3.5: Metamagic Feat?

[Diarmuid]

Not sure if I'm misremembering, but is there a feat that lets you make a specific metamagic feat easier to apply?

Something along the lines of: "Choose a MM feat you know, that MM costs 1 less." Probably has something about not being able to reduce it to less than +1.

Looking to play a little with MM feats in a short game I'm making a char for. 5th level, preferably no cheese, so that puts a hefty limit on availabale options. MM School Focus is obvious, have to check on prices for lesser MM rods, but I'm guessing the Fell XXX MM feats dont have rods associated with them.

[Malachei]

Arcane Thesis does it with a spell.

I think Practical Metamagic is what you are looking for. It is applicable to spontaneously cast spells only, though.

[Flickerdart]

Easy Metamagic, Dragon #325. Can't reduce below 1.

[Tyndmyr]

Not sure if I'm misremembering, but is there a feat that lets you make a specific metamagic feat easier to apply?

Something along the lines of: "Choose a MM feat you know, that MM costs 1 less." Probably has something about not being able to reduce it to less than +1.


This feat is known as Easy Metamagic, and can be found in Dragon 325.

Edit: Swordsaged!

[Douglas]

There are two feats that to exactly that: Easy Metamagic, and Practical Metamagic.

Easy Metamagic has essentially no prerequisites and works for everyone, but it's from a relatively obscure and often banned source - Dragon Magazine (specifically issue #325).

Practical Metamagic is in Races of the Dragon, but is a lot harder to qualify for. Its prereqs pretty strongly restrict it to spontaneous casters with a dragon-related race.

[Diarmuid]

I think Easy is what I was thinking of and now I see why I wasnt able to find it. Our group doesnt use Dragon Magazine so it was outside the scope of the materials I was seacrhing through.

I'll have a look through Practical MM, but I'm not sure it's going to be worth it simply because going from Wiz to Sorc at 5th level would mean losing 3rd level spells.

Thanks everyone.

[Douglas]

If you're building for level 5 and not expecting to go higher, Practical Metamagic is useless without some early qualification shenanigans - the prereqs can't normally be met until level 6.

A wizard using the Spontaneous Divination ACF from Complete Mage could qualify, and would do so at level 5, but you'd still need to somehow gain a general feat at level 5.

[Malachei]

I think Easy is what I was thinking of and now I see why I wasnt able to find it. Our group doesnt use Dragon Magazine so it was outside the scope of the materials I was seacrhing through.

I'll have a look through Practical MM, but I'm not sure it's going to be worth it simply because going from Wiz to Sorc at 5th level would mean losing 3rd level spells.

Thanks everyone.

I don't use Dragon Magazine feats either. I think some of them quickly lead into balance issues.

Why not decide on a particular spell and take Arcane Thesis? Has the added benefit of improving caster level by 2. It requires 9 ranks though, so normally would also be available from 6th level on, only.

Metamagic School focus, which you mentioned in the OP, would be great if it wasn't limited to three times per day. However, at level 5, you'd likely not have big issues with that limitation. Depends on whether you want to play this character for a longer time, you'd mentioned a short game.

[Diarmuid]

Thanks for the replies.

So Magic Missle is widely touted as one of the better options for applying things like Fell Drain or Fell Weaken to multiple opponents. This means I'll likely go with an Evoker Specialist so I can grab MM School focus.

Are there any decent 1st-3rd level spells from other schools (I know I'd have to burn a feat on Spell Focus first) that make good vehicles for those MM effects (to take MM School Focus for)?

Either AoE for hitting lots of people, or that hit multiple targets like Magic Missle?

I can use some pearls of power to get some extra bang for my buck on slots that were used to prepare MM spells.

[Flickerdart]

Magic Missile isn't super great for the task - it's SR: Yes and a bunch of things specifically block it. Try to find something with SR: No.

[Diarmuid]

At level 5 I'm not really worried about it.

[Flickerdart]

At level 5, a shield spell or brooch of shielding defeats you handily. Consider using Sonic Snap instead.