Sorcerers and metamagic feats [3.5]

[Teapot Salty]

Hey guys. I was thinking about casters (I wanna make either a halfling or a gnome, not sure which) and in my thinking, I came a across a question. Can a sorcerer just apply metamagic feats whenever she feals like it? For example, could she just cast quickened magic missile, as long as she had the spell slots remaining? Thanks, and as always, go nuts.

[GoodbyeSoberDay]

In general yes, a sorcerer can apply metamagic feats on the fly. However, it takes longer for sorcerers to cast spells modified with metamagic. In fact, in 3.5, sorcerers can't really quicken a spell without some other feature, since the act of applying Quicken increases the casting time of the spell.

There is an alternate class feature in PHBII that trades out your familiar to be able to apply metamagic without increasing casting time a limited number of times per day. There's also a feat, rapid casting, which is higher level and always works... but it works even if you want to have a longer casting time (see: Arcane Spellsurge).

[zingbobco000]

Go arcane spellsurge!!!

Anyway, sorcerers cast the spell at the level adjusted taking up a spd of that level. It takes a sorcerer a full-round action to apply a metamagic feat to a spell though, so quicken is useless. I think it actually says that in the feat descrip or something.

[Ansem]

In general yes, a sorcerer can apply metamagic feats on the fly. However, it takes longer for sorcerers to cast spells modified with metamagic. In fact, in 3.5, sorcerers can't really quicken a spell without some other feature, since the act of applying Quicken increases the casting time of the spell.

There is an alternate class feature in PHBII that trades out your familiar to be able to apply metamagic without increasing casting time a limited number of times per day. There's also a feat, rapid casting, which is higher level and always works... but it works even if you want to have a longer casting time (see: Arcane Spellsurge).

Screw that ACF honestly...., you can get better things instead.
Feat you're looking for is Rapid Metamagic (need 12 spellcraft ranks and spontaneous casting, benefit: When you apply a metamagic feat to a spontaneously cast spell, the spell takes only its normal casting time.) from Complete Mage. Can't link due to scrub rules of this forum.