Meta-magic Feats

[Cyri'kazzen the Drow]

Hey all.

I am currently at an impasse concerning meta-magic feats and how they work. Namely I have a question about their flexibility. Does a wizard have to prepare a meta-magic spell beforehand, or can he change one of his spells on the fly in accordance to a certain situation.

For instance, a 10th level wizard has Fireball and sees the opportunity to Empower it in a certain situation. Can he simply empower it during the battle and cast it erasing one of his 5th level spells? Or does he have to study it and have an Empowered Fireball planned that takes up a 5th level slot?

Thanks in advance.

 

[LokiDR]

All metamagic spells must be prepared in the slot they are to be cast at for a wizard, cleric, or druid.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

For instance, a 10th level wizard has Fireball and sees the opportunity to Empower it in a certain situation. Can he simply empower it during the battle and cast it erasing one of his 5th level spells? Or does he have to study it and have an Empowered Fireball planned that takes up a 5th level slot?

What you want, my friend, is a sorcerer.

 

[the Jester]

Yep, a wizard has to prepare them in advance whereas a sorcerer has to spend a full round action to metamagic a spell. A fair tradeoff, I think.

 

[AuraSeer]

Does a wizard have to prepare a meta-magic spell beforehand, or can he change one of his spells on the fly in accordance to a certain situation.

Wizards must apply the feat beforehand, when the spell is originally prepared. This is true for all classes who prepare spells (clerics, rangers, druids, assassins, etc).

A spontaneous caster, like a sorcerer or bard, need not apply the feat until he actually casts the spell. The extra complexity turns the casting into a full-round action, instead of a standard action.

Note that when a cleric converts another spell to a cure (or inflict) on the fly, he's temporarily acting like a spontaneous caster. In that case he can apply a metamagic feat at casting time, the same as a sorcerer does. (For instance, a cleric with the Maximize Spell feat could give up a 4th-level air walk to cast a Maximized cure light wounds.)

 

[LokiDR]

Re: Re: Meta-magic Feats

Note that when a cleric converts another spell to a cure (or inflict) on the fly, he's temporarily acting like a spontaneous caster. In that case he can apply a metamagic feat at casting time, the same as a sorcerer does. (For instance, a cleric with the Maximize Spell feat could give up a 4th-level air walk to cast a Maximized cure light wounds.)

Do you have a citation on that? I thought it was unclear.

 

[Maitre Du Donjon]

Re: Re: Re: Meta-magic Feats

Do you have a citation on that? I thought it was unclear.

PHB p. 78 under Spontaneous casting and metamagic feats: Clerics spontaneously casting cure of inflict spells can cast metamagic versions of them. For instance, an 11th-level cleric can swap out a prepared 6th-level spell to cast an empowered cure critical wounds.

Maitre D

 

[daemonslye]

Along this same thread - A quick clarification re:
Arcane Preparation feat (dont have the books with me):

1. A sorcerer could prepare a silenced fireball
at the start of the day.

2. Then after a battle (perhaps where he used his
meta'ed fireball), could said sorcerer then spent
a modicum of time (is a full hour necessary?) to prepare
another silenced fireball?

It is a *major* hassle to direct a spell (particularly an
AOE spell) at the beginning of one round only to find that
when it takes effect next round everyone has moved
away (or your buddies have strayed into the field).
C'est la vie.

~D

 

[Pax]

It is a *major* hassle to direct a spell (particularly an
AOE spell) at the beginning of one round only to find that
when it takes effect next round everyone has moved
away (or your buddies have strayed into the field).
C'est la vie.

~D

Sorceror metamagcis don't work that way; Full-round action != 1 Round Casting time.

Your metamagicked spell goes off on yoru action, right away. You are simplylimited to a 5' step for that round.

Not your fault; it's a common misconception.

 

[AuraSeer]

It is a *major* hassle to direct a spell (particularly an
AOE spell) at the beginning of one round only to find that
when it takes effect next round everyone has moved
away (or your buddies have strayed into the field).

This is a common misinterpretation of the rule. A spell that requires a full-round action is different from a spell with a casting time of one round.

A spell such as a summon monster has a casting time of one entire round. These are the spells that don't take effect until the caster's next turn.

This is not what happens when a sorcerer casts a metamagic spell. The casting takes a full-round action-- he can't take a move action while doing it-- but the spell still goes off on his same turn. No one else gets a turn during the casting; you need not worry about people moving into or out of the area.