An Incantatrix's Cooperative Metamagic and Metamagic Effect still requires higher level spell slots, right?

[Endarire]

Incantatrix for 3.5 is in Player's Guide to Faerun on page 61 and this version is discussed here. The Magic of Faerun from 3.0 and online is vastly different.

Regardless, my DM believes that Cooperative Metamagic and Metamagic Effect require a skill check and use a higher-level spell slot. While this may be balanced, this does not seem to be the rules as written or the rules as intended.

The point of the tremendous skill check is to avoid using higher level slots for metamagic, though unless your team focuses on boosting your Spellcraft, meeting these DCs for Persistent Spell (also in Player's Guide to Faerun) is mostly a mid-game or late-game reward.

Cooperative Metamagic:

Cooperative Metamagic (Su): At 2nd level, an incantatrix gains the ability to apply any metamagic feat she possesses (except Silent Spell, Still Spell, or Quicken Spell) to a spell being cast by a willing allied spellcaster.

The caster need not prepare the spell in metamagic form or in a higher-level spell slot; the incantatrix simply modifies the spell during the casting. Using this ability is a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity, just like casting a spell, though the incantatrix can use the Concentration skill with this ability as though she were casting defensively.

The incantatrix must ready an action to use cooperative metamagic when her ally begins casting and must be adjacent to the caster. The incantatrix must make a Spellcraft check (DC 18 + [3 × modified spell level]) to succeed. “Modified spell level” is the level of the spell slot that the spell would occupy if it were prepared with the metamagic feat applied. Any spell level increases from metamagic feats that the caster applied also count toward the modified spell level.

For example, if an incantatrix applies the Maximize Spell feat to an ally’s chain lightning spell, the modified spell level is 9th (6th for the spell, +1 for the Maximize Spell feat), and the DC is 18 + (3 × 9) = 45. If she applies the same feat to an ally’s silent chain lightning spell, the modified spell level is 10th and the Spellcraft DC is 48.

An incantatrix can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Int modifier.

Metamagic Effect:

Metamagic Effect (Su): At 3rd level, an incantatrix can attempt to apply a metamagic feat she possesses to a persistent spell effect that is already in place.

For example, she could use Extend Spell to extend the duration of a wall of force or Maximize Spell to maximize the damage dealt by a cloudkill.

To use this ability, the incantatrix must be adjacent to or within the spell effect and make a successful Spellcraft check (DC 18 + [3 × modified spell level]. “Modified spell level” is the level of the spell slot that the spell would occupy if it were prepared with the metamagic feat applied. Spell slot increases for metamagic feats that were applied to affect the spell’s casting (such as Still Spell, Silent Spell, or Quicken Spell) do not count toward the modified spell level, but adjustments for metamagic that change the spell’s effect (such as Empower Spell, Enlarge Spell, or Widen Spell) do count.

For example, applying the Extend Spell feat to a wall of fire gives it a modified spell level of 5th (4th for the spell +1 for the Extend Spell feat), so the DC would be 18 + (3 × 5) = 33. If the wall of fire had been cast with the Silent Spell feat applied, the DC is still 33, since that feat applies to the spell’s casting, not its effect.

On the other hand, extending an empowered wall of fire would give it a modified spell level of 7th and a Spellcraft DC of 39.

An incantatrix can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Int modifier. Using this ability is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity.

[Francis Kunkel]

Sooooooo.... are you asking the question stated in the topic? because (although I have been known to be blind) I can't find a question in the post. But, to answer the topic question, no, and here is why.

Endarire wrote:

At 2nd level, an incantatrix gains the ability to apply any metamagic feat she possesses (except Silent Spell, Still Spell, or Quicken Spell) to a spell being cast by a willing allied spellcaster. The caster need not prepare the spell in metamagic form or in a higher-level spell slot; the incantatrix simply modifies the spell during the casting.

so, it doesn't get prepared as one

and furthermore...

Endarire wrote:

“Modified spell level” is the level of the spell slot that the spell would occupy if it were prepared with the metamagic feat applied.

"would occupy if" means it doesn't as well.

So if the original caster wants to cast a maximized lightning bolt, thats what he pays for and prepares, if the incantatrix tacks on an empowered, then she just has a big check to make, the spell doesn't actually use up a higher slot, the check just has to act like it does.
just my 2 cp
PS.... for future reference, 6+1=7....not 9 ;-)....silly public math

[Ughbash]

It does not use a higher level slot and that is oen of the reasons Incantrix is considered broken by many.

[Name Violation]

it doesn't use higher level slots, but has been errata'd that you cant make a spell effectively above the level of a spell you could cast, so no quicken extended time stops or maximized quickened meteors warm.

if you can only cast 6th level spell you cant cast a spell that would normally take up a 7th or higher slot

[Obfuscated]

Name Violation wrote:

it doesn't use higher level slots, but has been errata'd

The errata was for the Instant Metamagic ability only.

Cooperative Metamagic and Metamagic Effect are not limited by spell level, just by how high you can crank the Spellcraft check.