How Many Spells Can You Cast In A Round?

[Sejs]

Cast Time Stop. Make liberal use of the Delay Spell metamagic feat.

Bam. Many, many spells in ... apparently one round.

 

[Gerion of Mercadia]

Actually, if you want to be real technical about the spell's actual effect, you don't need delay spell of necessity - even for the fireball type effects.

Under a direct reading of the Time Stop's "effect" you and your gear, as well as effects operating on you speed up so quickly that the rest of the world appears to "stop" in mid motion. In short, you are moving at near light speed. The quantum Mechanical effects of the experience are somewhat difficult to describe... but this is what comes out in consequence:


A spell cast while time stopped simply can't go "off" until your time stop ends - even if the spell is targeted on you.

If I use the metamagic combo above... for Quickened Time Stop 1

I could put 4 "fireball" spells, 5 quickened fireballs and "Maximized Time Stop 2" into effect; but I can't actually roll damage dice or inflict saves until the END of Time Stop 1. The spells will appear to "hang" in midair as soon as they cease to be in "contact" with the caster as the spell is an object "released" from your person upon casting.

In all WOTC published settings, the "Weave" and "Shadow Weave" must be tapped for a spell to function - therefore even a spell targeted on your person would be unable to achieve its effect until AFTER Time Stop 1 ends. As Time Stop 1 ended, Time Stop 2 would "come into effect" - and I would get another 5 "virtual" rounds.

In the event of a feat or event such as "Spell Stowaway" a Twinned spell... or a Time Stop that affected more than 1 "creature" (such as a wizard and her familiar) BOTH creatures are accelerated simultaneously. This causes some unusual effects.

 

[Victim]

I seem to recall a change in wording from 3.0 to 3.5 that prevents that use of Time Stop. Before durations didn't count while in the Time Stop. Instantaneous is still a duration. Now the text doesn't mentions that durations are paused, so your effects will still resolve in the middle of the time stop (while everyone is invulnerable).

 

[James McMurray]

Metamorphic Transfer + an item of Metamorphosis can get you a Choker's extra action.

Schism can get you an extra mental action, which could be used for spell-like abilities from Archmage levels.

Fission gets you another you, which can cast spells, use metamorphic transfer, etc.

Shapechange can also get you the Choker's extra action, but your Fission can't cast it as early as he can use metamorphosis.

There's a psion power whose name escapes me that lets you basically borrow your next turn so you take two full turns and then skip one.

If you're looking for extra actions, psionics is the way to go.

 

[Gerion of Mercadia]

Directly from the SRD Time Stop:

Duration: 1d4+1 rounds (apparent time); see text
This spell seems to make time cease to flow for everyone but you. In fact, you speed up so greatly that all other creatures seem frozen, though they are actually still moving at their normal speeds. You are free to act for 1d4+1 rounds of apparent time. Normal and magical fire, cold, gas, and the like can still harm you. While the time stop is in effect, other creatures are invulnerable to your attacks and spells; you cannot target such creatures with any attack or spell. A spell that affects an area and has a duration longer than the remaining duration of the time stop have their normal effects on other creatures once the time stop ends. Most spellcasters use the additional time to improve their defenses, summon allies, or flee from combat.
You cannot move or harm items held, carried, or worn by a creature stuck in normal time, but you can affect any item that is not in another creature’s possession.
You are undetectable while time stop lasts. You cannot enter an area protected by an antimagic field while under the effect of time stop.

In their brilliant attempt to "fix" Time Stop, they said to see the text for the ACTUAL duration of the spell... and then never give it a duration. Brilliant!!!

Therefore, to be technical, by RAW 3.5 ... the darn thing has a duration of "nothing", and to those still stuck in normal time, it sure the hell will appear that way.

Since Something > Nothing, any spell with a duration at all (even instantaneous) resolves once the time stop ends.

The 3.5 wording merely made targeting creatures an ABSOLUTE No No whereas in 3.0 you may have been able to "get away with it" by RAW.

Now, RAI spellcasters are supposed to use the additional time to improve their defenses, summon allies, or flee from combat, not hose their opponents.

 

[taliesin15]

Surprised nobody's brought up the use of a Haste potion...

 

[Fedifensor]

Okay. So, NOT counting Time Stop (which apparently brings about the infinite spell syndrome), how many spells can be cast against foes in a single round?

 

[Mort]

Directly from the SRD Time Stop:



In their brilliant attempt to "fix" Time Stop, they said to see the text for the ACTUAL duration of the spell... and then never give it a duration. Brilliant!!!

Therefore, to be technical, by RAW 3.5 ... the darn thing has a duration of "nothing", and to those still stuck in normal time, it sure the hell will appear that way.

Since Something > Nothing, any spell with a duration at all (even instantaneous) resolves once the time stop ends.

The 3.5 wording merely made targeting creatures an ABSOLUTE No No whereas in 3.0 you may have been able to "get away with it" by RAW.

Now, RAI spellcasters are supposed to use the additional time to improve their defenses, summon allies, or flee from combat, not hose their opponents.

sorry for the brief hijack, but unless I'm missing something I just don't see the confusion.

wording = A spell that affects an area and has a duration longer than the remaining duration of the time stop have their normal effects on other creatures once the time stop ends.

time stop lasts 1d4+1 rounds, so: area spells with less duration than that run out before it ends and effectively have no effect (this obviously includes any instantaneous spells). Area spells with a duration greater than that (cloudkill, evards, properly worded delayed blast fireball) extend beyond the duration. What's unclear?

On the original point:

Have someone in the group use White Raven Tactics (Bo9S) or be a jade phoenix mage and do it yourself. Doubles the number of spells in just about any combo.

 

[Mort]

Surprised nobody's brought up the use of a Haste potion...

How would that increase # of spells per round in 3.5?

 

[RigaMortus2]

A Sorcerer can cast an infinite amount of spells in 1 round, using a certain combo of feats/spells/magic items from certain books. It also requires you to be very high level too.

ARCANE NOVA

First you need the following

Greater Arcane Fusion
When you cast this spell, choose any 4st-level or lower sorcerer spell you know and any 7th level or lower sorcerer spell you know. Neither spell chosen can have a casting time longer than 1 std. action.

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BUT YOU DON'T EXPEND ANY ADDITIONAL SPELL SLOTS TO CAST THOSE SPELLS

Absorption
9th level sor/wiz; 10 mins/level until expended
(blue text is paraphrased, black is quoted)

You are allowed to absorb 1d4+6 levels worth of ranged spells that have you as a target. If you're hit with more levels than you can absorb, then a portion of the damage deal will be dealt to you (or you have a certain percentage chance of being affected by the effect if it is not a damaging effect).

You can use captured spell energy to cast any spell you know or have prepared, but spells so cast don't disappear from your list of prepared spells or count against the number of spells you can normally cast per day (so you so must keep a running total of the spell levels absorbed and used). The levels of spell energy eyou have stored must be equal to or greater than the level of the spell you want to cast...

The Trick

Feats required: Arcane Thesis (Greater Arcane Fusion), Practical Metamagic (Twin), Twin Spell, Maximize spell, Arcane Thesis (Absorption), Sanctum Spell, Cooperative Metamagic, practical metamagic (maximize).
Caster level required: 18 (for a sorcerer).

Two main spells will be cast:
1. Sanctum Cooperative Twinned Maximized Absorption: This spell is considered an 8th level spell outside of one's sanctum and we assume that we are outside our sanctum for this trick. Due to metamagic the casting time is one full round action. It occupies a 10th level spell slot to cast [9 (normal spell level) + 4 (twin) -1 (arcane thesis) -1 (practical metamagic) + 0 (Cooperative) -1 (arcane thesis) +0 (Sanctum) -1 (arcane thesis) + 3 maximize -1 (arcane thesis) - 1 (practical metamagic)]. I hope to bring this back down to a 9th level slot. For now we'll just have to assume that your character either has 1 10th level spell slot available or has a rod of maximize on hand. You really only need to cast this spell once by yourself.
2. Sanctum Cooperative Twinned Greater Arcane Fusion: This spell is considered a 7th level spell outside of one's sanctum and we assume that we are outside our santum for this trick. Due to the metamagic the casting time is one full round action. It occupies an 8th level spell slot to cast [8 (normal spell level) + 4 (twin) -1 (arcane thesis) -1 (practical metamagic) + 0 (Cooperative) -1 (arcane thesis) +0 (Sanctum) -1 (arcane thesis)]

• Cast Arcane Spellsurge: if you are dragonblooded (easy to get these days) you can cast this as a swift action.
• Cast favor of the martyr: This renders you immune to the dazed condition, among other things.
• Cast cooperative sanctum maximized twinned absorption (takes 1 std. action with arcane spell surge and rapid spell). I will call one of these absorptions "Absorption 1" and the other will be "Absorption 2".
• Cast sanctum twinned greater arcane fusion (takes 1 std. action with arcane spellsurge on)
  • 7th or lower: twinned cooperative sanctum fifth level std. action ranged spell of your choice and target yourself. All of it is absorbed (10 levels in Absorption 1). When selecting spells this is an eligable spell (std. action, below 7th level). You apply metamagic when casting. For those who are picky, this still consumes a 5th level slot, so I'm not abusing the "free metamagic" concept. If you don't have a problem with the free metamagic concept, you can remove the sanctum and cooperative bit.
  • 4th or lower: Twinned sanctum cooperative Orb of acid. All of it is absorbed into Absorption 2. You now have 8 absorbed levels in Absorption 2. When selecting spells for arcane fusion this is an eligable spell (std. action, 4th level or below). You apply metamagic when casting.
  • 7th level or lower: output spell. You can output any spell you wish and target anyone you like with this spell. Have fun. Why not add twin and cooperative to these bad boys while you're at it? They'll consume 9th level slots... but wait a minute, you don't lose any spell slots when casting the sub-spells of arcane fusion. Heh heh.
  • 4th level or lower: twinned sanctum cooperative celerity. You don't actually use up an immediate action to do this, as it is subsumed in the casting of arcane fusion (per RAW). That means you can cast this more than once per round. You gain 2 std. actions. You're immune to the daze, so there are no side effects.
  • Use one std. action to cast another sanctum cooperative twinned maximized absorption. In doing so you have expended one of your already active absorptions. You now have 2 empty absorptions and 1 filled, and 1 partially filled. It's unlikely that we'll ever use those partially filled ones in this sequence. But feel free to burn them up afterwards.
  • Use the other std. action gained two steps previous to do, you guessed it, cast a twinned sanctum cooperative arcane fusion. You cast this via the 8 spell levels you had absorbed into Absorption 2. You now have 2 partially filled, and 2 empty absorptions. Go back to the beginning of this subsequence to fill up the 2 empty absorptions. In the end you will have 2n partially filled absorptions active on your person. These will allow you to cast 2n second level spells and 2n first level spells.

The bi-products of this magical nova: you end up with 22n 7th level or lower spells. You also gain 23n temporary spell levels quantized in 2 level chunks and 1 level chunks. I think you can only use the temp levels of one spell at a time, so no multi-sourcing. Oh well, having a bunch of 2nd and 1st level spells on hand is nice. And by a bunch I mean infinity. There's nothing which prevents this loop from setting n equal to infinity. The nice thing? You can stop it early if you want. No matter what, it'll still only take 1 std. action once the whole loops starts up.

A Sample Build​

Silver Brow Human (from RoD): Dragonblood Sorcerer 4/Cleric 1 (magic, planning)/Dweomer Keeper 10/Loremaster 5
(Assume at least 16 int)
Feats:
1. (Maximize Spell), Cooperative Metamagic, (Dragon Heritage (Pick a flavor))
3. craft wonderous item
5. (Extend Spell)
6. Practical Metamagic (Mazimize)
9. Skill Focus (Knowledge Arcana)
12. Twin Spell
15. Practical Metamagic (Twin)
18. Arcane Thesis (Greater Arcane Fusion)
20. Arcane Thesis (Absorption)

note: This build requires a scroll of favor of the martyr. Also, this character need not a 10th level spell slot to cast the metamagiced absorption, thanks to dweomerkeeper.

note2: There is a similiar build to this out there, that you can pull this off at lower level, but you are limited to the amount of spells you have. If I have time, I'll see if I can dig it up.