Metamagic feats

[DarFanor]

What is the general opinion of the metamagic set of feats? Are they a good choice for a wizard or a spontaneous caster or would using the component metamagic rules be better? The component rules allow you to use expensive components to power spells using the affects of metamagic feats without actually having them.

[nowayman10]

I am not a big fan of the base metamagic feats and do not believe I accually have ever used them. I prefer for atleast a wizard the sudden metamagic feats. Once a day add your sudden feat to a spell without raising its spell level. For a cleric I prefer the divine metamagic feat. Use turning attmepts to add on a metamagic feat to your spells.

[JJeff]

The metamagic feats can be useful in given situations and always help at a cost (the time increase, the extra levels etc) and have saved many experienced spell casters may a time.

The component metamagic is limited and requires a DM to be very careful to limit the availability of the exotic compnents. As this method changes the cost of a feat into mere cash penalties, it is up to the DM to balance the eventual disparity in cost. I mean if anyone can buy a Maximised fireball for 300gp a pop as long as you can cast a fireball already, who would ever want to think twice of doing it since it is not the same commitment as a feat. It's like cheapening the ability and may cause exploitation of the spells unless cash is hard to come by in your world.

[jj_wolven]

I am a fan of the sudden metamagic feats, the metamagic rods, and metamagic feats for spontaneous casters. I am not a fan of metamagic feats for prepared casters because I (personally) see it as a larger cost to them. I see using up a higher spell level as a double cost to them because they have to have it prepared in advance, where the sudden and spontaneous caster can apply it only when necessary.

-me

[DarFanor]

On the topic of metamagic rods I have a player that wants to create a quickened rod and I am haveing a hard time coming up with the proper cost for such a powerful item. Any ideas?

[jj_wolven]

There already is a quickened rod,

Price 35,000 gp (lesser), 75,500 gp (normal), 170,000 gp (greater).

-me

[DarFanor]

Huh, where did you find that? I was using the Complete Arcane book and only found rules for chaining, cooperation, sculpting, and substitution rods.

[nowayman10]

Its in the DMG under rod of metamagic quicken.

[DarFanor]

Darn this copy of 3.0 DMG!!

[loki_ragnarock]

No worries, mate.

As a member of this site you have access to the 3.5 SRD, which has most all you'll need.

[Stam]

I find www.d20srd.org tends to be better...if only for cross-referenced linkitude.

[DarFanor]

ok, So I have one vote against the component metamagic system. What do the rest of you think about it?

[nowayman10]

Since a wizard can make decent money in roleplaying situations with his magical skills I would have to say its a bad Idea or what would stop a wizard from just teleporting into a recently visited shop and taking the stuff to sell off and buy material components for quickening. All of my CN wizards would do it.

[Kholdstare]

He's right a first level sorcerer can do something like 3000 cu. ft. of laundry in 5 hours and at 1 cp /cu. ft. that is 6gp an hour so... a sorcerer doing laundry can actually make a fair amount of money and at 2nd level the same sorcerer can do 6 hours of laundry at the same rate so that is 36 gp per day. 36gp per day for a year is 13140gp a year just for doing laundry!! Then if he spent a quarter of that on components to extend his prestidigitation spell as th metamagic feat he could double the amount of money he makes in a year so I can see some real avuse opportunities in that kind of system if the components are commonplace.

[Cogadh Dearg]

I'm a fan of the metamagic feats - but don't listen to me, I rarely play such characters. I don't like the sound of these metamagic components, though - it seems too easy to abuse. As DM, I would limit those as much as unique weapons - you know, something to write home about.