Variant method of using Metamagic feats to augment spells

[DungeonmasterCal]

Ok... here's my proposed new house rule for spellcasters and metamagic feats. What do you think? Go on, I can take it.


House Rule for the Use of Metamagic Feats

Here is my attempt to make Metamagic feats more attractive for PC’s. Rather than having to use up spell levels to power the feats, a spellcaster can now cast spells augmented with Metamagic feats on the fly. The caster now gets a number of Metamagic slots per day equal to the primary spellcasting ability bonus plus ½ caster level (rounded down). For example, a 10th level wizard with an 18 Intelligence has 9 Metamagic slots available per day (5 for his level plus 4 for his Intelligence bonus).

To cast an augmented spell, the spellcaster simply declares his intent to do so, provided he possesses the metamagic feat or feats he wishes to use. For example, an empowered spell uses up a spell slot two levels higher than the spell’s actual level, and an enlarged spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell’s actual level. With the new rule, the character simply spends 3 of his Metamagic slots to cast the spell with the chosen augmentations. Spent Metamagic slots are regained in the same manner as spent spells.

If a character has more than one spellcasting class, such as cleric/wizard, the same new rule applies, although the primary spellcasting ability bonus for each class still comes into play. For example, a multiclassed cleric/wizard (4/4) with a 16 Wisdom and an 18 Intelligence receives Metamagic slots in this manner: 2 + 3 slots for cleric spells, 2+4 slots for wizard spells.

Casting augmented spells in this manner does have a drawback, however. All spellcasters must spend the first round preparing the augmentation(s), and then casting the spell on his next turn in the initiative queue. Sorcerers already have to do this, so this drawback doesn’t affect them. The exception to this are spells with a casting time of swift or immediate. These spells can be cast in the same round the caster chooses to apply feats to the spell, but take an standard action instead (this applies to sorcerers, as well).

 

[Arkhandus]

Hrm.

First, this makes it fairly pointless to NOT take metamagic feats. It's more a drawback to casters who don't want to spend their feats that way, than it is a boon to those who do.

Second, it isn't clear if your houserule prevents prepared casters from normally preparing their spells with metamagic as normal. So I don't know if these metamagic slots stack with normal use of metamagic, or if it's meant to completely replace the normal method of applying metamagic.

Third, it isn't clear if this does away with the normal limitations against, for instance, Maximizing a 9th-level spell. Do the normal limitations on the maximum spell slot level increase apply for these metamagic slots? Also, does houserule basically eliminate the Quicken Spell feat and its functionality?

Lastly, of course, this is nonetheless a significant power boost to casters with metamagic feats. Say hello to an awful lot of Extended or Empowered or Persistent spells every day!

Oh, and if this does completely replace normal metamagic use, then casters are actually less likely to waste Maximize Spell or Empower Spell, if they have to spend an extra round casting them and will cut into the total number of Extended or Persistant buffs and summons they can have active each day.

Just pointing out what seems to need some attention.

 

[DungeonmasterCal]

Thanks...I'll take a look at it again in the light of mid-afternoon!

 

[Spatzimaus]

Ok... here's my proposed new house rule for spellcasters and metamagic feats. What do you think? Go on, I can take it.

It's very similar to what I've been using for the hybrid Wizard/Cleric class within my homebrew, with a few slight differences. Here's what we had, for comparison.
> Wizards can use metamagic starting at level 2, when they select a free level 1 Metaform: Heighten I, Empower I, Enhance I, or Extend I. (I'll explain these below.)
> A Wizard gains a number of Metamagic Points (MPs) per day equal to his class level plus his primary spellcasting stat modifier (WIS for us, INT for you; in your example, you'd get 10+4.)
> Using a level N metaform costs N MPs and disables that metaform for N rounds. (So, you can't Maximize two spells in a row.)
> You can only use one metaform on any given spell. (No stacking them.)
> Casting times increase as for the core rules for Sorcerer. (see below; in most cases this means a Full-Round Action.)

> It's not 1 Feat per Metaform any more. Instead, it goes like this:
Expanded Metamagic: Select two level metaforms no higher than level 1. This feat may be taken multiple times; each successive time, the maximum level of the metaforms increases by 1.
Prepared Metamagic: You can memorize spells with the metamagic built-in, as 3E, by using a slot N levels higher than normal. This doesn't consume MPs, disable metaforms, or increase casting time.
We've also got a "Metamastery" Feat that reduces the metaform disable time to 1dN rounds and shrinks the casting time back down to normal, but we're still balancing it.

Metaforms: We've got a list of 48, of levels 1-4 (although 10 of them are "shaping" metaforms to turn our system's standard elemental "bolt" spells into the various balls, chains, lines, bursts, etc. that the core rules use for everything; think of the Warlock rules for this). Generally speaking the level is just how many levels the spell increased under the core rules, with a few exceptions: there are no level 0 metaforms (Substitution is changed to level 1 and is more limited now), and Delay is 4 instead of +3.
Heighten is split into Heighten I (+1 to spell level for DC and penetrating Globes of Resistance), Heighten II (+2 to spell level), etc. And yes, you can put Heighten IV on a level 9 spell to get a "level 13 spell" (which just means its DC gets huge)
Empower forms increase any variable effects by 1-4 die sizes (so a 10d6 fireball becomes 10d8 with Empower I)
Enhance forms increase the caster level of the spell by 2/4/6/8, and this increase can exceed any level-based caps (so a 10d6 fireball becomes 12d6 with Enhance I, plus has a slightly longer range)
Extend Metaforms multiply the duration of a spell by 2/4/6/10 (meaning Extend I equals the old Extend Spell, and Extend IV is Persistent Spell)
and Quicken has forms at I, III, and IV:
Quicken I reduces a spell's casting time down to 1 Standard Action if it was a full-round action; if it required a "1 round" casting time, it's down to a full-round action. This form does not increase the casting time of a spell (since that's what it's specifically designed to counteract).
Quicken III reduces a spell's casting time to a Move Action if it was a Standard or Full-Round Action before, "1 round" becomes a Standard Action, and anything longer is cut in half.
Quicken IV is just like III except anything requiring a Standard or Full-Round Action now becomes a Free Action (limit 1 per round as usual).

One side note:

All spellcasters must spend the first round preparing the augmentation(s), and then casting the spell on his next turn in the initiative queue. Sorcerers already have to do this, so this drawback doesn’t affect them.

As has been pointed out many times, this is NOT how Sorcerers already work. Metamagic changes their spells to a Full-Round Action (meaning you can't move and cast), NOT to a casting time of "1 round" (where the spell doesn't come into effect until the next turn).

 

[Vrecknidj]

I like the simplicity of the mechanic, in terms of how many points and how to spend them. I'm not sure if it's too much flexibility. It may make those feats too powerful.

Dave

 

[DungeonmasterCal]

I like the simplicity of the mechanic, in terms of how many points and how to spend them. I'm not sure if it's too much flexibility. It may make those feats too powerful.

Dave

I reckon that's where playtestin' comes in! Thanks for the input. I'm mulling the Quicken Spell issue over.

 

[Spatzimaus]

I'm not sure if it's too much flexibility. It may make those feats too powerful.

I have to say, having played with the system I mentioned above, it's not as powerful as you might think.

First, the limit on number of points per day REALLY hurts. In my system, that hypothetical level 10 Wizard with 18 INT would have 14 points per day. A quicken costs 4 points; a maximize costs 3. Those points run out REALLY fast. In the OP's version, he'd only have 9 points, even worse; count how much metamagic your players use in the course of one day, and you'll see how big of a negative this is.

Then, look at the other drawbacks I mentioned: first, you can only use one metaform at a time (no Maximized Empowered Heightened Still Silent spells). This one's essential, I think; it's just too abuseable otherwise. And second, by disabling the metaform for N rounds, the +4 metaforms become like your level 9 spells; you only get one or two per fight, but they make a huge difference when they come out. In fact, they're sort of like a dragon's breath weapon in practice; there's not really a downside to using it when it's recharged, but you want to pick the right time. (The +1s, on the other hand, you can almost use with impunity.)
The OP didn't have these drawbacks, although his casting time limit was harsher than mine.

That's a big part of why my group goes 2-for-1 on metamagic feats (one feat gives you two metaforms, although you have to work your way up to the big ones) and gets a free metaform at class level 2; no one would take something expensive like Persistent Spell if they only got a couple uses per day of it at most, and that only if you didn't use any other metamagic. In practice, most players took one or two "use often" forms like Empower mixed with a bunch of "special case" forms (Still, Silent) and maybe one expensive form for when you really, really need to empty a room in one shot. That way, you could use almost all your points for the empowers but save a few for emergencies.