What's the logic behind Sudden metamagic prereqs?

[StreamOfTheSky]

Alternatively, make them like the luck feats, where each Sudden feat gives you a daily point to spend on sudden feats, in addition to a new sudden metamagic to use. Some would take more than one point to use, because they're flatly better (though most should cost 1, and none more than 2 or 3). Alternatively, the best ones like Sudden Quicken could still be limited to one use per day (as some of the best luck feats are). You could also make a feat that gives no new sudden metamagic, but instead gives 2 or 3 extra points, something the luck feats also have.

The luck feats being in Complete Scoundrel, if you have no idea what I'm talking about.

 

[MichaelK]

That's a good idea. I like the luck feats, though I've never had an opportunity to use them.

 

[kitsune9]

Hey there,

I don't get the logic behind the prerequisites for the Sudden metamagic feats in Complete Arcane.

The Sudden feats don't raise the spell level, and at first it seemed to me that it used a prerequisite of one or more metamagic feats as a way of making the character "pay" to get a Sudden feat that applies to a better metamagic effect. This is not consistently the case, however. Below is the list of the core metamagic feats and the number of spell levels by which they raise a spell's slot when they are applied to it.

Empower: +2
Enlarge: +1
Extend: +1
Heighten: +1 per +1 to caster level
Maximize: +3
Quicken: +4
Silent: +1
Still: +1
Widen: +3

Okay, now here are the prereqs for those Sudden feats:

Sudden Empower: Prereq: Any metamagic feat
Sudden Extend: No prereq
Sudden Maximize: Prereq: Any metamagic feat
Sudden Quicken: Prereqs: Quicken Spell, Sudden Empower, Sudden Extend, Sudden Maximize, Sudden Silent, Sudden Still
Sudden Silent: No prereq
Sudden Still: No prereq
Sudden Widen: No prereq

So Sudden Extend, Silent, and Still have no prereqs, which may correspond to the core feat raising spell level by 1. Sudden Empower and Maximize require one other metamagic feat as a prerequisite, which may correspond to the core feat raising spell level by 2 and 3, respectively. But why does Sudden Widen, which corresponds to a feat that raises spell level by 3, have no prerequisite?

I don't get this. Also, just an opinion: I think the prereqs for Sudden Quicken are pretty silly; I mean, the core Quicken Spell, sure, and other feats, fine, but every Sudden feat except Sudden Widen? It just means you have a be a "Sudden Master" to get this. I could get into some alternatives, but that's not the point of my post, so sorry for the digression.

Anyway, does someone see a pattern to these Sudden prereqs that I'm missing? How is Sudden Widen not a vastly better choice that any of the other Sudden feats that have no prerequisites?

I can only surmise it was WotC's attempt at balance issues, but yes, I'm in the same boat with you and don't understand their choice on it.