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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ChrisHaines" data-source="post: 2257703" data-attributes="member: 32216">I don't think I'm the only player frustrated with the Metamagic feats in 3.x. From what I have observed playing D&D, no one really ever picks them. So I decided to design a mechanic for them that made the metamagic system apealling but balanced. I have played with this system for a while and I feel it works very well.First, all metamagic feats are consolidated into one feat: Use MetamagicPrerequisite - SpellcasterBenefit - You gain the ability to apply metamagic effects to spells you cast by making a successful Spellcraft check. The caster must make a Spellcraft check every time they wish to modify a spell being cast with any of the following Metamagic enhancements. The DC of the Spellcraft check is 20 + five times the Spell’s level (0th level spells always have a base DC of 20) + any modifiers form the table below. A single spell may be modified by more than one effect. A single spell may not be enhanced by a total modifier of more than the PC’s Caster Level. This means that a PC with a caster level of 4 can only use Metamagic that has modifiers up to a total of 4. If the check fails, but not by more than 5, the spell is cast without the Metamagic enhancements. If the check fails by more than 5, then the spell is miscast and lost. Hardened Modifier +4 Any attempt to dispel the PC’s magic is done so at a penalty of –4. Restrain Modifier +2 Any damage done by a spell is subdual damage. Touch to Ray Modifier +4 Spells with a Range of Touch can be converted to a Ray witha Range of Close. Disguise Modifier +4 Anyone attempting to identify a spell being cast with this metamagic makes Spellcraft rolls with a penalty of –10. Empower Modifier +6 Any random numeric effects of the spell are increased by 1.5, rounded down. Enlarge Modifier +2 The spells numeric Range is doubled. Extend Modifier +4 The spells numeric duration is doubled. Heighten Modifier +2/Level increase The spells effective level is increased, increasing the DC to save. Quicken Modifier +8 The spells casting time is reduced as follows: full round action to standard action, and standard action to free action. Any spell that takes more than a full round action to cast has its casting time reduced by half, rounded up. The caster may only cast one spell as a free action in a round. Silent Modifier +2 The spell can be cast without any Verbal components. Still Modifier +2 The spell can be cast without any Somatic components. Cooperate Modifier +2 This metamagic is used when there is more than one caster attempting to cast the same spell against the same target. All casters must be within stepping distance of one another. All casters must hold their action until the last caster makes his or her metamagic roll, then each caster may perform the spell. For each additional Spellcaster casting the spell, the caster level of each spell goes up by 1 and the DC of each spell goes up by 2. Delay Modifier +2 The caster may cause the effect of the spell being cast to be delayed by up to 5 rounds. Energy Substitution Modifier +4 The type of energy produced can be changed to any other element as follows: heat (fire), cold, electricity, force (concussive), sonic, corrosive(acid), positive energy, or negative energy. Eschew Modifier +2 The spell can be cast without a material component as long as the component is valued at less than 10GP. Sculpt Modifier +4 The caster can alter the Area of Effect to Ball(20’ radius), Cylinder(10’ radius, 30’ high), Line(60’ Range and 10’ wide), or Cone(40’ Range).The caster can also change the shape of the area of effect of the spell to avoid harming allies, but each target avoided adds a +2 modifier to the DC. Widen Modifier +6 The spells Area of Effect is increased by 1.5 times. I removed Maximize because I felt that in combination with Empower it became too powerful.Casting a spell with metamagic does not change the casting time for any class, unless you are using the Quicken modifier. To balance it I put the caster level cap on the modifier. To show expertise with metamagic I created two new feats. Metamagic FocusPrerequisite - Use MetamagicBenefit - You treat your caster level as 2 higher for purposes of adding modifiers when using metamagic. Greater Metamagic FocusPrerequisite - Metamagic FocusBenefit - You treat your caster level 4 higher instead of 2 higher for purposes of adding modifiers when using metamagic. This allows a 1st level caster to cast a 1st level spell with metamagic, though they would have a minimum DC of 27 to do so. I set the base DC rather high because I allowed magic items that could increase your Spellcraft by up to a +10. I discovered I had to be very careful with that skill or the whole mechanic was shot.</blockquote>

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