PSusac wrote:
@ DaedalusV I think it's better to take the extend feat than to use a MM rod of it because it is possible to "wear" dozens of spells into combat, and 1 hour/level spells are available at all levels of casting. It can also save you money. Consider a 13th level mage pre-casting:
Extended
contingency of greater invisibility
Overland Flight
Greater false life
non-detection
Mage armor
Unseen servant
Countless Eyes
Phantom Steed
Ablative Barrier
He also has several shrunk items on his person to use as backup weapons and/or familiar tricks.
Note that at this point he cast all these spells YESTERDAY, so he's still got a full spell payload for the big adventure. He's flying (at either fast or very fast speeds), non-detectable, he can turn invisible as a swift action, he's got a minor telekinesis, he can see in all directions. The first 5 points of damage he suffers is non-lethal, AFTER you calculate in the bonus 24 HP from greater false life.
He keeps a handful of spell slots open to memorize spells as needed, and if he doesn't use them by the end of the day, he uses them to memorize and re-cast the same buffs again at the end of the day, rolling the spell effects into yet another day of adventure.
This sort of capability is extremely versatile, and can (and should) be used in addition to a metamagic rod of extend spell. Use the rod to extend the 1 min/level spells that you cast during the dungeon crawl. Use the feat to wear spells all day, every day.
This is what makes wizards more powerful than sorcerers: The ability to exploit extend spell to bank magic from one day to the next, keeping both power and versatility.
Thanks for the advice/breakdown of how useful extend metamagic will be as a feat choice. I haven't had room for the feat yet, but I'm thinking I should make room for it between levels 11 and 15.
I'm taking 2 crafting feats before level 10, so I'm feat starved at early levels.
ATM my feat choices are:
lvl 1: Improved Initiative
lvl 3: Craft Wondrous Items
lvl 5: Spell Focus (conjuration)
lvl 5: Augment summoning (wizard bonus feat)
lvl 7: Heighten Spell
lvl 9: Craft Rod
lvl 10: opposition research (Necromancy) (wizard bonus feat)
lvl 11: Preferred Spell (Snapdragon Fireworks)
lvl 13: ??? (extend spell)
lvl 15: ??? (quicken spell)
lvl 15: ??? (spell perfection) (wizard bonus feat)
I've only hit level 8 on my nifty little elven conjurer, so I've got plenty of time to decide my late game feat progression.
I chose necromancy and evocation as opposed schools due to character concept but since the campaign has revolved around a hostile political takeover from a brood of vampires, my character sees his folly in neglecting the necromantic arts and will remedy that shortcoming asap.
I'm still very much interested in advice/discussion on feat choices @ level 13 and above.
