From all metamagic feats the most marvelous is Sanctum Spell. It decreases spell level upon casting. Wizards that deliberately downgrade his spells is hard to come by. But this downgrade becomes advantage when spell DC is irrelevant and metaspell operates on limited spell levels. For example you could fuel Sanctum Teleport with Invoke Magic, but normal Teleport is out of access to the metaspell.

Theurging and metaspells
Naive theurging never pays off. But early access tricks make theuring affordable. Trading one casting progression level for access to another magic class is not a bad deal. Theurging is good supplement for metaspells. You could use metaspells from one class to improve spells from another. Burning spell slots for spell improvement may leave single-class caster with combat spell shortage. Secondary slot reserve could fill the gap.

There are number of possible theuring combinations:
wizard + ur-priest + mystic theurge
wizard + druid + mystic theurge + arcane hierophant
wizard + archivist + mystic theurge + wildrunner + arcane hierophant
wizard + sublime chord + ultimate magus

Precious familiars
Familiar is precious asset for a mage. Familiar potential is not limited to breaking action economy. Spell sharing property allows familiar to assist in spellcasting and there are spells that benefit greatly from it. Familiar is of service to wizard starting from the first level. The Light of Lunia spell does double damage when shared with familiar. So 1st level wizard could deal 8d6 damage to undead with single spell. Familiars could offload metaspell boosting and could share benefits to get extra output from single spell.

Familiars are too good to reject them. If you had traded familiar to some other class bonus, gain one with help of Obtain Familiar feat. Use "elemental familiar" spell to enhance it further. Consider Spell-Linked Familiar feat. It turns your familiar into a caster. It has small number of spells to prepare. But it has caster level, so it could activate spell trigger items. And it could use benefits of Rary's Mnemonic Enhancer spell which allows to prepare extra spells.

Reserves of Strength extends limits
Reserves of Strength is a peculiar feat. It relax max casting level restriction on spells boosting it 3 levels higher. The most prominient usage is polymorph spell family inculuding PAO. Few metaspells also benefits from the feat. Contingency spell could operate up to 7th level spells. And what is more important Imbue Familiar with Spell Ability spell could transfer up to 6th level spells to your familiar.

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Tricks
Infinite low-level spells
The Sanctum Spell metamagic feat mentioned above is key for the trick. The second ingredient is spell-restoring metaspells: Mordenkainen's Lucubration or Rary's Mnemonic Enhancer. Both of them restores single spell 1 level lower than itself. Applying Sanctum Spell feat allows such spells to restore themselves. You need the third ingredient to attach payload to the spell.

One method is to exploit familiar's share spells feature. Imbue familiar with spell ability to cast sanctum restoration spell. In that case familiar would restore spell on itself and additionally restore one spell on its host.

The other way is to use Returning Spell metamagic feat. Sanctum Returning Mordenkainen's Lucubration fills 9th level slot. It would restore itself upon casting and would restore any other spell on the next round.

Prepared versatility
This trick is based on the previous one. Applying infinite spell restoring to the Sanctum Rary's Arcane Conversion spell could effectively retrain all prepared spells. So wizard could adapt his repertoire to upcoming challenges.

Both tricks are pretty powerful but not game breaking. They affect only low-level spells and could be applied only out of combat. So peak output remains the same and only durability is improved.

[Telonius]

Maybe a bit of an obvious one, but Fox's Cunning (along with Eagle's Splendor and Owl's Wisdom for other casters) does have an effect on spells; +4 to the casting stat gives +2 to save DCs.

Reciprocal Gyre (CArc and SpC) affects spells currently in effect on a target, though it might not be the sort of thing you're looking for.

[ayvango]

Maybe a bit of an obvious one, but Fox's Cunning (along with Eagle's Splendor and Owl's Wisdom for other casters) does have an effect on spells; +4 to the casting stat gives +2 to save DCs.

Ability scores boost is better to look in http://minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=176.0

[ayvango]

Reciprocal Gyre (CArc and SpC) affects spells currently in effect on a target, though it might not be the sort of thing you're looking for.

Nice damage spell against persistent spell users. Has higher damage potential than disintegrate.

[Thurbane]

Great resource, thank you.

[Anthrowhale]

This is a nice list.

You might add Shalantha's Delicate Disk.

There are many more spells that boost caster level as per here.

There are also some spells which change the damage of elemental damage spells such as Acid Sheath, Raging Flame, and Cold Snap. There may be more.

I don't think the infinite spells trick works because at the time of recovering a spell the freedom to later cast the spell in the sanctum exists implying that a Sanctum Lucubration may be 5th level when cast or may be 7th level when cast. Given this nondeterminism, I think you should distinguish between the level of the memorized spell (6th) and the effective level of the spell when cast (5th or 7th) and use the former with Lucubration.

[Prime32]

Feather Fall (PHB)
Transmutation
The spell hides its metaspell nature. At first sight it suits only for escaping falling damage. The hidden power lies in its casting time. It is free action that could be invoked out of turn sequence, it could be used even when flat-footed. Which is even better then trivial immediate action.

Swift and immediate actions were only invented midway through 3.5. When they were, Quickened spells were retconned into swift actions and feather fall into an immediate action.

At no point in the game did feather fall grant an advantage over immediate actions, because "Feather fall is an immediate action" is part of the definition of immediate actions in the first place.

[Malphegor]

You might add Shalantha's Delicate Disk.

Ooh, that is one weird spell that I was unaware of. Basically 200gp permanent pseudoscroll frisbee that autocasts on whoever breaks them/the equivalent area it would be normally.

That feels like it's an entire crafting feat but in spell form. nice.

[FauxKnee]

Dragon Magic has several spells that might fit what you're looking for. These suggestions are a little outside what your current list includes, but others reading the thread may be interested.

Mark of the Enlightened Soul and Touch of the Blackened Soul apply the good or evil descriptors to spells you cast during the duration. (It's low-hanging fruit, but if you want to engage in Persist cheese you can do things like apply Spell Focus:Good to literally every spell you cast.)

Soul of Anarchy/Light/Order/Shadow cause you to be treated as a specific alignment for their duration. Certain spells have different effects based on your alignment, the most famous of which are the Blasphemy, Holy Word, Word of Law, Word of Chaos, and Word of Balance. It's somewhat niche, but it's totally worth it when you negate a dweomerkeeper's supernatural CL 50 Word of Whatever with a second level spell.

[Fero]

1- Spell Flower, Hidden Ward, Raging Flame;
2- Suffer the Flesh, Fox's Cunning (and other Stat boosts) Acorn of Far Travel, Desecrate;
3- Adept Spirit, Dragonmarked Whip;
4-
5- Acid Sheath, Spell Haven, Soul Shackles (3.0, with rules to use souls as a material component), Magic Jar (to target personal range buffs on allies);
6-
7- plane shift (to use planar magic traits,
8-
9- Spell Shift, Chain Contingency (3.0),

[Thrice Dead Cat]

Mnemonic Enhancer and all of the other "Burn a slot to regain a slot-1" all benefit greatly from metamagic. You already covered Sanctum Spell and familiar usage, but Echoing Spell has got to be the metamagic feat to abuse here. The spell comes back an hour later, but at -3 CL. These spells don't really care about their CL, the prepared spell isn't affected by that CL penalty, and any CL boosting effects apply twice (CL+X, then CL+X-3+X again, etc).

[Biggus]

Good work, thank you.

[Peelee]

The Mod on the Silver Mountain: no spells were used to raise this thread from the dead, though.