Feats/items that help Wizards be "spontaneous"

[Thurbane]

Hi all,

I know of two feats (Alacritous Cogitation from CM, and Uncanny Forethought from EE) that allow a Wizard to keep spell slots open to cast spells spontaneously - does anyone know of other ways to allow a wizard to do similar?

[Ponce]

Spontaneous Divination from Complete Champion. Lets a wizard sacrifice spell slots to cast any divination spell he knows of equal level. Actually, it is an alternate class feature, but it is taken in place of any one of the wizard bonus feats (at level 5, 10, 15, or 20). Great feat for all those situational divinations you've accumulated.

[Frosty]

Best/most powerful ACF ever, that Spontaenous Divination.

[Jack Mann]

Spontaneous Divination from Complete Champion. Lets a wizard sacrifice spell slots to cast any divination spell he knows of equal level. Actually, it is an alternate class feature, but it is taken in place of any one of the wizard bonus feats (at level 5, 10, 15, or 20). Great feat for all those situational divinations you've accumulated.

As written, he doesn't need to know the spell. Hell, as written, it doesn't even need to be a wizard spell. Extremely poorly worded.

[Waspinator]

Well, one idea that I am a fan of is Pathfinder's change of making orisions and cantrips at-will abilities. Honestly, unlimited Prestidigitations is not going to ruin the game.

[arguskos]

Well, one idea that I am a fan of is Pathfinder's change of making orisions and cantrips at-will abilities. Honestly, unlimited Prestidigitations is not going to ruin the game.

I run my D&D games with this as a houserule, and found out that Cure Minor Wounds is annoying. Sure, it's 1 HP at a time, so it doesn't come up when pressed for time, but if you like a game where wounds don't auto-regrow rapidly, then you will be annoyed with CMW. My suggestion? Go with at-will 0th levels, but scratch Cure Minor.

-argus

[Waspinator]

Pathfinder actually has a fix for that. They replaced Cure/Inflict Minor Wounds with a spell that stops death by bleeding at negative HP (Stabilize) and one that causes a stable person at negative HP to start bleeding again (Bleed).

Also, you still "prepare" a limited number of 0-level spells as a wizard or cleric, but anything that's currently prepared has unlimited uses. So, if you have Detect Magic, Read Magic, Mage Hand, and Prestidigitation prepared, you can use any of those unlimited times per day at-will. If you want Disrupt Undead or something, you need to swap it in next time you prepare spells and then it gains unlimited use per day.

The other problem though is Psionics. It doesn't have 0-level powers and not all 1 PP powers are equivalent to a cantrip. You might have to just go through the list manually and choose one-by-one a few to make free to use, like Detect Psionics.

[Tempest Fennac]

If you limit Spontaneous Divination to Wizard spells, is it that bad? Also, is it that broken if you allow other spells as well to be cast using it?

[Dhavaer]

Signature Spell allows you to lose a prepared spell in exchange for a particular mastered spell. The Magelord prestige class applies this feat to all your mastered spells.

[Telonius]

Hmm. "Greater Anyspell" is a 6th-level Spell Domain spell from Forgotten Realms. UMD a Scroll of that. If you can get a Wizard to somehow have access to casting it normally, you've got it made.

EDIT: And, that feat would be: Alternative Spell Source, from Dragon325, p. 61. It's even a Metamagic feat, so you could use one of your Wizard bonus feats to get it. Only requirement is that you would need one level of Cleric, Druid, or some other divine full-casting class. (Ranger and Paladin won't cut it, you need to actually be able to cast divine spells). The wording of the feat is a little fuzzy about whether or not you have to actually be able to cast the divine or arcane spell in question, in order to prepare it.

[Jack Mann]

If you limit Spontaneous Divination to Wizard spells, is it that bad? Also, is it that broken if you allow other spells as well to be cast using it?

At the least, it needs to be limited to spells the character knows. Even then it's really good.

[John Campbell]

There's always the straightforward method of just using wands and scrolls to expand your available spell selection. Wizards even get free feats for making them.

[Ashdate]

The Mage of the Arcane Order prestige class is kind of like casting spontaneously. Sure you require a full round to actually 'get' the spell, but you also can pick from well, anything the GM will let you pick from. Plus uh, bonus languages?

- Eddie

[ZekeArgo]

MiC = Runestaves. Get em, use em, love em.

[CASTLEMIKE]

The "Spell Pool" for a MotAO or a Guild Wizard of Waterdeep. Two PRCs should allow double pool access.

An extra feat for the Nexus Method feat or Arcane Disiple feat for the Summoning domain to summon creatures with Spell like abilities.

Ring of Theurgy from Complete Arcane.

L17+ Arcane Disiple Luck Domain with Arch Mage High Arcana to cast No Experience Arcane Miracles 2/day in addition to the bonus domain Miracle.

The Great Elixir from FRCS Shining South.

Edit: Some of the Specialist Variants: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/cl...rdVariants.htm

Abjurer spontaneous Dispel and Conjurer Summoning.

Feats like Magical Training which can provide some limited cantrip casting.

Elemental Adept feat.

Additional Magic Items feat (Rings) for Rings of Theurgy.

[Waspinator]

MiC = Runestaves. Get em, use em, love em.

Yeah, those are awesome. Those and Eternal Wands.

[Greg]

Spell mastery allows some spells to be cast at will. Can you select spells for spell mastery that are modified by metamagic feats?

[monty]

Spell mastery allows some spells to be cast at will. Can you select spells for spell mastery that are modified by metamagic feats?

Spell mastery lets you prepare spells without using a book, not cast them at will.

If you want spontaneity, pick up Signature Spell (Silent Image) and Heighten Spell and go into Shadowcraft Mage. Basically lets you cast Shadow Evocation/Conjuration spontaneously at the level of your choice.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Spell mastery lets you prepare spells without using a book, not cast them at will.

If you want spontaneity, pick up Signature Spell (Silent Image) and Heighten Spell and go into Shadowcraft Mage. Basically lets you cast Shadow Evocation/Conjuration spontaneously at the level of your choice.

Guide is here. IIRC, it ends up with 150% real "illusions" of 9th-level spells cast out of 7th level slots, if you try hard enough. It's great for a Beguiler, who gets the Illusion school, Enchantment school, Evocation school, and the Conjuration school spontaneously with that, as well as casting in armor, more HP, and a bunch of skill points. Sorcerer, eat your heart out.

[Maerok]

As written, he doesn't need to know the spell. Hell, as written, it doesn't even need to be a wizard spell. Extremely poorly worded.

CChamp is like that. Never really liked it. At any given point it seems: a) overpowered, b)badly written, or c)some combination thereof.

[Curmudgeon]

Well, one idea that I am a fan of is Pathfinder's change of making orisions and cantrips at-will abilities. Honestly, unlimited Prestidigitations is not going to ruin the game.

Maybe it is, if the mage just sets up shop in the town square to clean things for cash. Or look at Purify Food and Drink for a Cleric:

Target: 1 cu. ft./level of contaminated food and water

This spell makes spoiled, rotten, poisonous, or otherwise contaminated food and water pure and suitable for eating and drinking.

With common meals going for 1 sp each, a single casting will crank out maybe 10 meals/level. That's 1 gp/round every single round at first level, which is plenty of money to hire laborers to fetch garbage by the wagonload, collect money, and serve the purified former garbage. With unlimited orisons, there's just no need to ever go adventuring when you can become wealthy in a hurry, making 4,800 gp each day (minus less than 100 gp for labor and overhead) just casting a single spell for 8 hours.

[Tempest Fennac]

Just thinking about spontaneous cantrips: wouldn't infinite Ghost Sound potentially be as much of a problem as infinite Cure Minor Wounds?

[CASTLEMIKE]

Just thinking about spontaneous cantrips: wouldn't infinite Ghost Sound potentially be as much of a problem as infinite Cure Minor Wounds?

Paizo doesn't let you have infinite Cure Minor Wounds as a cantrip. ((A nice fix might have been to increase the casting time to an hour).

[Waspinator]

Maybe it is, if the mage just sets up shop in the town square to clean things for cash. Or look at Purify Food and Drink for a Cleric:
With common meals going for 1 sp each, a single casting will crank out maybe 10 meals/level. That's 1 gp/round every single round at first level, which is plenty of money to hire laborers to fetch garbage by the wagonload, collect money, and serve the purified former garbage. With unlimited orisons, there's just no need to ever go adventuring when you can become wealthy in a hurry, making 4,800 gp each day (minus less than 100 gp for labor and overhead) just casting a single spell for 8 hours.

Of course, if enough clerics do that long enough, they're logically going to have an impact on the economy and lower the value of the meals they're serving.

[Jack_Simth]

Paizo doesn't let you have infinite Cure Minor Wounds as a cantrip. ((A nice fix might have been to increase the casting time to an hour).

Curiously, Infinite Cure Minor Wounds doesn't actually break the game.

Seriously - the biggest current limit on party endurance in 3.5 (past about 3rd or 4th level, anyway) is spell slots. With a Wand of Cure Minor Wounds (or better, Lesser Vigor) marketing at a mere 750 gp, it's not usually the Rogue or Fighter that call a halt to rest - it's the Wizard or Cleric. Limitless Cure Minor Wounds... doesn't change much in actual play.

Of course, if enough clerics do that long enough, they're logically going to have an impact on the economy and lower the value of the meals they're serving.

Or increase the value of the garbage they're buying.

[Kaihaku]

Among the Specialist Wizard Variants in Unearthed Arcana, the Adjurer gets spontaneous dispel magic.

Someone already mentioned the Spell Mastery, Signature Spell, waw waw.

[CASTLEMIKE]

Curiously, Infinite Cure Minor Wounds doesn't actually break the game.

I agree the concern was that Infinite Cure Minor meant the party could always be at 100% with a little time. The designers don't have a problem with taking a dip for Fast Healing 1 to 50% like with a Dragon Shaman but No Freebie Healing after that.

[Jack_Simth]

I agree the concern was that Infinite Cure Minor meant the party could always be at 100% with a little time. The designers don't have a problem with taking a dip for Fast Healing 1 to 50% like with a Dragon Shaman but No Freebie Healing after that.

There are ways to get it - they're just not Core.

Divine Metamagic(Persistent Spell) Mass Lesser Vigor can give the entire party fast healing 1 for 24 hours, repeatable daily - at 5th level, if the Cleric invests in it that heavily.

A few levels in Warshaper grants some fast healing while in a form other than your natural one - great for a changeling meatshield, who's basically never in a natural form (it's not so good for casters, though, as it doesn't advance spellcasting).

The Vampiric weapon property (Magic item compendium) does actual healing for the attacker on every successful hit. A +1 Vampiric Dagger, passed around the party, and a full caster with the Summon Elemental Reserve feat (Complete Arcane) means you can slaughter poor summoned elementals at whim, and use them for self-healing - with no limit other than time and DM wrath.

[CASTLEMIKE]

My guess is the designer concern was 100% full hit point healing should have a cost besides time and a Cleric - 1+.

[Curmudgeon]

Curiously, Infinite Cure Minor Wounds doesn't actually break the game.

Essentially free anything will break any system in which it appears. Right now we've got essentially free e-mail, and about 87% of all the e-mail sent now is easily identifiable as spam/viruses/other badness -- and that's just the percentage filtered out along the way. End users still grumble about the amount of junk that slips through those filters.

I played in a single game in which the DM allowed infinite cantrips and orisons. My low-level Cleric flooded an underground burrow with thousands of castings of Create Water, forcing the inhabitants to flee from drowning to where we ambushed them. It turned a scary dungeon into an easy win. I actually made that DM cry! (And we never had infinite level 0 spells after that.)