How do Metamagic Feats stack?

[Xanos]

Title says it all, really. In terms of Spell-level, how do they stack?

[Jasdoif]

They stack linearly. Just add each spell level adjustment together to determine the final spell slot needed.

[MCerberus]

Let's say 1 metamagic feat makes it so your spell is cast 2 levels higher, and a second 3 levels higher. To use them both, the spell would be 5 levels higher and get both effects. It also takes 2 extra rounds to cast if you're a spontaneous caster (bard/PhB1 Sorc)

[Jasdoif]

It also takes 2 extra rounds to cast if you're a spontaneous caster (bard/PhB1 Sorc)

No, it only takes one extra round (or makes it a full-round action, if the casting time is normally less then 1 round). The increased time is for casting a metamagic spell, regardless of how many metamagic feats are in it.

[Quietus]

Let's say 1 metamagic feat makes it so your spell is cast 2 levels higher, and a second 3 levels higher. To use them both, the spell would be 5 levels higher and get both effects. It also takes 2 extra rounds to cast if you're a spontaneous caster (bard/PhB1 Sorc)

I'm fairly certain that it'd just get the one increase, to a one round casting time, in most cases. It's either metamagic or it isn't.

::Edit:: Sorry, full round, not one round. Slight difference.

[MCerberus]

Yes my mistake only 1 round to cast (or +1).

[Xanos]

Hm, okay. The reason I'm posting this, is because of the Maximized Hightened Silenced Quickened Extended Whatnot Spellz of Doom. I can't really see how they usually only end up being in the range of 4th to 8th level spells, and not epic levels.
An example is the Shivering Touch, or the.. Ion-Cannon city destroyer spell with Blasting and stuff.

[Thinker]

Feats like Arcane Thesis and PrCs like Incantrix make metamagic less costly. Also, metamagic rods allow for added stacking goodness without increasing spell-level.

[Jasdoif]

Yes my mistake only 1 round to cast (or +1).

Just to be totally clear, if the spell's normal casting time is less 1 round, it increases to a full-round action to cast, not to a 1 round casting time.

This matters because with a full-round action, the spell's effect starts at the end of your turn, and you don't have to make any concentration checks for it if something happens to you between now and the start of your next turn.


Also, this applies to any spell cast spontaneously; a cleric converting a prepared spell into a metamagic cure spell follows the same rules.

[AtomicKitKat]

Divine Metamagic lets you sac Turn Undead uses in place of the Metamagic Level Adjustment. You do need to burn 1 more Turn Undead than the number of levels though.