Stacking Metamagic (No, not different ones)

[DevanAvalon]

So, here's the rules: You can use only one Metamagic option on a spell when you cast it, unless otherwise noted. Cool, that's very cut and dry- no stacking different metamagic.

BUT... is there anything saying you can't stack *the same* metamagic? You can only use one Metamagic option on a spell, but it doesn't say anything about how *many times* you can use the Metamagic option you chose on the same spell (except Twinned Spell, since by virtue of Twinning a Spell, you make it so you can't use Twinned again because the spell in question is now affecting more than one creature).

Example: I cast... I dunno, Dominate Beast. duration 1 minute. so I use Extended Spell 6 times to make it last for an hour (and 4 minutes, technically). Or Distant Spell to make the ultimate snipe shot with Fireball or something. I don't know.

Because there are no spells from the Sorc spell list (or Cleric spell list for Divine Souls) that are 12 hours in duration, so the "up to 24 hours" limit on Extended Spell makes little sense. If it was just meant to exclude 24 hour spells from it, it would (or rather, should) say something like "a spell of duration 24 hours or greater cannot be applied to." or something.

Point is, do we have anything as written that prevents the application of multiple uses of the same Metamagic on a spell, so long as it is being applied and the sorc points are paid at the time of casting the spell?

(RAI, you're probably only supposed to use a metamagic the one time, I get that. Not the point of the question.)

[Pyrophilios]

Nice idea and I wouldn't be against it as a GM, but:

"When you cast a spell that has a duration of 1 minute or longer, you can spend 1 sorcery point to double its duration, to a maximum duration of 24 hours."

That's pretty unambiguous - you spend one and only one point. If you were meant to scale this up the text would have to read "can spend 1 sorcery point per doubling" or something along those lines.

It would give extend certainly a great boost - an elven sorcerer could give himself 16 hour buffs on a lot of stuff before trancing for 4 hours.

[Warder]

Point is, do we have anything as written that prevents the application of multiple uses of the same Metamagic on a spell, so long as it is being applied and the sorc points are paid at the time of casting the spell?

Yeah we do, it falls under this bit from the DMG Errata (and possibly newer printings of the DMG?):


Combining Game Effects

Different game features can affect a target at the same time. But when two or more game features have the same name, only the effects of one of them—the most potent one—apply while the durations of the effects overlap. For example, if a target is ignited by a fire elemental’s Fire Form trait, the ongoing fire damage doesn’t increase if the burning target is subjected to that trait again. Game features include spells, class features, feats, racial traits, monster abilities, and magic items. See the related rule in the “Combining Magical Effects” section of chapter 10 in the Player’s Handbook.

Since every application of Metamagic has the same name as the one before you can't do it more than once. Not that I think it'd be crazy if you could, really.

[DevanAvalon]

Yeah we do, it falls under this bit from the DMG Errata (and possibly newer printings of the DMG?):



Since every application of Metamagic has the same name as the one before you can't do it more than once. Not that I think it'd be crazy if you could, really.

Excellent. of course I miss something so simple as the DMG.

Though, another board I posted it on did point that each Metamagic has some kind of "stacking cost" (ie, it wouldn't be feasible or even possible to stack) except for Careful, Distant, Extended and Heightened.