How Many Spells Can You Cast In A Round?

[Fedifensor]

D&D combats are often about who can dish out the most in the first round. So, how many spells can you cast in a single round?

Best I can come up with is 5 (for a sorcerer) or 6 (for a wizard), and it requires 3 non-SRD books (Eberron Campaign Setting, Complete Arcane, and Spell Compendium). However, it can be accomplished as early as 13th/14th level (Wiz/Sor). I'm probably missing a few things.

 

[shilsen]

Care to post the particular methods you had in mind?

 

[Victim]

Here's one idea:

Sorcerer w/ Rapid metamagic (either PH2 feature swap, or CM feat). Cast Arcane Fusion (cast a 3rd level spell and 1st level spell at once with a 5th level spell; there's a higher level versiont too). Cast Quickened Arcane Fusion (possibly via meta rod). End turn. Immediately cast Celerity (PH2), and use the extra standard action to cast another Arcane Fusion. Congratulations, you've just cast 3 third level spells and 3 first level spells.

Using Eberron, you could add in Action Surge to get up to 8 effective casts.

 

[Fedifensor]

Well, I was waiting to see what ideas everyone else had, but here's the core components of my method:

14th level wizard

Spell Matrix (7th level Sor/Wiz, from Spell Compendium)
Twin Spell (Metamagic feat, from Complete Arcane)
Action Surge (feat from Eberron Setting)

For starters, when you prep for the day, memorize spell matrix, and two twinned 3rd level spells. Hopefully you have an Int high enough to get the bonus 7th level spell...it's not too hard to afford a +6 stat boost item at that level.

During the day, when combat seems to be likely within the next two hours or so, store two 2nd level spells in the spell matrix. Scorching ray is a good choice for damage, or you can go with glitterdust or cloud of bedevilment if you're trying to force as many saving throws as possible. Per the rules of spell matrix, you can release both spells as a single swift action if they're both 2nd level or lower.

When combat starts, activate the spell matrix to launch the two 2nd level spells, then cast one of your twinned spells. After that, spend 2 action points to take an extra standard action during the round, and cast the other twinned spell. You can either go the direct damage route with things like fireball, or take spells like slow and stinking cloud to maximize the number of saves your opponents have to make.

Sorcerers have to take a full round action to cast metamagic, so they can't pull the twinned spell trick using the standard action from Action Surge. That drops the total number of spells they can throw in a round to 5. However, they do have more spell slots, so they can do this trick more than one fight per day...

 

[Fedifensor]

Sorcerer w/ Rapid metamagic (either PH2 feat swap, or CM feat). Cast Arcane Fusion (cast a 3rd level spell and 1st level spell at once with a 5th level spell; there's a higher level versiont too). Cast Quickened Arcane Fusion (possibly via meta rod). End turn. Immediately cast Celerity (PH2), and use the extra standard action to cast another Arcane Fusion. Congratulations, you've just cast 3 third level spells and 3 first level spells.

Hmm, when you get 9th level spells, you could memorize a twinned arcane fusion spell...that up the possibilities quite a bit. Haven't seen celerity...I'll have to find someone with a PH2 and look it up.

 

[Engilbrand]

What about using the Swiftblade and its ability to cast twice in a round. 2 normal Arcane Fusions and then a Quickened Arcane Fusion would grant 6. If you mix it with the ability to create a Time Stop effect, it can keep increasing before the enemy ever gets the chance to act. By 20th level, easily above 6.

 

[Squire James]

I think the spells that grant extra actions shouldn't really count. None of them are helping you or hurting the enemy, and are thus pointless. How many non-pointless spells can you cast in a round?

 

[Victim]

Hmm, when you get 9th level spells, you could memorize a twinned arcane fusion spell...that up the possibilities quite a bit. Haven't seen celerity...I'll have to find someone with a PH2 and look it up.

Arcane Fusion is tough to memorize, since it's sorcerer only. Doable with the right feats though - and Arcane Prep is another way to use quickened spells as a sorc.

Celerity is level 4, casts as an immediate action, grants an extra standard action, and then dazes you for a round. There are level 2 and 8 versions granting a move action and full round action respectively.

The total gets really high with Time Stop effects, especially if you don't mind having to use Delayed spells (or spells that don't directly affect foes).

White Raven Tactics grants you a whole extra turn as a swift action, so for a swift action to activate the boost, you gain another swift action plus a normal one. Broken though.

I think the spells that grant extra actions shouldn't really count. None of them are helping you or hurting the enemy, and are thus pointless. How many non-pointless spells can you cast in a round?

Who was counting those spells as part of the total?

 

[Fedifensor]

I think the spells that grant extra actions shouldn't really count. None of them are helping you or hurting the enemy, and are thus pointless. How many non-pointless spells can you cast in a round?

Agreed. Celerity shouldn't count as one of the spells, but by giving you a standard action it can allow you to cast another spell which would count...

[EDIT] My original intent was only to count spells that could be thrown directly at an enemy, but it would be interesting to see what time stop does to the totals...

 

[Gerion of Mercadia]

Answer = Infinitely many.

Time Stop X 3 + Metamagic Maximize spell rod = 15 rounds of action instantaneously.

2 of these rounds will be needed to cast TimeStop again... so you could get 15 quickened spells +13 Non Quickened spells off simultaneously.

Why? That requires a virtual dissertation in theoretical D&D metaphysics.