duskblade and metamagic/rods Please Help

[Cephid]

I'm making a Duskblad of level 13+ and was trying to pump up his dammage output.

The limited spell levels of the dusk blade don't work well with metamagic, but what about rods?

If I am using arcane channeling to full attack and cast a spell, can I use metamagic with it?

If so, can I use a metamagic rod to maximise the spell being cast through my weapon?

Would I need to have the rod in my hand? (so one handed weapons only or Girallon's blessing for extra arms)

Also, if polar ray is a 5th level duskblade spell (8th level wis), can I use a standard metamagic rod (not lesser or greater) to maximise it?

Thanks heaps for your help.
If anyone knows of any threads about min/maxing a duskblade, I'd love the link.

Cheers!

 

[Cephid]

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Thanee]

40 minutes... a little anxious we are, hmm?

The limited spell levels of the dusk blade don't work well with metamagic, but what about rods?

They work for them as they do for any other arcanist.

As for feats, the Sudden Metamagic would also work well with the Duskblade's magic.

Sudden Empower and Sudden Maximize especially. Only 1/day, though, but that's good enough.

If I am using arcane channeling to full attack and cast a spell, can I use metamagic with it?

If so, can I use a metamagic rod to maximise the spell being cast through my weapon?

I don't see why not. You cast the spell normally and through the class ability deliver it with the weapon instead of the normal touch attack.

Would I need to have the rod in my hand? (so one handed weapons only or Girallon's blessing for extra arms)

That depends on your DM, pretty much. I would not allow rods to function without holding them in hand (they are powerful enough as is), but the wording certainly allows enough freedom to have them work when they are merely in your possession.

Also, if polar ray is a 5th level duskblade spell (8th level wis), can I use a standard metamagic rod (not lesser or greater) to maximise it?

Yes, the spell level that counts is the one that it has in your class list, not in any other.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Cephid]

Well aren't you just great

thanks heaps for your help Thanee!

I'll see how I go with my new character then.

 

[billd91]

I would actually be wary of metamagic as a duskblade. They're spontaneous casters and thus their metamagicked spells take a full round action to cast. Most of their channeling powers apply only to spells that take a standard action or less to cast.

I know the FAQ says that the metamagic changes made to a spell will transmit through a duskblade's channeling power, but the question remains: How does a duskblade get an eligible metamagicked spell for these powers?
One option is for the duskblade to have feats allowing him to prepare spells (and thus prepare them with metamagic). The other is to have some effect in place that allows a duskblade to cast metamagicked spells without the increase in casting time.

 

[wildstarsreach]

I'm making a Duskblad of level 13+ and was trying to pump up his dammage output.

The limited spell levels of the dusk blade don't work well with metamagic, but what about rods?

If I am using arcane channeling to full attack and cast a spell, can I use metamagic with it?

If so, can I use a metamagic rod to maximise the spell being cast through my weapon?

Would I need to have the rod in my hand? (so one handed weapons only or Girallon's blessing for extra arms)

Also, if polar ray is a 5th level duskblade spell (8th level wis), can I use a standard metamagic rod (not lesser or greater) to maximise it?

Thanks heaps for your help.
If anyone knows of any threads about min/maxing a duskblade, I'd love the link.

Cheers!

Okay, here's the problem, the duskblade is a spontaneous caster. Applying a metamagic feat should increase the casting time to full round. This makes using a metamagic rod useless for the arcane channeling full attack because the enemies will have the full round to attack and make you blow your spell. You would also need the quick draw feat since you must hold the metamagic rod in one hand and cast in the other.

Unfortunately the rules regarding application of metamagic feat to spontaneous caster unless the FAQ has reversed this still make even the sudden feats to take full round.

 

[TheGogmagog]

I agree the spontanious metamagic takes a full round + arcane channeling = ????DM's choice. I wouldn't allow it even assuming you get around the hands free issue. I would say that the arcane channeling doesn't require a free hand (since they get large shield prof), but doesn't matter so far.

The other suggestion the feat 'Arcane Preparation' allowing you to pre-memorize spells would work in my opinion. This opens up another DM judement ruling on when the metamagic rod needs to be at hand when memorizing, when casting, both, neither (in inventory is good enough).

Unfortunately the rules regarding application of metamagic feat to spontaneous caster unless the FAQ has reversed this still make even the sudden feats to take full round.

This is the first I have heard that sudden x for spontanious casters take a full round. Apparently that's another not quite crystal clear ruling that would be up to the DM.

 

[wildstarsreach]

I agree the spontanious metamagic takes a full round + arcane channeling = ????DM's choice. I wouldn't allow it even assuming you get around the hands free issue. I would say that the arcane channeling doesn't require a free hand (since they get large shield prof), but doesn't matter so far.

The other suggestion the feat 'Arcane Preparation' allowing you to pre-memorize spells would work in my opinion. This opens up another DM judement ruling on when the metamagic rod needs to be at hand when memorizing, when casting, both, neither (in inventory is good enough).

This is the first I have heard that sudden x for spontanious casters take a full round. Apparently that's another not quite crystal clear ruling that would be up to the DM.

Nothing in the sudden feats state that application of this metamagic feat goes around or negates the requirement that use of a metamagic feat for a spontaneous caster to increase the casting time to full round. Even the errata is silent on this. The FAQ also says nothing to this as well.

 

[Thanee]

Why is the full-round action a problem, though?

You still get to make the attack thanks to the class ability, you just cannot move in addition to a single attack (for a full attack it doesn't matter at all, since you cannot move, anyways).

Most of their channeling powers apply only to spells that take a standard action or less to cast.

Ok, that certainly limits the application quite a bit. You would basically need Arcane Preparation then (or use Sudden Metamagic, which definitely should ignore the time increase, regardless of whether it is mentioned or not ).

Bye
Thanee

 

[wildstarsreach]

Why is the full-round action a problem, though?

You still get to make the attack thanks to the class ability, you just cannot move in addition to a single attack (for a full attack it doesn't matter at all, since you cannot move, anyways).



Ok, that certainly limits the application quite a bit. You would basically need Arcane Preparation then (or use Sudden Metamagic, which definitely should ignore the time increase, regardless of whether it is mentioned or not ).

Bye
Thanee

That at this point would be a house rule. Although I would agree to two types of metamagic feats, it creates more potential problems if you assume this if it is not mentioned.