Post/Author/DateTime	Post
taylorj 03-07-07, 03:02 PM	The Spell Storing weapon enhancement allows a spell of up to 3rd level to be cast into it. Does metamagic apply normally? What if it's off of a metamagic rod? ie, does an Empowered Scorching Ray count as a 4th level spell (level 2 spell + 2 levels from metamagic)? Even if the spell is just 2nd level but metamagic'd from a rod? What if the caster has Practical Spellcaster: Empower Spell (making Empower just a +1 level boost)? My impression is that the Empowered Scorching Ray counts as a 4th level spell in all of these examples, and thus could not be stored in a spell storing weapon, but I'm curious if anyone has any examples to the contrary.
kjenks 03-07-07, 05:11 PM	Check out the rules for storing metamagic spells in scrolls and potions; they give you a good, strong hint what to do for a Spell Storing weapon. SRD === Magic Items and Metamagic Spells: With the right item creation feat, you can store a metamagic version of a spell in a scroll, potion, or wand. Level limits for potions and wands apply to the spell’s higher spell level (after the application of the metamagic feat). A character doesn’t need the metamagic feat to activate an item storing a metamagic version of a spell. === So it's pretty clear to me that the Spell Storing weapon would function the same way. You can't store Empower Spell + Scorching Ray in a Spell Storing weapon because "the spell’s higher spell level (after the application of the metamagic feat)" is greater than 3. You might be able to talk another DM into it, but I wouldn't count on it. But you can't store a Scorching Ray in a Spell Storing weapon anyway. Only targeted spells can be stored, and Scorching Ray does not have a "target" entry in its spell block. SRD === Spell Storing: A spell storing weapon allows a spellcaster to store a single targeted spell of up to 3rd level in the weapon. (The spell must have a casting time of 1 standard action.) Any time the weapon strikes a creature and the creature takes damage from it, the weapon can immediately cast the spell on that creature as a free action if the wielder desires. (This special ability is an exception to the general rule that casting a spell from an item takes at least as long as casting that spell normally.) Once the spell has been cast from the weapon, a spellcaster can cast any other targeted spell of up to 3rd level into it. The weapon magically imparts to the wielder the name of the spell currently stored within it. A randomly rolled spell storing weapon has a 50% chance to have a spell stored in it already. Strong evocation (plus aura of stored spell); CL 12th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, creator must be a caster of at least 12th level; Price +1 bonus. ===
copper_wyrmling 03-07-07, 06:30 PM	To add to what Ken said, the FAQ also states that the same rules apply to storing spells affected with Sudden Metamagic in potions / scrolls / wands: you use the original level of the spell PLUS the full normal metamagic adjustment to determine the xp/gp cost for crafting and whether the spell can be stored in a wand or potion. Being able to cast the spell out of a lower-level slot doesn't help. I would think that the same principle would apply to metamagic rods. FAQ p.46 (in my version): === Can sudden metamagic feats (from Complete Arcane) be used to scribe scrolls or craft wands that include the metamagic effect? If so, how would you calculate the cost (since sudden metamagic feats don’t alter the level of the spell)? You can use a sudden metamagic feat in item creation; the cost to create the item would be just as if you were using the regular metamagic feat. For instance, using your Sudden Widen feat to create a scroll of widened fireball would cost as much as a scroll of a 6th-level spell (which is what a widened fireball is). The act of creating the scroll or wand would expend your daily use of Sudden Widen (since the act of creation triggers the spell, making it unavailable for casting). ===