Author Topic: Repost: Psycarnum Metamagic Abuses, by DH_  (Read 10192 times)

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InnaBinder

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Repost: Psycarnum Metamagic Abuses, by DH_
« on: November 13, 2009, 02:46:27 PM »
Rescued from the WSOD:  :)

http://web.archive.org/web/20070319200418rn_1/boards1.wizards.com/wotc_archive/index.php/t-507714
And for those who might find the link non-functional or who are inherently distrusting of blind links, here's the first post:
Quote from: DisposableHero_
Having recently acquired a copy of Magic of Incarnum, and taken a quick skim through, I'm intrigued by the potential for Incarnum feats, and in particular Psycarnum Infusion.

Just a quick run through for those who haven't had the chance to look at it:

Incarnum feats are powered by the amount of essentia invested in them, the maximum for which is a function of level, beginning at +1, and reaching +4 at levels 18 to 20. The feat Improved Essentia Capacity increases this value by 1 for incarnum feats. Essentia is invested in feats once per day and remains locked in for 24 hours in most cases.

Psycarnum infusion breaks this rule, allowing a character to expend psionic focus to treat an incarnum receptical (feat, spell, class feature, soulmeld etc) as having the maximum amount of essentia invested in it for one round.

My current pick for best use of Psycarnum Infusion, would be the feat Midnight Metamagic, which allows you to apply metamagic feats you know up to a max level adjustment of the essentia invested to the next casting of one spell you know (or have prepared). Using Psycarnum Infusion, this translates to, expend focus, get free metamagic.

Through use of the Divine Soultouch feat, characters with turn undead can improved their essentia capacity one more for one round at a time at the cost of a turn attempt.

While this represents a lot of feats, it represents a lot of free metamagic.

High level Abuse:
At level 18+ a character with Psycarnum Infusion, Divine Soultouch, Improved Essentia Capaicty, and Midnight Metamagic could expend focus, use a turn attempt and apply up to +6 levels worth of metamagic to a spell. This means that for one turning attempt, they can use a persistent spell without any adjustment. Just by expending focus, they can quicken, twin, energy admixture, or maximize and empower any spell they were about to cast. At this stage of the game, Midnight Metamagic kicks Divine Metamagic in the teeth.

Low Level Abuse:
A 3rd level character with Midnight Meta, IEC, and Psycarnum Infusion can apply up to +2 metamagics by expending focus. This means free empowering, extending, enlarging, split rays, etc. At level 6, this becomes +3 bonus, adding maximize spell, sculpt spell, and so forth to the list. At level 12, +4, drumming up power house metamagics like quicken and twin.

A build to bring it all together:

The Psycarnumeleon

Cleric1/Psion (Telepath) 1/Psychic Warrior8/Chameleon10

Feats:
Extend Spell (Planning Domain), Extra Turning (Undeath Domain), Incarnum Spellshaping (1), Able Learner (Human), Psycarnum Infusion (Psion1), Psicrystal Affinity (PsyWar1), Midnight Metamagic (3), Psionic Meditation (PsyWar2), Improved Essentia Capaicty (6), Psicrystal Containment (PsyWar5), Maximize Spell (9), Psionic Body (PsyWar8), Quicken Spell (12), Twin Spell (15), Sculpt Spell (18)

In addition to the above the chameleon bonus feat allows the Psycarnumeleon to mimic basically any incarnum feat needed, and invest them up to maximum when needed through Psycarnum Infusion. The chameleon is capable of casting a number of incarnum spells thanks to incarnum spellshaping. Last, the Psycarnumeleon is capable of casting persistent unfettered heroism through arcane focus and midnight metamagic, giving him the action points needed to power spontaneous casting. This means that the Psycanumeleon can cast any arcane or divine spell of 6th level or lower spontaneously, with up to +6 level adjustments worth of metamagic feats, anytime he likes.

The levels of psion and psychic warrior are used to give the Psycarnumeleon the full package of psionic focus support, including hustle, psionic meditation, and psicrystal containment. This means he can hold two foci, regain focus as a move action, and generate a move action to regain focus as a swift action for 3 power points. With this, the Psycarnumeleon can routinely expend focus for each and every spell cast, and potentially power some passive incarnum feats (or incarnum spells) at the same time. Finally, with the chameleon bonus feat, the Psycarnumeleon can access almost every metamagic feat in the game.

Anyone care to think of other optimal uses for this trick? Any help with some example builds, or refining the Psycanumeleon would be appreciated. Any help in attaining these feats faster (aside from the obvious such as flaws) would be greatly appreciated as well.
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wackodraco

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Re: Repost: Psycarnum Metamagic Abuses, by DH_
« Reply #1 on: November 14, 2009, 12:29:06 AM »
Some sick part of me wants to combine this with the Incantatrix.
Let's see....
Azurin Wizard 5/Incantatrix 2/Sacred Exorcist 1/Incantatrix +8/PRC +4(Metaphysical Shaper!1!1!1!1111!!!!111oneone)
(Prolly Focused Specialist Conjurer or Transmuter, Fighter feats ACF for Improved Initative, Abrupt Jaunt or etc....)
(Sucker DM into giving you a Psicrystal instead of familiar if you can, and then you can use this further with Psicrystal Containment{Does Psionic Meditation allow you to focus your psicrystal as a move action, too?}
Feats
Buy Otyugh Hole for Iron will, take 1 flaw.
1[F]: Wild Talent
1[N]:ANY Metamagic Feat
1[H]: Midnight Metamagic
3: Improved Essentia Capacity
6: Psycarnum Infusion
6[In.]: Meatmagic feat of choice
9: Divine Soultouch
10[In.]: Metamagic Feat
12: Psychic Meditation
13[In.]: Metamagic Feat
15: Extra Turning
16[In.]: Metamagic Feat
18: ???

So, at 20th level....
5 Metamagic feats of your choice (6 with Metaphysical Shaper!!)
Full Incantatrix
and the above mentioned trick.
With the Incantatrix's Improved Metamagic Ability, all of your Metamagic effects are 1 level cheaper.
You get two freebie Persistent Spells just for the hell of it from Metamagic Effect.
And using the Psycarnum Metamagic trick, when you expend focus and use a turn attempt (you have 3 + Cha mod, so a lot(6 + Cha by level 15)) you may also buy another free persist.
There's a lot I haven't mentioned.... this looks damn powerful to me.
If you can sneak in metaphysical shaper (Book of Erotic Fantasy is hard, I know), you can instead Persist any spell by simply expending your Psionic Focus.

Edit: Actually, if you can, do the DCFS to trade Scribe Scroll for something, allowing you to do this sooner.
Residual Metamagic makes this build happy!
So does Arcane Disciple (Strength) for Divine Power, or other buffs as you see fit.
Actually, you can probably Otyugh Hole for another feat, DCFS it, and repeat. Like, so, buy as many feats as you want for 3k gp and some XP.
Also, Ocular Spell and Reach Spell plus extend spell and Persistent Spell.... borrowing from the Twice-Betrayer of Shar; allows you to Persist any spell on your list(!!!).
Persistent Spell (+6-2) +4
Ocular Spell (+2-2) 0
Reach Spell (+1-2) -1
Ergo, total +3 if I'm correct, meaning you can apply it just by expending your psionic focus.
« Last Edit: November 14, 2009, 01:09:28 AM by wackodraco »
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wackodraco

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Re: Repost: Psycarnum Metamagic Abuses, by DH_
« Reply #2 on: November 14, 2009, 01:19:23 AM »
And a Divine Build:
Azurin Cleric 5/Dweomerkeeper 10/Metaphysical Shaper 3/Etc 2
Take Planning Domain for Extend Spell, Incarnum Domain
One Flaw!
Feats
1[N]:Magical Training to enter Dweomerkeeper (DCFS? Mebe?)
1[A]:Midnight Metamagic
1[F]:Divine Soultouch
3[N]:Persistent Spell
6[N]:Metamagic Feat/Incarnum Feat that accepts essentia
9[N]:Metamagic Feat/Incarnum Feat that accepts essentia
12[N]:Divine Metamagic (Persistent Spell)
15[N]:Metamagic Feat/Incarnum Feat that accepts essentia
18[N]:Metamagic Feat/Incarnum Feat that accepts essentia
Metaphysical Shaper Bonus Feat: A Metamagic Feat

You can take another flaw if you want another incarnum feat that will always be fully charged, or another metamagic feat to use the Psycarnum Infusion trick with.

Thar's a Divine build, 20th level cleric casting, full dweomerkeeper (OMGWTFPWNZ) and thus -2 to cost of all metamagic with Metaphysical Shaper.

Edit: Found a better way to do it.
For this trick, you Persistify a Supernatural Incarnum Apothesis at the beginning of the day using Divine Metamagic. If you can extend it too, it will last for two days. The spell allows you to always treat all of your receptacles as full; this mimicks psycarnum infusion. This is possible because the range of Incarnum Apothesis is touch, and therefore "fixed".
« Last Edit: November 30, 2009, 05:19:26 PM by wackodraco »
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wackodraco

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Re: Repost: Psycarnum Metamagic Abuses, by DH_
« Reply #3 on: November 14, 2009, 01:51:53 AM »
I'd be interested in co-authoring a handbook on this trick, if you are.

The Rainbowcarnum Psymage

Azurin Warmage 1/Rainbow Servant 10/Metaphysical Shaper 3 (I do love that PRC)/Sacred Exorcist 1/War Weaver 5
This one is gonna be a REALLY tight build, but worth it.

To start out, at level one, you'll cheese early entry into rainbow servant. You will do this by taking Versatile Spellcaster, Heighten Spell, and Sanctum Spell. If you can get away with it, Eldritch Corruption is just as good and only costs one feat.
At which point you sail into Rainbow Servant.
To enter Metaphysical Shaper, you simply need to make sure you fulfill the skill requirements.
Sacred Exorcist is the same; take Educated at level 3 and you can slide in neatly.
War War weaver is also easy to get into, simply fit enlarge spell in there somewhere.
After you have entered war weaver, spend a chunk of XP to do the DCFS.
You should end up with this:
1[A]:Wild Talent
1[N]:Midnight Metamagic
1[F]:Psycarnum Infusion
1[F]:Psychic Meditation
3[N]:Educated
6[N]:Extend Spell
9[N]:Persistent Spell
12[N]:Enlarge Spell
15[N]:Improved Essentia Capacity
18[N]:Divine Soultouch

Metaphysical Shaper Bonus Feat: Quicken Spell

With this one you get full war weaver, the usual trick of psycarnum metamagic, and metaphysical shaper. You lose 1 CL to War Weaver.

The fluff on this is really good to; the overlapping Blue theme of Incarnum and the RAINBOW Servant overlap nicely. Similarly, War Weaver and Metaphysical shaper were made for each other.
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Takanaki

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Re: Repost: Psycarnum Metamagic Abuses, by DH_
« Reply #4 on: November 14, 2009, 01:55:36 PM »
If IEC requires 2 Essentia, how are you getting it with only Azurin's 1?

Looks like you need Bonus Essentia first or Psycarnum Crystal or Incarnum Spellshaping as used in the opening post as a level 1 feat.
Forgot about the base essentia pool....  :lmao you can do a lot more than +3 enhancements on your metamagics. At sixth level you would have 2 from your pool, 1 from azurin, 1 from the improved essentia feat and maybe more from elsewhere... expend focus and have +4 or higher to play with. Divine Soultouch would be +5 and so on and so on and insanity.

RAW Psicrystal Containment lets you focus the crystal and functions 'exactly the same as focusing for the Psion' or words to that effect. So yes it would work to focus your crystal in a move action too. Now all you need is a way to have two move actions.... mmmm Hustle?

Abuse of Planar Touchstone (Catalogues of Enlightenment) could get you a lot more turning attempts a lot easier than wasting class levels.
« Last Edit: November 14, 2009, 03:04:31 PM by Takanaki »

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Re: Repost: Psycarnum Metamagic Abuses, by DH_
« Reply #5 on: November 14, 2009, 03:36:39 PM »
I wish there was a way to get loads and loads of turn attempts. Might even pay 1875gp per attempt and purchase them in packs of four.

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Re: Repost: Psycarnum Metamagic Abuses, by DH_
« Reply #6 on: November 14, 2009, 03:39:33 PM »
I wish there was a way to get loads and loads of turn attempts. Might even pay 1875gp per attempt and purchase them in packs of four.

Most DMs I play with only let you buy one Nightstick, it's good to have a backup plan.

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Re: Repost: Psycarnum Metamagic Abuses, by DH_
« Reply #7 on: November 14, 2009, 03:41:19 PM »
True enough. A level of Dread Necro could double the turn attempts in case the build has an extra level. Maybe for an Ur-Priest of some kind?

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Re: Repost: Psycarnum Metamagic Abuses, by DH_
« Reply #8 on: November 14, 2009, 03:59:20 PM »
True enough. A level of Dread Necro could double the turn attempts in case the build has an extra level. Maybe for an Ur-Priest of some kind?

I like using touchstone of cataloge of enlightenment personally but that works best with DCFS

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Re: Repost: Psycarnum Metamagic Abuses, by DH_
« Reply #9 on: November 14, 2009, 04:04:07 PM »
Everything does.

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wackodraco

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Re: Repost: Psycarnum Metamagic Abuses, by DH_
« Reply #10 on: November 14, 2009, 05:21:59 PM »
Now all you need is a way to have two move actions.... mmmm Hustle?
Lesser Celerity?

If IEC requires 2 Essentia, how are you getting it with only Azurin's 1?

Looks like you need Bonus Essentia first or Psycarnum Crystal or Incarnum Spellshaping as used in the opening post as a level 1 feat.
Azurin grants you an essentia pool of 1. Midnight Metamagic gives you one extra point of essentia. Improved Essentia Capacity bumps that to 3 and increases capacity.
« Last Edit: November 14, 2009, 05:27:06 PM by wackodraco »
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Re: Repost: Psycarnum Metamagic Abuses, by DH_
« Reply #11 on: November 16, 2009, 08:39:53 PM »
Oldie but goodie(s) !!

iirc - and it's been a long time, Lilt's objection to this (at the end of the archive thread , now linked to a wsod)
required some feats to Not function at all. So, the objection didn't stand.
{ ... insert disagreeable internet smiley face ... }

DH_ had another thread with this, that used Cleric and Wizard and Heighten meta, and then Chameleon to get 9s in both arcane and divine early.
I didn't save it, so I'm sticking it out there as a possiblity.

Incarnate Champion 4 PrC can 1/day make the essentia bump at CHA mod level.
Tattooed Monk anybody ?!

The psionic aug version sucks in comparison. And it's unnecessary.
Azuran + Midnight Aug + Bestow Power as the target, can get 2 pp discount a level 6,
right around the time the party Wilder can get 3pp discounts, and a cheap recharge set-up is a go.

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Re: Repost: Psycarnum Metamagic Abuses, by DH_
« Reply #12 on: November 17, 2009, 02:23:52 AM »
Midnight Metamagic is capped, mind you. You can invest 1 up to level 5, 2 from 6-10, 3 from 11-16, and 4 from 17-29.

taking another feat increases the cap by one for Incarnum feats.

But ultimately you get to use 5 incarnum-based levels of metamagic at the start of the day...

Nothing special, until you combine it with Pearls of Psycarnum power.

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Re: Repost: Psycarnum Metamagic Abuses, by DH_
« Reply #13 on: November 17, 2009, 09:42:15 AM »
So how are you getting to +6 metamagic? I made a build with this stuff and totally missed that that Midnight Meta had a cap... doh.

Now you NEED to do the Incantatrix thing to get it down to +5 to persist. But at that point you're already already an incantatrix, and Bob's already your uncle.... [edit]Ok, I missed Divine Soultouch, ignore the question...[/edit]

Also, the entire Psycarnum Infusion trick only works ONCE per day, but you can apply it to every spell known (or prepared, if you're a prepared caster), because you need to do it at the time of filling up Midnight Metamagic (which you can only do once per day, and you have to choose the spells AND the metamagic immediately).

So a prepared caster could fill up his Midnight meta for each spell at the time of preparation with just one use of Psycarnum Infusion. A spontaneous caster can only get ONE casting of each spell known so affected (the first casting for every spell.)

It's still VERY neat, I must say. It basically says you get infinite essentia for Midnight Meta, and you can keep ALL your essentia for other things for the rest of the day.

Also, with the weird wording of MM, after casting each spell you should then regain all the pseudo-essentia from Midnight Meta until the start of your next turn. Is there anything you could blow that on in one round? The trouble is, here, that you need more actions, as you need a swift action to re-assign essentia.
« Last Edit: November 17, 2009, 09:58:30 AM by Brainpiercing »

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Re: Repost: Psycarnum Metamagic Abuses, by DH_
« Reply #14 on: November 17, 2009, 05:35:54 PM »
Unless your DM rules that Psycarnum infusions doesn't trip the once a day limiter, you can use it in conjunction with midnight metamagic ONCE.  which gives you 5 Essentia-powered metamagic levels.  not infinite. 5.

if he rules that it doesn't trip the limiter he's a fool and you can quicken ever spell you have.

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Re: Repost: Psycarnum Metamagic Abuses, by DH_
« Reply #15 on: November 18, 2009, 05:48:37 AM »
Oh damn, it's total essentia invested for all spells, and not total essentia cap per spell. I read it wrong. In this case that totally shoots down the trick. It also totally shoots down Midnight Meta in general. So yeah, that means you need to strongly suggest to prospective DMs that Psycarnum Infusion can pump it back up at a later time, or else it plain sucks.

That being said, I guess there is a logical reading that will let you do that, but it needs some implications to be accepted. In that respect, it's on slightly shakier feet than than a lot of other cheesy stuff, which at least has the benefit of strict RAW. However, as it nicely scales with level I think actually DMs are much rather advised to allow this stuff than DMM, for instance.

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Re: Repost: Psycarnum Metamagic Abuses, by DH_
« Reply #16 on: November 18, 2009, 06:23:02 PM »
The Psycarnum Infusion says nothing about limited uses, so as always it comes down to where you draw the line.

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Re: Repost: Psycarnum Metamagic Abuses, by DH_
« Reply #17 on: November 18, 2009, 06:59:15 PM »
The Psycarnum Infusion says nothing about limited uses, so as always it comes down to where you draw the line.
Ah, but the conflict arises from how MM is different from the other Incarnum feats: It discharges its essentia after use, while all others maintain an effect all day.

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Re: Repost: Psycarnum Metamagic Abuses, by DH_
« Reply #18 on: November 18, 2009, 09:01:33 PM »
The Infusion allows you to keep treating it as maximum, so whatever essentia you need is irrelevant anyway.

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Re: Repost: Psycarnum Metamagic Abuses, by DH_
« Reply #19 on: November 18, 2009, 09:24:44 PM »
The Infusion allows you to keep treating it as maximum, so whatever essentia you need is irrelevant anyway.
Of course, but by very strict RAW you can only assign actual spells to modify once per day... so that maximum essentia won't even help you.
But as I said, I guess there is some merit to the argument that the Infusion circumvents this.