D&D 5E Metamagic as Feat

[the Jester]

Honestly, if I was going to move metamagic out of the "sorcerer class feature" position, I'd just move it into the spell system as upcasting options, e.g. any spell with a fixed duration can have that duration increased by x amount per slot level higher used to cast it. I'm actually fairly disappointed that 5e didn't do this out the gate; it seems to me like a very natural extension of the way e.g. damage has changed to rely on slot level.

I also think there are a few spells that could be combined into one with upcasting notes (invisibility and greater invisibility come to mind).

I honestly don't see feats as a great place to put 5e metamagic unless you model it on Martial Adept and leave sorcerers' metamagic in place.

 

[MoonSong]

@vincegetorix :
Before you proceed, take into account that metamagic wasn't meant to be included in the game at all. The spellcasting system in 5e is too flexible and the power gap between casters and non-casters isn't allowed to grow too big. If you want to include metamagic in the game, you have to reduce the power gap, which means you have to either buff martials or do something to reduce spellcaster power. (Sorcerers were allowed metamagic by virtue of having a very weakened chassis. )

One way to have metamagic in the game is to instead of having metamagic feats, have metamagicked versions of the spells on a higher level. Have these versions cost a prepared spell (and one spot on the spellbook). You can have a quick fireball on fifth level, an extended silent image on second level, and so on. Also certain spells with concentration -such as Haste- shouldn't be able to be twinned.

In short, it is not enough that you have removed the sorcerer, you still have to find a way to reduce the power wizards so they can use metamagic without breaking the game.

 

[Li Shenron]

I wonder why everyone wants always to take metamagic from the Sorcerer, how about instead a feat called "Spellbook user": take the feat, and you are able to scribe spells into a spellbook at the same costs as a Wizard, and then you can cast spells you have scribed as if they were "known spells" for you.

 

[Bacon Bits]

I wonder why everyone wants always to take metamagic from the Sorcerer,

Because metamagic is the only mechanically interesting element of the Sorcerer class. Everything else is flavor-based, so it's fairly fungible. Sorcerer's limited spells known and limited spell list make the class fairly narrow. In short, metamagic is the only depth offered to a generally shallow mechanical design. It's the bit worth saving.

 

[Todd Roybark]

I wonder why everyone wants always to take metamagic from the Sorcerer, how about instead a feat called "Spellbook user": take the feat, and you are able to scribe spells into a spellbook at the same costs as a Wizard, and then you can cast spells you have scribed as if they were "known spells" for you.

Wait, you mean like the Ritual Caster Feat?

The Feat does exactly what you just detailed above.

I understand you love the Sorcerer and seem to feel, any questioning of the class is akin to a personal attack. I respect your passion, I really do.

Since, however, some people like to play with alternative class mechanics, do we need a full bodied response in every thread that brings up the Sorcerer ?

doctorbadwolf, has a “let’s change the Bard “ thread. I happen to think the Bard is fine, so out of respect to his wishes to have an alternative mechanics discussion for the class, I am staying out of it.

Respectfully, human being to human being, if a Person Wants to Have a Thread about adapting Metamagic to other classes, would you be willing to sit the thread out?

I don’t want you, or any advocate of the Sorcerer, to feel left out, picked on, or maligned, but having any discussion that brings up a class feature for the Sorcerer devolve into the same old discussion actually censors and prohibits a topic: homebrewing alternative mechanics, that can be had vis a vis any other class, other than the Sorcerer, it seems.

Again I am not trying to be rude, but not all threads have to be for all viewpoints.

Live Long and Prosper!

 

[MoonSong]

Because metamagic is the only mechanically interesting element of the Sorcerer class. Everything else is flavor-based, so it's fairly fungible. Sorcerer's limited spells known and limited spell list make the class fairly narrow. In short, metamagic is the only depth offered to a generally shallow mechanical design. It's the bit worth saving.

But you have it backwards, the sorcerer is limited mechanically because it has to leave room for metamagic. Not the other way around. Metamagic isn't a fluke of otherwise bad design, it is the main design constraint of the class -why else do you think that every other feature on sorcerer subclasses interacts with sorcery points? it is intentional!-. If you want it on another class, that class has to be as limited as the sorcerer is. Well, maybe not as limited - the sorcerer was put together at the eleventh hour and designers erred on the side of underpowered-, but still significatively more restrained. There is no room for metamagic on the wizard, nor on the cleric or druid. Adding it to them is nothing but powercreep for powercreep sake.

As I told to @vincegetorix to have metamagic on other casters, you need to strip away features off them. The feat subsystem isn't appropriate for it.