[RPG] Does Spell Perfection allow Quicken Spell to reduce a spell’s casting time

featsmetamagicpathfinder-1espells

The Quicken Spell metamagic feat lets you cast certain spells as a swift action (instead of a standard action). This causes the spell's slot to increase by +4 levels.

The Spell Perfection feat has several benefits, including the following:

Pick one spell which you have the ability to cast. Whenever you cast that spell you may apply any one metamagic feat you have to that spell without affecting its level or casting time, as long as the total modified level of the spell does not use a spell slot above 9th level.

The text says "affecting" the casting time, rather than "increasing". So how does this interact with Quicken Spell, which normally reduces the casting time?

Can the spell be cast as a swift action (as per Quicken) without the +4 spell slot increase?

Or is the spell's casting time unchanged, thereby negating the benefits of Quicken Spell?

Best Answer

The rules, as written, are written poorly. Yes, Spell Perfection negates the benefit of Quicken Spell. Which is complete and utter nonsense, and should be ignored. Even if, and I very much doubt it, Paizo intended Spell Perfection to negate the benefit of Quicken Spell, that’s stupid and should be ignored. Special, counter-intuitive exceptions like that should be called out explicitly in the text, and usually are; RAW that’s not actually necessary here, but applying a little bit of context here suggests it normally would be and its absence is glaring.