Metamagic- Now with more eye-catching subject line!

[Human Paragon 3]

Metamagic. What is it good for? No, really.

What are your favorite feats? When are they useful? Which are worth it? At what levels? What about for a cleric, sorcerer, or bard? Which are never or rarely worth it?

Just looking for opinions.

Edit: Please, no Divine Metacheese Cleric Of Death, we all know that's ridiculously broken.

[Tor the Fallen]

Shapespell.

[Raum]

Extend Spell is worth it as soon as you have good enhancement spells at least one level lower than your highest casting level. The "Heart of <insert element>" line of spells is a favorite...starts at second level and goes through fifth.

Quicken is nearly a requirement somewhere between CL 12 and CL 15.

[RTGoodman]

Well, I like Energy Substitution, since it gives you the ability (for a +0 spell level!) to change the energy type. Red Dragon giving you and your Fireballs some trouble? Just make Iceballs or Acidballs!

[The_Snark]

Split Ray is good if the character has two or three useful ray spells.

Quicken Spell is good sometime after level 12. I usually don't bother before then, because the character doesn't have so many spell slots that it can afford to burn high-level slots on low-level spells.

For characters that use damaging spells frequently, Empower Spell and Maximize Spell become useful around levels 12 and 15.

[SadisticFishing]

Chain Spell and Quicken are the two I am taking on my Wizard.

[Human Paragon 3]

I think heighten is undervalued. Higher spell DC? Thanks! Need to get past a globe of invulnerability? Heighten it up, baby.


How about the ones that suck? Which are never worth it?

[WrathOfLife]

I almost always take Highten spell as a Sorcerer. That way you just need to pick your favourite low level save or dies, then just rase them to the needed level while grabbing all those other lovely spells that arn't as limited in there application.

And empower spell is nice too, makes for fun/slow battlefield control with summons.

[namo]

Widen is rarely worth it (only useful for large-scale battles). Cooperative Spell and Enlarge Spell are subpar, but they are prerequisites for good PrCs. Energy Admixture is not very good.

Twin can be useful at high levels, or Repeat if you think you can plan ahead well.

(This is for a sorcerer - a bard is very limited by its max spell level being 6)

Now Fell Drain (Libris Mortis) is way too good.

[Kurald Galain]

How about the ones that suck? Which are never worth it?

Ironically, Heighten Spell is seldom worth it, particularly for wizards. Higher DC? Use the equivalent spell that's a few levels higher. Globe of invuln only rarely comes up.

Several of the "sudden" metamagic feats aren't worth it. In particular sudden quicken, because it has too many prereqs.

Widen isn't too useful, and neither is Enlarge.

[Human Paragon 3]

Ironically, Heighten Spell is seldom worth it, particularly for wizards. Higher DC? Use the equivalent spell that's a few levels higher. Globe of invuln only rarely comes up.

Several of the "sudden" metamagic feats aren't worth it. In particular sudden quicken, because it has too many prereqs.

Widen isn't too useful, and neither is Enlarge.

For a spontaneous caster Heighten is useful, though. I played a spontaneous casting cleric who often heightened his hold spells and sanctuary to great effect. When you have a smaller spell list, heighten gives you much-needed versatility.

[Anxe]

My players like to Sudden Empower, Maximize, and quicken there spells.

[Dode]

Most metamagic feats simply are not worth the expense.

Enlarge Spell isn't worth a spell level up for +100% range. Widen Spell certainly isnt worth two spell levels (Widened Entangle vs a. Fireball?) for doubling your radius. Silent Spell is so ridiculously situational that it's only slightly more useful then Enlarge. Delay Spell costs 3 spell levels to delay the effect of a spell for up to 5 rounds. Fortify Spell gives +2 to caster level checks.

Empower Spell is moderately useful for certain spells, while Maximize is far too expense to be worth anything. A Maximized Fireball is certainly deadly, but as deadly as say a Quickened Entangle + Extended Cloudkill?

Still Spell can be worth it, but only if you want a spellcaster in fullplate for whatever reason and follow it up with Practical Metamagic.

The PHB2 Metamagic feats are interesting options for a blaster mage, but I'd simply rather use those higher-level spell slots for better spells.

Invisible Spell from Cityscape is brokenly powerful, allowing you to make all the effects of your spell invisible for no spell level increase. Think about that feat with, say, a summoner. Or any of the Druid's terrain control spells.

Energy Substitution can be very handy and costs no spell levels, making it a reliable choice..

Extend Spell is the party buffer's best friend. For one spell level up, you get the same buff cast on you twice. Great for 24hr(multiple days off one spell? Yes please), hour-per-level, and round-per-level (conserves precious actions) duration spells.

Sculpt Spell is the contender for best metamagic feat in the game. Oh sure, changing a 20'-radius fireball into a 120-ft line doesn't sound like it's worth an extra spell level, but there's so many more possibilities with this beauty that it's not even funny? 20' radius Greaseball? 4 10' cubes of Call Lightning Storm instead of a dinky 30' line? Can do. Amazing feat.

Quicken Spell is very expensive, but it doubles the first-round potency of a wizard (read: release a devastating attack and teleport to safety in the same round). Popular among higher level casters, and rightfully so.

[shadowdemon_lord]

Quicken allows the cleric to become Czilla in one round at level 15, very useful. Quicken is just all around awsome. Metamagic Mastery is good, and can make Maximize viable, or greatly increase the usefulness of quicken or empower.