Incense of Meditation?

[LordVyreth]

Does this really work the way it sounds like it does? I had a cleric use one of these in a game; there were two other clerics of the same faith in the party, and they utter slaughtered my guys with maxed flame strikes, slime waves, etcs. Does it really maximize every spell the cleric prepares?

If so, this item seems very unbalanced for its cost. For a little extra prep time, the cleric could gain the equivalent of a dozen rods of maximized metamagic; easily a million + GP value, albeit as just a one-shot. Did this ever come up in anyone else's game?

Vyreth

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Does this really work the way it sounds like it does? I had a cleric use one of these in a game; there were two other clerics of the same faith in the party, and they utter slaughtered my guys with maxed flame strikes, slime waves, etcs. Does it really maximize every spell the cleric prepares?

If so, this item seems very unbalanced for its cost. For a little extra prep time, the cleric could gain the equivalent of a dozen rods of maximized metamagic; easily a million + GP value, albeit as just a one-shot. Did this ever come up in anyone else's game?

Vyreth

I haven't used it yet - not when I can burn a candle to cast gate with no XP cost or use a magic item that lets me charm the tarrasque with no saving throw. WotC occasionally creates items that need heavy adjustments in either price or effect.

In any event, if you're using slime wave perhaps your campaign has issues not covered by core rules?

 

[Dakkareth]

SRD 3.5e:

When a divine spellcaster lights a block of incense of meditation and then spends 8 hours praying and meditating nearby, the incense enables him to prepare all his spells as though affected by the Maximize Spell feat. However, all the spells prepared in this way are at their normal level, not at three levels higher (as with the regular metamagic feat).
Each block of incense burns for 8 hours, and the effects persist for 24 hours.

I'd say, it does, what it says. For 24 hours all spells prepared after using the incense are maximized.

So if you know, that a battle is coming up this would be the way to prepare. Still I have seen it used only a few times. The long preparation and the relatively short duration of the effect somewhat balances it. Another way to balance it would be to simply raise the cost and/or make it harder to get.