Rules clarification: spell slots

[Suzume]

Hey there,

A friend of mine and I have different interpretations about the rules here, so I'm going to ask the community at large... In the end, I'll play whatever rules my GM decides :).

I'm making a druid. As a 1st level druid I get 3 0-level spells and 1 1st-level spell per day (table 3-7). In addition, because my wisdom is 17 and therefore has a +3 modifier, I get bonus spells: 1 1st level, 1 2nd level, and 1 3rd level.

0 level regular 3, bonus 0
1 level regular 1, bonus 1
2 level regular 0, bonus 1
3 level regular 0, bonus 1

I understand that I can't actually cast a 2nd level or a 3rd level spell until I learn them (at level 3 I get access to 2nd level spells, and at level 5 I get access to 3rd level spells).

One way of looking at it is that each day, I get to memorize 2 1st level spells (because I have only 2 slots in the 1st level). If I metamagic a 1st level spell so that it takes up a 3rd level slot, I still have learned that 1st level spell and still only get to memorize 2 spells.

Another way of looking at it (and better for me, which probably makes it suspect) is based on this paragraph on page 220:

<<Spell slots: ... A spellcaster always has the option to fill a higher-level spell slot with a lower-level spell. A spellcaster who lacks a high enough ability score to cast spells that would otherwise be her due still gets the slots but must fill them with spells of lower levels.>>

Because of this phrase, it looks like I get to prepare 4 first level spells: one for each of the 1st level spots, 1 for the second level spot, and 1 for the 3rd level spot (because I have access to those slots, but not to the higher level of spells that I could theoretically fill them with). If I want, I can metamagic (with empower magic, for instance) a spell so that it takes up that 3rd level slot. In total, though, I get to prepare 4 1st level spells each day, not two.

Thoughts? Thanks!!

[seekerofshadowlight]

No that line means your ability score. For instance your wis was 13 then you could not cast level 4 spells but would gain the slots,

To cast spells your score must be 10+spell level..meaning to cast 5th level slots you must have a score of 15

You only get 2 spells 1 for your level and the extra one for high score. You simply do not have the slots you are wanting to fill and will not until you are high enough level to cast them

[Jeff1964]

And adding a metamagic feat to a spell increases the spell slot it would take up, so you couldn't apply any to a first level spell, as that would make the spell the equivalent of at least a 2nd level spell, which a 1st level character cannot cast.

[Suzume]

Curses! And thanks :).