How we handle metamagic feats - opinons?

[FungiMuncher]

Take a look at this quote from Sean Reynolds' site:

http://www.seankreynolds.com/rpgfiles/misc/PH_opinions_feats.html

Empower Spell: This and all metamagic feats should simply work differently because they're usually not worth the cost of the feat, especially as you have to pay twice to use the feats (you pay once by selecting the feat, and you pay again in terms of spell levels to use the feat). There are other feats that have a double-pay (namely Expertise and Power Attack), but the reward-for-cost exchange for those feats is higher than those of a metamagic feat (basically, it's a more linear relationship between attack rolls and damage or AC, whereas it's a more logarithmic relationship between spell levels).
Maybe you get one of metamagic per day "for free," maybe these feats shouldn't exist and these are just abilities that all spellcasters learn. I dunno.

Others in my group have complained about these feats in a similar way since 3e came out. One of the GMs came up with this idea:

When a character first takes a matamagic feat, he gains a number of "metamagic points" per day equal to his caster level. To use the feat, it costs a number of points equal to the spell level of the spell being modified. Zero level spells count as half a point. Taking another metamagic feat adds two points to his total.

Does that sound reasonable? Are there any other possible solutions to the issue?

FM

 

[las]

I think they work fine gust as they are in the book. I have not seen any problems with them.

Even made one of my own with the help of gamecat. If you wnat to look at it, its in the link at the bottom of my post. Its cald Stregthen spell.

 

[Firzair]

Hi FungiMuncher,
I did something like this, giving the spellcasters an amount of free metamagic levels equal to their spellcasterlevel. It's not that unbalancing especially for our high powered campaign (creatures get a feat every odd character level).
We also allow spontanous metamagic to be used with spells, but that increases casting time like for the sorcerer and deals an amount of subdual damage equal to the spell level increase squared (minimum 1 for 0 and 1 level increase, quicken spell doesn't increase casting time and deals an extra 4 points of subdual damage for a total of 20).
The subdual damage cannot be healed until the spell runs out (so a spontanous persistent shield deals 16 points of subdual damage, that can't be healed for 24 hours).
By that the feats are much more useful.

Greetings
Firzair