D&D 5E Metamagic for wizards not for sorcerers?

[delph]

After some thinking about metamagic I'm wondering why it have sorcerers and no wizards?
As I understand wizards as men who learning how to use, handle, work with magic in the smallest details. Then it made me a sense to give them the ability to made theirs spell empowered, quickened, subtle,... They know how they work then they should know how to change them.

Sorcerers "cast just for fun" Nobody teach them, they can be really stupid, but hey they can change spell "at will".

I'd like to see metamagic for wizards and sorcerers got something more from their ancestry. Be much powerfull in close segment of their magic (elemental magic for dragon ancestry, choosing wildmagic effects for wildmagic sorcerers etc.)

 

[Coroc]

Nope - In D&D wizards in former editions often had lawful alignment attached to them e.g. Mystra is Lawful neutral or at best neutral. They are connected with science and learning.
See it as: They learn exactly how to cast, the precise recitations and gestures, amount and kind of components. There is no uncertainty in precise formulas. They do not learn variations.

The metamagic is - although it got precise "metagaming" rules to describe in a useful way what is going on - highly chaotic. The sorcerer spends a mysterious resource called sorcerer points, to alter his inborn magic abilities. E.g. he does not follow exact rules, to put into roleplaying context maybe he takes some more of a component, casts with a louder voice or puts an inner emotion into his act of casting.
That is not the clean cold precise way of the wizard.
Again do not mistake the very precise rules of metamagic as being a precise thing in game. They are just a tool to depict the thing in an abstract way, like HP which in game does not make sense at all.

 

[Aldarc]

In my experience, music theorists aren't the best at actually doing music. But when it comes to the wizard, people are always eager and ready to give wizards everything while depriving other mages of anything because "a wizard should just know how to...X"

 

[Horwath]

maybe we could get wizard specialization in metamagic.
Something like 3.5e Incantatrix prestige class.

 

[delph]

In my experience, music theorists aren't the best at actually doing music. But when it comes to the wizard, people are always eager and ready to give wizards everything while depriving other mages of anything because "a wizard should just know how to...X"

one point of view, but I offer second - educated chemist do better explosive, than pyroman who just found some flamable things...

Nope - In D&D wizards in former editions often had lawful alignment attached to them e.g. Mystra is Lawful neutral or at best neutral. They are connected with science and learning.
See it as: They learn exactly how to cast, the precise recitations and gestures, amount and kind of components. There is no uncertainty in precise formulas. They do not learn variations.

The metamagic is - although it got precise "metagaming" rules to describe in a useful way what is going on - highly chaotic. The sorcerer spends a mysterious resource called sorcerer points, to alter his inborn magic abilities. E.g. he does not follow exact rules, to put into roleplaying context maybe he takes some more of a component, casts with a louder voice or puts an inner emotion into his act of casting.
That is not the clean cold precise way of the wizard.
Again do not mistake the very precise rules of metamagic as being a precise thing in game. They are just a tool to depict the thing in an abstract way, like HP which in game does not make sense at all.

I have adage - You have to know rules, to be able to break them.

So it doesn't make me a sense - wizards are learning how to cast spell with using precision verbal, somatic or material components and never noticed when they say it loudly/use more compounds/etc it will be stronger/distant/twined (and in process of learning I believe they do many "mistakes" in that way)? When you do it wrong it doesn't work. Or it work better.

It could be ability in tier 3 (you should be master to do it)... and Sorcerer can use their Sorcerer points to "turn spells in their domain" Made fireball as lighting/thunder/acid, ..., Broke enemies resistance/immunity (your fire is dragon fire not common/etc), maybe get some free uses of spells representing their source of power.

 

[Aldarc]

one point of view, but I offer second - educated chemist do better explosive, than pyroman who just found some flamable things...

So in other words, more of what I said: non-wizard mages aren't allowed to have nice things because people will always find excuses to rationalize why wizards should be the best at everything magical.

 

[cbwjm]

I would prefer that metamagic be available for all spellcasting classes however the current system provides sorcerers with few spells and the ability to twist them which I think is a decent way to differentiate them from wizards, narrow spell list but able to do more with what they have.

If I was going to bring metamagic back to wizards then I'd use 2e as a guide and create metamagic spells that allow you to alter a spell with a certain effect, essentially burning two spell slots to do something like throw a fireball twice as far. This fits in more with my perception of the wizard who would research and craft spells to solve a problem.

 

[delph]

So in other words, more of what I said: non-wizard mages aren't allowed to have nice things because people will always find excuses to rationalize why wizards should be the best at everything magical.

No, as you can see, I offer some ways how to handle with some nice magic stuff related to sorcerers power origin. But metamagic, as it wrote, is pure work with spells, and I feel it like wizard stuff. You can use it to any spell and it doesn't have anything to do with sorcerer power origin.

what about wild magic - you can use your SP to choose what will do in wild magic effect. That will be fun, and usefull to. With Bend luck you'll be really game maker.

 

[Aldarc]

So what are wizards losing to gain metamagic?

 

[Minigiant]

I see it sense in either way.

Pro-Metamagic Sorcerer

• A wizard would not use meta magic for a more damaging fireball. They'd create a new fire spell.
• A sorcerer can't create new spells. They'd focus on altering the spells they do have

Pro-Metamagic Wizard

• A wizard knows the rules to magic. They'd be able to change spells.
• A socerer doesn't understand magic in the same depth. They'd evoke ttheir sorcery as magical effects and not actual spells.