Focused Specialist Precocious Apprentice

[Endarire]

Greetings, all!

This is a trick I found on BrilliantGameologists awhile ago.  I'm reposting the trick here with questions.

Let's assume you're a Focused Specialist Wizard1 with Precocious Apprentice.  Precocious Apprentice normally grants me a level 2 spell slot capable of casting a specific spell chosen when I choose the feat with a DC8 caster level check.  (The feat is ambiguously worded, but I'm interpreting here.)

Because I'm a Focused Specialist (Complete Mage 34), "You can prepare two additional spells of your specialty school per spell level each day. These extra spells are in addition to those normally granted to a specialist wizard."

Since Precocious Apprentice grants a level 2 spell slot capable of casting a level 2 spell once per day, you can trade this 'generalist' slot for 2 specialty slots due to Focused Specialist.  (I'm aware that the feat says you can't use this slot for any other purpose, but people use Precocious Apprentice + Fiery Burst, so there,)

You seemingly also get your specialty spell slot since the Focused Specialist bonus is in addition to normal specialty slots.  ("A specialist wizard can prepare one additional spell of her specialty school per spell level each day.")  If this is true, and I believe so, you don't need Focused Specialist:  Merely being a specialist will do.

Now there's the question of whether you'd get bonus L2 spells from high INT.  After all, if you qualify for Precocious Apprentice, you'd normally get at least 1 bonus L2 slot.  This says, "In addition to having a high ability score, a spellcaster must be of high enough class level to be able to cast spells of a given spell level."  That was also written before Precocoius Apprentice, which breaks norms and causes arguments.  I'd say you could, because you can cast L2 spells due to Precocious Apprentice.  This is a feat taken for a short-lived bonus.

(Italics intended.)

[snakeman830]

The reason Firey Burst works is because you aren't using the spell slot at all.  It just wants to know if you have a 2nd level or higher Fire spell that you haven't cast yet.  So long as you haven't attempted to cast that spell, the answer is that you do still have one available to cast.

[SorO_Lost]

Like most crap you've read on the forums, there is little rules supporting the concept of it.

"A specialist wizard can prepare one additional spell of her specialty school per spell level each day."
Prepare is a strong word to toss around. It goes beyond having a spell slot and includes things like validating your class level, ability to cast spells, spells in your spell book, and so on. If you read Precocious Apprentice closely, the first stage of the feat skips the Spell Preparation process, for instance you don't have to know the Spell to cast it even as a Sorcerer or have it in your Spellbook as a Wizard and certainly don't have to meet level requirements obviously.

The other part, Focused Specialist, also rams head on with the rules.
A. "You lose one spell slot from each level of wizard spells you can cast."
PA it's self clearly indicates it is not granting you the ability to cast 2nd level spells in the game term of requirements & prerequisites, FS's Replaces part does in fact check what you can and cannot cast so the Replaces is never validated.
B. "Benefit: You can prepare two additional spells of your specialty school per spell level each day."
There is that prepare word again which intent goes far beyond simply having a spell slot.

So no, it's not exactly a clear "win" for this combo there. In fact, you know how the general opinion of the forums says no to things like "UMD a Wand, I can cast 3rd level spells!" as you don't have a real ability to cast 3rd level spells? Or even prerequisites using the term "caster level" and such mean levels in a class and not that easily modified total (per dmg)? It's of no surprise that the FAQ contains the following:

If a 1st-level character takes the Precocious Apprentice feat, can he cast 2nd-level spells for the purposes of qualifying for a prestige class or meeting the prerequisites of a feat?
In the Sage’s opinion, the Precocious Apprentice feat would not help you qualify for a prestige class or feat because it gives you a chance at casting a 2nd-level spell, not the inherent ability to cast 2nd-level spells.

Which is the same thing, but official rules interpretation that can be quoted as saying PA is a shitty feat and people really need to stop trying to use it in stupid ways.

P.S. PA doesn't meet Fiery Burst's Prerequisite under intent or by the clause of PA either.

[PlzBreakMyCampaign]

In the Sage’s opinion, the Precocious Apprentice feat would not help you qualify for a prestige class or feat because it gives you a chance at casting a 2nd-level spell, not the inherent ability to cast 2nd-level spells.

If only there was some way to make it guaranteed, and therefore not a chance (unless everything is a chance and the word has no useful meaning).

jk, the sub is cheesy, because PA doesn't grant a normal slot.