What's wrong with metamagic in 3.5?
I'll go down the list.
Empower Spell: You're able to improve a low level spell's performance by 50% by casting it at 2 levels higher. This is never as good as casting the spell twice. Variables rolled tend to an average result somewhere in the middle, which means that your Empowered Fireball may do 45-50 points instead of around 30-35 and you're using a 5th level slot. It may seem like a pay-off when you roll high and do around 75 points damage, but there are 5th level spells that are often more effective and if you roll low and only get 15-20 damage, that is only increased to maybe an average result. This isn't nearly as effective as the higher level spell that cannot be prepared because of this.
Enlarge Spell: This one is probably one of the least useless of the metamagic feats, doubling range for an increase of only 1 level. However, combat spells tend to already have very good ranges, so the usefulness there is almost moot. Other spells with shorter ranges can always benefit from this, except for touch spells which can't be doubled anyway. Most spells with a short range are short ranged for a reason. Charm type spells for example require interaction with the caster. That can't happen if they are too far away.
Extend Spell: This is a good idea in theory and but is even more useless than most other metamagics. You're doubling duration for casting it 1 level higher. This is nothing that couldn't be solved by casting the spell a second time instead. A wizard with a ring of wizardry (or similar item) can use that item for a free second casting of ANY spell of a particular level and wouldn't need to spend one of his few feats on this.
Heighten Spell: This is the WORST of all metamagic feats. You prepare it at a higher level for all the benefits of casting it at a higher level. Why would a wizard spend a feat on this when they could do it on their own without wasting a feat? Spell research. They want a magic missile that can beat a globe of invulnerability, do the research. The wizard would end up with a spell that would be even better than the lower level spell while still doing the same thing.
Maximize Spell: The price on this is too expensive. It is utterly wasteful on any spell less than 3rd level and on any spell higher than 3rd level, the higher level slot that is getting taken over could be used for a spell that is more effective anyway. A maximized fireball might be demoralizing to an army of orcs, but it would be even more devastating when the leader of those orcs was disintegrated or turned to stone or if acid cloud, chain lightning or circle of death ripped through them!
Quicken Spell: Casting two spells in one round is an awesome thing for any wizard, but again the amount of spell level increase makes it too much to be worthwhile. A spell adjusted this way will be one of the highest level spells a mid level wizard can cast and seems rather anti-climatic or overkill to throw out a good 4th or 6th level spell and then snap out a 1st or 2nd right after it. It might be good for a surprise, to catch someone off guard, allow for a quick escape or something, but a dimension door would work better than a quickened expeditious retreat.
Silent and Still Spells: These are both neat ideas but shouldn't involve any level adjusting of the spell at all. The power level and function of the spell is not being adjusted one iota, it is only allowing the caster to disregard one of the components (verbal or somatic). This should be done by maybe extending the casting time to a full round or two rounds even or losing a slot of equal level at best.
Widen Spell: See comments on Maximize Spell.
The one factor that makes all these metamagics useless is that the caster can research spells at a higher level that would do these things and likely more since they would be a higher level. Yes, research takes time and money, but, honestly, how many different spells is a wizard going to empower or silence? Yes, it all depends on circumstance, but the wizard won't know that circumstance until he is already in it, then he better have the correct spell for the situation adjusted or his feat and the spell he prepared is useless. No, not only useless, but wasteful as a higher level spell more appropriate to the situation could have been used instead.
A lot of trouble could be avoid just by an extra casting of the spell that would be altered too, instead of adjusting it with metamagic and forfeiting being able to cast a more powerful spell.
The Sudden Metamagic feats nearly made me spit out what I was drinking when I read about them! Taking a feat to use another feat 1/day is...stupid! So what if you get to alter 1 spell without changing its level. Taking a feat (one of the 11--12 if human--possible feats a 20th level wizard would have) to alter just 1 spell a day is ludicrous. Yes, there are people who will say it only takes that 1 spell at the right time to make the difference. But how often does that happen? Still, if a wizard wants to use one of the few feats they get for adjusting 1 spell, 1/day, then I'm happy for them. Fighters don't take bonus feats that let them do one thing 1/day, I don't even think they have feats like that for fighters. Make the regular metamagic feats do what the Sudden feats do, in addition to their normal use, and more players might consider taking them if they are inclined to take them at all.
I've house ruled for my games that wizards that take metamagic feats get one free use of the feat per day--free of level adjustment. I've had plenty of wizards play but none of them have ever taken or wanted to take a metamagic feat, unless it was a mandatory requirement for another feat, ability or prestige class; and then, it was never used, only just to meet the requirement.
