Do You Use Metamagic Feats?

[Kat']

Oh, you can get pretty interesting combinations at low levels. Fell Weaken is quite funny - Fell Weaken Acid Splash for example deals minor damage and -4 Str penalty, which stacks with the one from Ray of Enfeeblement. Not much low-CR monsters are that efficient with more or less 8 points Strength penalty. Fell Weaken Acid Splash means a negative level for a 2nd level slot... more than nice at low levels. And Extend Spell is bread and butter for low-level clerics.

 

[eamon]

How do these options stack up against rods? I usually only play low-ish to medium level (Highest ever being 13, once), but a rod of extend is cheap cheap even at 8th level, for what it does (such as convert a greater mage armor into a basically all day buff, as opposed to 8hrs), and you might get some use out of a rod of enlarge too. You could use the extend rod on the wizards version of greater magic weapon, too, or the cleric's magic vestment.

A rod of lesser empower is only 9k, which can be very useful for fireballs and the like around those levels, for around a quarter of your wealth around 8-10th level.

So why take sudden metamagic, anyhow? Is there nothing better?

BTW, is it possible to combine several rods in one casting? Somehow, the idea of a quicken rod, combined with an empowered rod strikes me as a little overkill, so probably not. (In any case, I think the quicken rod is a little odd flavor-wise, but that's just me).

OK, just answered my own question, Metamagic Rods are limited to one rod per casting - but there's no limitation on combining them with other magic amplification devices, say, such as the uber-cheep arcanist's gloves or whatnot.

 

[Thanee]

Absolutely, yes. Mostly as a sorcerer, though (Empower, Heighten, Silent, etc).

Bye
Thanee

 

[Plane Sailing]

My standard sorcerers have used them all the time. The bread-and-butter of sorcererness IMO.

 

[Pinotage]

Oh, you can get pretty interesting combinations at low levels. Fell Weaken is quite funny - Fell Weaken Acid Splash for example deals minor damage and -4 Str penalty, which stacks with the one from Ray of Enfeeblement. Not much low-CR monsters are that efficient with more or less 8 points Strength penalty. Fell Weaken Acid Splash means a negative level for a 2nd level slot... more than nice at low levels. And Extend Spell is bread and butter for low-level clerics.

Well, you say that, but then having to give up a 2nd level spell like Bull's Strength to Extend a 1st level spell is not always a good trade off, particularly since you get so few spells at that level. You want to make sure your higher level ones get used. I suppose it's easier for clerics, but for wizards I'm almost never tempted by metamagic feats at lower levels because the higher level spells are almost always better.

I'm not familiar with Fell Weaken, though. Still, it sounds like it's a 2 level bump? That means you inflict 1d3 damage and a negative level for a 2nd level spell? Against CR 2 opponents that doesn't seem worth it. You'd get better use out of something like Sudden Extend and Flaming Sphere, for example.

Pinotage

 

[wayne62682]

I've never used them. It's almost never worth giving up a higher spell slot to cast a slightly-more-powerful lower level spell.

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

I commonly use them now, but my DM changed how they work. In his campaign, meta-magic feats are used spontaneously (3x/day), and do not change the actual spell level (though you still need to be able to cast a spell of the level it would have been under the original rules. E.g., a cleric can not cast a quickened Bless until he can cast 5th level spells; but when he does cast it, it's still only a first level spell).

And spontaneous casters have no increased casting time, so the meta-magic feats are great for spontaneous casters who decide what to cast on the fly.

 

[Sqwonk]

I commonly use them now, but my DM changed how they work. In his campaign, meta-magic feats are used spontaneously (3x/day), and do not change the actual spell level (though you still need to be able to cast a spell of the level it would have been under the original rules. E.g., a cleric can not cast a quickened Bless until he can cast 5th level spells; but when he does cast it, it's still only a first level spell).

That is the alt metamagic rules from Unearthed Arcana. I really like the idea that you can decide at the time which spell to extend/enlarge/quicken - rather than memorizing

And spontaneous casters have no increased casting time, so the meta-magic feats are great for spontaneous casters who decide what to cast on the fly.

That is an alt rule from PH2 (I think). Sorcs can do that instead of getting a familiar.

 

[Deset Gled]

Silent Spell is a must have for any player whose DM uses Silence to foil casters. Still is always good to keep on hand in case you get grappled or otherwise imobilized. I am also a huge fan of Chained Dispel Magic.

 

[Wolfwood2]

Empower is a great feat for a 6th level sorcerer.

It lets you put an applicable lower-level damage spell to good use. Always a winner.