[3.5e] Newbie looking to play with magic

[Bluebeard]

Considering the rather wide variety of Metamagic that I'm looking at, I think I'll want Rapid Metamagic anyway. Plus the bonus save, Alertness, and eventually Imbue Familiar with Spell are all pretty good. Thoughts?

I always grab Rapid Metamagic for just those reasons. And because I find Familiars incredible with the Fighter-Wizard and Rogue/Wizard builds I usually play.

OK, so desirable Metamagic: Heighten, Silent, Empower, Quicken, Repeat, Chain, and Persist. That's seven, I can get at most five - six if I don't get Quicken and Rapid Metamagic (or if I go with the variant above and don't get Rapid).

Repeat requires enemies to stand still, more or less.
Persist requires fixed range. That means it won't apply to much of anything on your list.

Chain is for Ray of Enfeeblement, Enervation, Arcane-Reached buff spells & teleports... that sort of thing. With a spell list like yours, I use it often.

Order is more or less a matter of taste. But I wouldn't take heighten until 6th level. If that early.

If you can tweak levels you've already taken, it'll help in the long run to put Paragon 1 at level 1. The extra Skills will make everything easier. Especially turning Tumble, UMD or somesuch into a class skill.