Spontaneous casting of clerics

[TarisBlackstone]

Hi !

Because the search didn't work for me I post this one, but I don't know if it was asked in the past. If so, sorry for asking it again.

My cleric has raised to level 9 yesterday, which means he's able to cast 5th level spells. As you all know, above the 4th spell leve, there are no cure spells anymore. What's with the spontaneous casting of my cleric ?

May I only convert spells above 4th level to cure spells of a lower level, like cure critical wounds, or may I convert a 5th level slot to a healing circle ?
If not, what I believe, why ? I don't understand why I can't convert my higher level spells to the higher level healing spells. What is the reason for this ?

And last, but not least, what about meta magic feats ?
I got a new feat at level 9, so I thought about maximized spell. Is it possible to convert a 4th level spell spontaneous to a maximized cure light wounds ?
This only for theory. I think maximized spell is not very useful, because I think a cure critical wounds is much more effective than a maximized cure light wound, isn't it ?

But, what feat is useful for a cleric ? Especially meta magic feats. I'm not very experienced with clerics at this level.

Greetings,
Taris

 

[Darklone]

May I only convert spells above 4th level to cure spells of a lower level, like cure critical wounds, or may I convert a 5th level slot to a healing circle ?
If not, what I believe, why ? I don't understand why I can't convert my higher level spells to the higher level healing spells. What is the reason for this ?

Wanna convert 6th level spells to Heal or Harm?

That Healing circle though has been allowed by some DMs.

 

[TarisBlackstone]

Nope, I don't thought about Heal / Harm.

I know that they're not convertable, but I asked myself why are all the other healing spells above 4th level not convertable ?
That's what I don't get.

 

[Darklone]

IMHO that would have been the same as giving the cleric full spontaneous casting.

 

[Destil]

I have no idea why the design decision was made to limit spontaneous casting to "Cure" spells.

Spontaneous casting was originally introduced, from a meta-game perspective, in order to prevent clerics from being forced to prepare almost entirely healing magic to the determent of their ability to use other clerical spells.

Then they restricted it to good clerics (and no druids)...

From an in-game perspective it makes the most sense to connect it with the cleric's affinity for negative/positive energy and turn/rebuke abilities.

One reasoning may be that that by 5th level the cleric's other spells are attractive enough that there's a good argument to not prepare mainly healing spells (Flamestrike).

And nice as Heal may be, Blade Barrier is a very convincing argument for having something else prepared....

Though I’m not sure how much I buy into that possibility, myself. I think allowing full spontaneous casting by all clerics of healing (incluiding heal, mass heal and circle) and inflict (including harm) spells and full spontaneous casting by all druids of healing is starting to look very appealing as a house rule…

 

[Hypersmurf]

May I only convert spells above 4th level to cure spells of a lower level, like cure critical wounds? Is it possible to convert a 4th level spell spontaneous to a maximized cure light wounds ?

PHB p78, "Spontaneous Casting and Metamagic Feats".

You can only spontaneously convert a spell with "Cure" in the title (which does not include Obscure Object or Leomund's Secure Shelter). With your 7th level slot, you can either spontaneously cast a Cure Critical Wounds as a standard action, or (if you have the feat) a Maximised Cure Critical Wounds as a full-round action. (Or whatever other metamagic combination you feel like.)

-Hyp.

 

[Dr. Zoom]

I have no idea why the design decision was made to limit spontaneous casting to "Cure" spells.

Spontaneous casting was originally introduced, from a meta-game perspective, in order to prevent clerics from being forced to prepare almost entirely healing magic to the determent of their ability to use other clerical spells.

Then they restricted it to good clerics (and no druids)...

It is limited to cure spells for good clerics and neutral clerics of good deities, and to inflict spells for evil clerics and neutral clerics of evil deities. Druids, rangers, and paladins do not get this ability.

 

[Hypersmurf]

It is limited to cure spells for good clerics and neutral clerics of good deities, and to inflict spells for evil clerics and neutral clerics of evil deities.

And of course, in most cases, Neutral clerics of Neutral deities get to pick.

-Hyp.

 

[Darklone]

And of course, in most cases, Neutral clerics of Neutral deities get to pick.

-Hyp.

And the whole group started to cry as the cleric said: "I want two skeletons, one called Rippchen and one called Kraut!"

But curing is for wimps