Mnemonic Enhancer

[myradale]

Ok, just wondering... using the prepare function of this spell, do you lose a fourth level spell slot from day one to gain 3 spell levels in day two? How exactly does that work and why wouldn't someone use up all their 4th level spell slots the day before a big adventure, and then heap on the extra 3rd level spells the morning they go out to slay?

On the other hand, if it comes from THIS days spell slots, what is the point when you could just use the 4th level slot to memorize a 3rd level spell anyway? It allows you to break up the spell into a combination of 1st and 2nd level spells, but is this really that important to deserve a 4th level slot, and isn't there a feat that allows the same thing anyway?

I can't figure this one out... either it's ridiculouslly good, allowing a vast number of lower level spells every second day, or it's almost useless. Which is it?




From the SRD

Mnemonic Enhancer
Transmutation
Level: Wiz 4
Components: V, S, M, F
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
Casting this spell allows you to prepare additional spells or retain spells recently cast. Pick one of these two versions when the spell is cast.
Prepare: You prepare up to three additional levels of spells. A cantrip counts as 1/2 level for this purpose. You prepare and cast these spells normally.
Retain: You retain any spell of 3rd level or lower that you had cast up to 1 round before you started casting the mnemonic enhancer. This restores the previously cast spell to your mind.
In either event, the spell or spells prepared or retained fade after 24 hours (if not cast).
Material Component: A piece of string, and ink consisting of squid secretion with black dragon’s blood.
Focus: An ivory plaque of at least 50 gp value.

 

[Krelios]

Okay, that's a tricky one. I've never actually seen the spell used, but what I can gather is this.

Prepare option. You cast this spell and it's duration is instantaneous, so you'd need to cast that right as you're about to prepare spells (after the 8 hours of rest). In this case, you can't use that fourth level spell slot (since it was cast within the last 8 hours) and in return you get three spell slots. I can't figure out how this is in any way a benefit, since, as your pointed out, you can already just use the fourth level slot for a third level spell, and a first and second level spell does not equal a fourth level one.

Retain option. Very limited usefulness. If you just cast Dispel Magic, and you really need to do it again but don't have it memorized, you can blow a fourth level slot on it to cast it again. I suppose there's some utility in that, but you could just memorize spells you have to have twice.

I have to missing something. This spell doesn't seem to provide any benefits whatsoever.

 

[the Jester]

I think the idea behind the 'prepare' option is that you can, for instance, take 3 magic missiles if you have no other way to hurt the bad guy. Or if you know you may need to have a lot of charm person spells, you can pack three instead of one charm monster.

 

[Thanee]

You use the spell during the evening hours to have more slots on the next day, because it allows you to 'carry over' slots from the last day.

If you have an extra day for preparation, you could fill up all 4th+ level slots with the Mnemonic Enhancer and greatly increase the number of 1st through 3rd level slots for the next day, that way.

Bye
Thanee

 

[dcollins]

Admittedly this is a spell that was more useful in AD&D 1st Ed., and got mangled a bit in 3rd Ed. In 1st Ed. it was the case that:

- Normally there was no allowance for exchanging spell slots for lower spells, so Rary's was the only way to give yourself that flexibility.

- The 1st Ed. Rary's would last all day, and allow you to mix-and-match those new slots, preparing or retaining as you liked throughout the day.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Retain option. Very limited usefulness. If you just cast Dispel Magic, and you really need to do it again but don't have it memorized, you can blow a fourth level slot on it to cast it again. I suppose there's some utility in that, but you could just memorize spells you have to have twice.

The Retain option can be mildly handy in wand form.

A charge of the wand costs 420gp. A scroll of a 3rd level spell at CL10, for example, costs 750. It's not ultra-cheap broken, but it's a useful (and oft-overlooked) tool for a wizard.

The ten minute casting time is the really painful part.

-Hyp.

 

[Simplicity]

Seems to me that it very well could be read that you can "prepare" 3 additional levels of spells IMMEDIATELY (i.e. without the 8 hours of rest normally required). If it weren't for the text saying "you prepare and cast these spells normally" I'd say that's definitely how it works. But that last sentence just doesn't make sense to me. Clearly you aren't preparing the spells normally. The preparation is by definition abnormal because you need a spell to do it.

 

[Thanee]

Yup, but that still takes 10 minutes. In 15 minutes you can prepare any spell into a free slot, anyways.

If it had just a one round casting time, that part would be really useful.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

You use the spell during the evening hours to have more slots on the next day, because it allows you to 'carry over' slots from the last day.

If you have an extra day for preparation, you could fill up all 4th+ level slots with the Mnemonic Enhancer and greatly increase the number of 1st through 3rd level slots for the next day, that way.

Bye
Thanee

Thanee has the right of it. Rary's Mnemonic Enhancer lets a PC leverage spellslots from travelling days on days when an assault may be necessary. Let's say your PC regularly leaves two or three 4th level slots open. If you're a level 11+ caster, that still leaves you with plenty of firepower if your group is ambushed on the road. (Heck, even level 8+ can manage to leave one slot open). So, if you get to the end of the day and nothing has happened, you use those slots for mnemonic enhancers and prep an extra 6-9 levels of spells. If something does happen--maybe you run into a village that's been kidnapped by slavers or something, you spend 15 minutes and fill the empty 4th level slots with useful spells and you still have the extra 6-9 levels from the day before. If you have Extend Spell, you can use 5th level slots to leverage two days' spells for the same task.

You end up trading a little bit of on the spot flexibility when you're not likely to use it for on the spot flexibility when you will need it. It's a lot like the electric company pumping water up behind a dam during off-peak hours so that they can let it out to power the hydro-electric generators during peak hours. Absolutely speaking, it's an inefficient use of power. But it's an inefficient use of power they have anyway and have nothing better to do with that enables them to meet higher peak demand.

 

[Jack Simth]

Hmm... and here I thought the use was in a trick of the wording:

Mnemonic Enhancer

Transmutation
Level: Wiz 4 Components: V, S, M, F Casting Time: 10 minutes Range: Personal Target: You Duration: Instantaneous

Casting this spell allows you to prepare additional spells or retain spells recently cast. Pick one of these two versions when the spell is cast.

Prepare: You prepare up to three additional levels of spells. A cantrip counts as 1/2 level for this purpose. You prepare and cast these spells normally.

Retain: You retain any spell of 3rd level or lower that you had cast up to 1 round before you started casting the mnemonic enhancer. This restores the previously cast spell to your mind.

In either event, the spell or spells prepared or retained fade after 24 hours (if not cast).

Material Component: A piece of string, and ink consisting of squid secretion with black dragon’s blood.

Focus: An ivory plaque of at least 50 gp value.

(Emphasis added)
one 4th level spell lets you prepare 3 additional levels of spells. Two 4th level spells might then let you prepare 6 additional levels of spells. Trading two 4th level slots for a 6th level slot might be rather handy. Trading three four a 9th level slot might be even better. Sure, you still need to be able to cast a 6th level spell in order to make the two 4th for one 6th trade, likewise for the 9th level trade.