Ways to get Wizard Spells

[Kevingway]

Barring the Archivist and Erudite methods, how would any character be able to acquire a wizard's spells? These can be as SLAs, Sus, Exs, anything, and it doesn't have to be full caster progression or anything of the sort. But, if one wanted to acquire even one 9th level Wizard spell (any level, but let's raise the bar high), how would it be done? What class, feats, race (playable preferably (let's not include RHD)), etc. would it take?

And no astral seed shenanigans with cohorts, either. Nothing leadership.

[ahenobarbi]

Magical Location granting a feat + Chaos Shuffle to get many arbitrary feats. The feats should be:

* Magical training (let's you cast some 0th levels spells (choose casting them like a wizard)).
* Precautious Apprentice (gives you 2nd level slot that can be used only to cast one specific spell).
* Extra Spell Slot (gives you general-purpose 2nd level spell).
* Heighten Spell .
* Earth Sense (prereq.).
* Earth Spell (heightened spell treated as if it was heightened one more level than it actually was).
* Sanctum Spell (spell treated as if it was heightened one more level than it is, when cast in your sanctum).

Heighten one of your cantrips (using 1st level slot)(and apply Sanctum Spell to it), cast it while standing on the ground in your sanctum. It counts as a 3rd level spell. Since you can cast 3rd level spells you can take Extra Spell Slot to get general-purpose 2nd level slot. Rinse and repeat until you get 9th level slot.

You will also need to increase your Int to 19. You might need to pump your caster level to 17.

[Dalebert]

The feat Night Haunt comes to mind and I know there are a couple more similar ones from Complete Arcane. They are basically the feats that some races get for free but anyone can take them. I believe there's one that mimics drow SLAs as well and maybe others.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

The Magical Training feat in PGtF gives you a spellbook with a few 0-level wizard spells and spell slots to prepare and cast them. Per the Rules Compendium, any character who prepares spells from a spellbook is able to add more spells to it in the exact same way that a wizard does. So you can put any wizard spells you want (and make the spellcraft check to learn) in your spellbook. Since you learn spells prior to putting them in your spellbook, they're considered spells known. "Unlike a bard or sorcerer, a wizard may know any number of spells."

The feat Versatile Spellcaster in RotD allows a spontaneous caster to spend two spell slots of the same level to cast any spell he knows of one level higher. This would include any spells you've added to your spellbook using the above method. Make a character of any spontaneous casting class (Beguiler, Warmage, Dread Necromancer, Suel Arcanamach even) and these two feats allow you to spontaneously cast from the Wizard spell list, with no limit to the number of such spells you may know.

[Jack_Simth]

Planar Touchstone (Planar Handbook), Catalogues of Enlightenment (Ditto). If you do the full charge ritual, it also gives you the spells for the domain as single-use (until the next time you recharge), which potentially includes the 9th level ones, and if you pick the right domain, several of those are going to be Wizard spells.

[Flickerdart]

Precautious Apprentice

I...what? How did you write this phrase and then think to yourself "this is something that makes sense"? It's Precocious. As in "indicative of early development." Which is why an apprentice can cast more powerful spells than they would normally be entitled to. Not only is precautious not a word, even if it were, it would make no sense in this context - what's caution got to do with spellcasting?

[ahenobarbi]

I...what? How did you write this phrase and then think to yourself "this is something that makes sense"? It's Precocious. As in "indicative of early development." Which is why an apprentice can cast more powerful spells than they would normally be entitled to. Not only is precautious not a word, even if it were, it would make no sense in this context - what's caution got to do with spellcasting?

Huh. English is not my primary language and I'm not surprised seeing a made up word in D&D handbook so I never noticed. Thanks for pointing it out :)

[Rebel7284]

Ranks in UMD + Scrolls gives ANY class the ability to cast wizard spells likely earlier than a wizard can. The feat Apprentice [Spellcaster] gives any class UMD as a class skill. In my opinion, this is the only way to get wizard spells early that is not questionable.

[Dalebert]

I...what? How did you write this phrase and then think to yourself "this is something that makes sense"?

He's being PREcautious. You know, like, cautious ahead of time. You need to be extra precautious when you're casting a spell that's too high for your level.

[Kevingway]

These are great, guys! Already have some ideas, combining many of the posts given. I'm trying my hardest to avoid casting/psionics classes while being able to cast just one simple spell (Telekinesis) without the need for the other chassis. Having said that, I'm not fond of the ghost template or the savage progression, nor would any DM that I know personally. I think, perhaps, this could be achieved using some of the methods provided here, but I'm willing to hear more!

While you may be casting spells at a set caster level, do you actually have a caster level without having levels in a casting class? I suppose feats could pick up this slack, but I don't know if simply by virtue of having spells to cast grants you a caster level automatically.

[Mountain]

If you're a paladin or ranger, there's the feat Sword of the Arcane Order.

Chameleons get all the wizard spells, but only up to 6th unless you're into spending a bunch of feats on higher level slots.

In my opinion, this is the only way to get wizard spells early that is not questionable.

You mean using spontaneous divination to qualify for Ultimate Magus is questionable?

[jiriku]

If you are a nonwizard arcane spellcaster, the spell Arcane Disciple will put a cleric domain on your spell list. Select a domain that contains wizard spells you're interested in, and you can now cast them as arcane spells, albeit using Wisdom-based casting. Use the spontaneous casting trick of your choice to bypass the 1/spell level/day limit imposed by Arcane Disciple.

[Hiro Quester]

I'm trying my hardest to avoid casting/psionics classes while being able to cast just one simple spell (Telekinesis) without the need for the other chassis.

If that's all you want, for 75000 gold, you could get a ring of telekinesis. Enables the wearer to cast telekinesis on demand.

[Zombulian]

If you're a paladin or ranger, there's the feat Sword of the Arcane Order.

Another point for Sword of the Arcane Order.
SotAO Mystic Ranger is pretty much my favorite class.
Mystic Ranger 10/Chameleon 10 (If you can manage it) has incredible versatilty just from the amount of spells you can cast from so many different lists. Plus Chameleon has never been bad for archery builds.

[Werephilosopher]

If you're a prepared caster, buy a spellbook and visit one of Boccob's Reading Rooms (Complete Mage).

[Zombulian]

If you're a prepared caster, buy a spellbook and visit one of Boccob's Reading Rooms (Complete Mage).

That's interesting. It says you gain knowledge of a spell of a level that you can cast. Does that mean you can take one from any spell list as long as it is of the correct level?

[Hecuba]

Magical Location granting a feat + Chaos Shuffle to get many arbitrary feats. The feats should be:

* Magical training (let's you cast some 0th levels spells (choose casting them like a wizard)).
* Precocious Apprentice (gives you 2nd level slot that can be used only to cast one specific spell).
* Extra Spell Slot (gives you general-purpose 2nd level spell).
* Heighten Spell .
* Earth Sense (prereq.).
* Earth Spell (heightened spell treated as if it was heightened one more level than it actually was).
* Sanctum Spell (spell treated as if it was heightened one more level than it is, when cast in your sanctum).

Interesting. I've never actually gone looking for the Wizard variant: I've always stuck to the casting as a sorcerer variant + Versatile Spellcaster variant.
The more you know!

[Socksy]

Play a wizard.

Less facetiously... StP Erudite + Psion?

[dextercorvia]

These are great, guys! Already have some ideas, combining many of the posts given. I'm trying my hardest to avoid casting/psionics classes while being able to cast just one simple spell (Telekinesis) without the need for the other chassis.

Two levels of the Ghost class

[Kevingway]

If that's all you want, for 75000 gold, you could get a ring of telekinesis. Enables the wearer to cast telekinesis on demand.

Trying my best to avoid this one, as well. I have an odd problem where I don't feel like it's authentic to base a huge chunk of my build around a magic item. Just me, though.

Loving the ideas, guys! Except...

Two levels of the Ghost class

You cut out the part of my quote that specifically mentions not wanting the ghost savage progression, to post about the ghost savage progression? That takes effort. lol

[dextercorvia]

You cut out the part of my quote that specifically mentions not wanting the ghost savage progression, to post about the ghost savage progression? That takes effort. lol

Lol, I was looking off of the snip that someone else had already quoted, and didn't read the rest. What can I say, I have talents that even I don't know I have.

[Segev]

If you're trying to avoid wizard as a class, it sounds like you have a class in mind. What is this character to be, aside from "able to use TK?"

[Zombulian]

Don't tell me you plan on playing the dreaded *gasp* Master of the Unseen Hand?!?

[Kevingway]

If you're trying to avoid wizard as a class, it sounds like you have a class in mind. What is this character to be, aside from "able to use TK?"

Oddly enough, a DMG Expert. I'm trying to find as many ways to do powerful things without a character class as possible, or at least without a good base class.

Don't tell me you plan on playing the dreaded *gasp* Master of the Unseen Hand?!?

I would like to. If it's a spellcasting telekinesis, definitely going with this PrC. If it's psionic, Solicit Psicrystal does the trick. I'd prefer spellcasting due to the multiple uses of telekinesis as opposed to the one use I'm focusing on, Telekinetic Maneuver. No, I don't plan on abusing TK to do massive amounts of damage... I'm more interested in the physical capabilities for lockdown purposes. Using it as a reliable tool (and yes, I'm aware of Freedom of Movement countering this).

I'm complicated.

[Zombulian]

Oddly enough, a DMG Expert. I'm trying to find as many ways to do powerful things without a character class as possible, or at least without a good base class.



I would like to. If it's a spellcasting telekinesis, definitely going with this PrC. If it's psionic, Solicit Psicrystal does the trick. I'd prefer spellcasting due to the multiple uses of telekinesis as opposed to the one use I'm focusing on, Telekinetic Maneuver. No, I don't plan on abusing TK to do massive amounts of damage... I'm more interested in the physical capabilities for lockdown purposes. Using it as a reliable tool (and yes, I'm aware of Freedom of Movement countering this).

I'm complicated.

I warn you, one of my players was recently playing a Lockdown focused MotUS and it was the most boring character in the world.

[Kevingway]

I warn you, one of my players was recently playing a Lockdown focused MotUS and it was the most boring character in the world.

Oh, I'm sure. I don't want it to be my focus, I just want it to be an available tool that works together with other things that I have in mind. That's part of the reason why I want to avoid casting classes, because they give me a lot more options than what I mainly want to use from all of it, which is telekinesis. I want the character to focus more on skills, without dipping into Factotum and making it overpowered without even trying.

[Aliek]

Illithid savant 5, then eat a ghost's brain?

Sounds so sketchy it's funny

[Kevingway]

Illithid savant 5, then eat a ghost's brain?

Sounds so sketchy it's funny

Silly as it is, I could seriously consider that.

[Extra Anchovies]

I'm trying my hardest to avoid casting/psionics classes while being able to cast just one simple spell (Telekinesis) without the need for the other chassis. Having said that, I'm not fond of the ghost template or the savage progression, nor would any DM that I know personally.

I feel like this is a specific enough goal that it might be worth talking to your DM about creating some sort of new class or prestige class that grants a progressively improving telekinetic ability (perhaps in addition to some other stuff on the side). In the spoiler below, I elaborate on a few ideas for a base class centered around telekinesis.

Spoiler: Telekinesis-based core class

Show

Maybe something where the range and maximum moveable weight both increase as you gain levels, and maximum duration/day (and/or maximum duration per hour/encounter/some other time unit) are based on level and a key ability score. A quick estimate for starting points (for a base class) could be something that grants Telekinesis as the spell with caster level equal to class level (including the ability to use sustained force and violent thrust), usable for up to one round per class level per encounter (or per hour, or per ten minutes, or something else), for a maximum of {(1+key ability modifier+1 per 5 class levels)*class level} rounds per day. Violent thrust could use up a few rounds of daily duration at once, somewhere between three and five seems fair. Average BAB so combat maneuvers aren't worthless, maybe a d6 hit die, 4+int skills, and a good will save.

This is all just off the top of my head, so it's probably really unbalanced as it stands (especially at high levels), but it might be an interesting thing to try.

EDIT for a bit more on-topicness: Since Telekinesis is a fifth-level spell, there are going to be few if any ways to gain access to it without taking a spellcasting class through the appropriate level.

[Kevingway]

I try to stay away from homebrew as much as I can. If push comes to shove, I'm just gonna go full-out Psion and live with it--I'm realizing that a lot of the feats listed here wouldn't necessarily grant a "caster level" for the purpose of prerequisites into other feats that would lead up to telekinesis.

Was just hoping that it would be possible to circumvent being a caster to get access to this spell in a way that could scale, other than trying to pull off being a ghost. Sadness.