Metamagic and You
by Xtis Cee, Gnome Shadowcraft Mage
My previous theses (
On Illusions and
Erogenous Zones of Females Across the Multiverse) touched on the subject of metamagic only briefly. For good reason; the manipulation of the parameters of known spells is not a subject for the faint of heart. While any mage can
extend or remove the need for somatic or verbal components (and rarely both), doing more is usually more trouble than it's worth. It is usually better to perform a spell of a spell level equal to the adjustment of most metamagics, such as
empowering or
maximizing.
However, it's come to my attention that there are magic-users who manage to do so with great efficiency. Over the last few years, I've devoted myself to researching the methods that these wizards, sorcerers, clerics, beguilers, dread necromancers, archivists, and so on manage to do so without being driven mad by the consumption of spell slots that could have been used for something equal or better. With a little focus, however, not only can they keep from being driven mad, but they can usually reduce these costs to the point where it would be
stupid not to use metamagic.
The results of my research are outlined below.
Results highlighted in Green are excellent options.
Results highlighted in Blue are decent options.
Results not highlighted are okay options.
Results highlighted in Red are horrible, horrible options that should die fiery deaths.
And results highlighted in Purple, my personal favorite, are options that are so good, you would be a mentally handicapped halfling if you didn't seek them out.
Full List of Metamagic Feats Link Form; Search for Metamagic feats.
+0Alternative Source Spell (Dragon #325): For the cost of 1 caster level, and one slot from a class that grants the spell, you can prepare an arcane spell as divine, or a divine spell as arcane.
Black Lore of Moil (Complete Arcane, page 76): Any Necromancy spell deals +1d6 damage, +1d6/two spell levels. Must expend a 'runebone' that costs 25gp per 1d6 to be generated. See feat for full details.
Born of Three Thunders (Complete Arcane, page 76): Any [electricity] or [sonic] spell that deals damage has its damage split split 50/50 between electricity and sonic damage. Adds Fort save or deafened, plus Reflex save vs being knocked prone.
City Spell (Cityscape, page 59-60): Any spell with an energy descriptor and cast within any urban area above the size of small town converts 50% of its damage into "city" damage.
Cooperative Spell (Complete Arcane, page 77): Requires additional person with this feat, who casts the same spell with you. Adds +2 DC and +1 caster level to beat Spell Resistance, and uses the better of the two spellcasters' DC and caster level. Can be expanded into multiple extra people, adding +1 DC and +1 CL for each additional person.
Energy Affinity (Miniature's Handbook): Subsumed by Energy Substitution; also slightly harder to qualify for. Same effect.
Energy Substitution (Complete Arcane, page 79): Any spell with an energy descriptor can be changed to have the energy descriptor (and deal corresponding damage type) chosen by this feat.
Ghost Touch Spell (Ghostwalk, page 34): Allows spells to affect ghosts and only ghosts.
Imbued Healing (Complete Champion, page 60): Adds a rider effect specific to one of your domains on the tail-end of your conjuration (healing) spells. Has a table for non-PHB domains on page 53.
Invisible Spell (Cityscape, page 61): Removes all visual manifestation of a spell.
Lord of the Uttercold (Complete Arcane, page 81): Any spell with the [cold] descriptor can be changed to deal half cold damage, half negative energy damage.
Miser With Magic (Kingdoms of Kalamar Player's Guide, page 88): Not really a metamagic feat, despite being marked as such. After casting a spell, make a Spellcraft check at a DC = 10+(2* Spell Level). Succeed, and you get the spell back. Fail by 5 or more, you don't cast it and lose the slot. Regains a number of spell levels equal to your primary casting stat modifier.
Sanctum Spell (Complete Arcane, pages 82-83): Has an effective spell level of +1 when cast in sanctum, but -1 cast outside of sanctum.
+1Bend Spell (Dragon #291, Dungeon Compendium Vol. 1): Negates cover bonuses.
Blistering Spell (Player's Handbook II, page 91): +2 fire damage per spell level, and -2 to attack rolls and checks if the target fails its save. [fire] spells only.
Clawed Spell (Dragon #315): Spell deals 1d6 Force damage for every 5 caster levels.
Coercive Spell (Drow of the Underdark, page 47): Spell deals a -2 penalty to Will saves for 3 rounds, non-cumulative.
Consecrate Spell (Book of Exalted Deeds, page 42/Complete Divine, page 79): Spell gains [good] descriptor, and if it deals damage, half of it is divine damage.
Corrupt Spell (Book of Vile Darkness, page 47/Complete Divine, pages 79-80): Spell gains [evil] descriptor, and if it deals damage, half of it is divine damage.
Deafening Spell (Drow of the Underdark, page 49): Any spell that deals damage also deafens its target for 1 round. No save.
Deceptive Spell (Cityscape, page 60): Makes a spell appear to originate from a different direction.
Energize Spell (Libris Mortis, page 26): Deals 1.5x damage to undead creatures, but 0.5x damage to non-undead and objects.
Enlarge Spell: Doubles the Range entry on a spell's description.
Extend Spell: Double duration of a spell.
Fell Energy Spell (Dungeon Compendium Vol. 1, Dragon #312): Any spell that gives a numerical bonus gives an extra +2 to undead.
Fell Weaken (Libris Mortis, page 27): Any spell that deals damage also deals out a non-cumulative -4 Strength penalty.
Fiery Spell (Sandstorm, pages 49-50): Only usable on spells with the [fire] descriptor, adds +1 damage per die of damage dealt by the spell.
Flash Frost Spell (Player's Handbook II, page 91): Only usable on spells with the [cold] descriptor, adds +2 damage per level of the spell and creates a quasi-grease effect in the spell's area for 1 round. Note that any spell when using the Snowcasting feat is a [cold] spell.
Forceful Spell (Dragon #358): Adds a Save-or-Suck to any spell on any one target (even on an area-of-effect spell): Save or be knocked prone and stunned for 1 round.
Imbued Summoning (Player's Handbook II, page 92): Any creature created by conjuration (summoning) spells can have any spell you know of 3rd level or lower with a range of touch cast on it auto-magically.
Sculpt Spell (Cityscape, page 63, Complete Arcane, page 83): Changes an area spell's area.
Silent Spell: Removes Verbal components.
Still Spell: Removes Somatic components (and arcane spell failure for armor).
Transdimensional Spell (Complete Arcane, page 84): Allows a spell to affect an incorporeal creature, creatures on the Ethereal Plane or Plane of Shadow, and creatures within an extradimensional space within the spell's area.
+2Earthbound Spell (Player's Handbook II, page 91): Turns any non-personal spell into a trap. Memetically.
Empower Spell: Level-based variable effects are increased by 50%.
Enervate Spell (Libris Mortis, page 26): Deals 1.5x damage to living creatures, but 0.5x damage to constructs, undead, and objects.
Entangling Spell (Champions of Ruin, page 20): On spells that deal instant energy type damage, entangle the target(s) for one round.
Explosive Spell (Complete Arcane, page 79): Any spell that affects an area and allows a Reflex save now forces the targets to the first space outside of its effect if they fail their Reflex save, dealing an additional 1d6 per 10ft. moved.
Fell Drain (Libris Mortis, page 27): Applying fell drain to a spell that deals damage also deals out a negative level that lasts 1 hour/CL. Get this Practical/Easy Metamagic'd fast.
Fell Frighten (Libris Mortis, page 27): This shouldn't be a +2... any spell that deals damage also makes the target shaken for 1 minute.
Split Ray (Complete Arcane, page 83): Adds 1 ray to a ray spell, must be aimed at targets within 30ft. of each other.
+3Chain Spell (Complete Arcane, page 76): Any single-target non-touch, non-personal spell can arc to secondary targets equal to your caster level (max 20), all of which must be within 30ft of the primary target. Damage spells deal 0.5x damage to secondary targets, 0.25x damage on an additional Reflex save. Non-damaging spells have DCs reduced by -4.
Delay Spell (Complete Arcane, page 77): Area, personal or touch spell can be set to delay its activation for 1-5 rounds.
Fell Animate (Libris Mortis, page 26-27): Any creature killed by a fell animate spell that deals damage rises as a zombie under your control. Can create up to 2*CL in HD of zombies.
Guided Spell (Dragon #307, Dungeon Compendium Vol. 1): Affects only Ranged Touch spells. Ignores 9/10ths of cover or concealment. That's not the best part - the best part is it persists for a number of rounds equal to 1/3rd level, attacking again on your initiative each round. Negated by total cover or concealment, losing Line of Effect, or moving out of range of the spell.
Maximize Spell: Level-based variable effects get their maximum result.
Repeat Spell: Automatically casts any non-touch range spell again at the beginning of your next turn, using the same variables as before.
Widen Spell: Any numeric measurements of a burst, emanation, line, or spread's area are increased by 100%.
+4Energy Admixture (Complete Arcane, page 78): Doubles the damage of a spell, adding a second set of damage die of the same descriptor chosen when you take its prerequisite Energy Substitution.
Irresistible Spell (Kingdoms of Kalamar Player's Guide, page 87): Remove all saving throws from your spell. Yes, you read that correctly. Fuck you Rogues and Evasion. This feat becomes Blue if playing with errata, which simply adds +10 to the DC of the spell. For a +4 adjustment, a bit steep.
Quicken Spell: Any spell that requires 1 full round action or less to cast is now a swift action.
Twin Spell (Complete Arcane, page 84): Casts the same spell twice with the same action with identical results on their variable effects.
+6Persistent Spell: Changes the duration of a spell to 24 hours. Extend makes this 48 hours (general consensus). This feat becomes Blue if not playing with DMM or many of the reduction/replacement methods detailed later in the thesis.
VariableFortify Spell (Complete Arcane, page 80): Gain +2 to your CL check to beat SR per level of adjustment. Envelop the Wall is better since it's a pre-req for Irresistible Spell.
Heighten Spell: Treat spell as adjusted spell level for all purposes, including DC. Invaluable for Sorcerous creatures such as myself, along with Versatile Spellcaster.
Envelop the Wall (Kingdom of Kalamar Player's Guide, page 85): Gain +2 to your CL check to beat SR per level of adjustment. This becomes Purple if you can play with Irresistible Spell unerrata'd.