D&D 3E/3.5 Q: 3.5 Metamagic changes?

[Zhnov]

What basic changes exist for metamagic in 3.5?

I'm of the impression (perhaps wrongly) that the original written intent of 3.0 metamagic was for casters to NOT apply a metamagic feat more than once to any particular casting (although this is something that many/some folks do).

For example, a caster might "double Empower" a fireball to get "base damage x 2.25" (1.5 x 1.5), preparing it in a 7th level slot.

I believe this may not have been the intent because I think I saw some errata somewhere that recommended DMs consider making plays take Empower as a feat twice prior to letting players "double Empower" a spell, and take the feat 3 times before triple Empowering a spell.

Is this officially legal in 3.0? (I haven't seen it, and I'm not reading the books AGAIN, with 3.5 coming out).

If not official, do you allow multiple applications of a metamagic modifier without multiple feat slots?

For those of you who have your 3.5 books, has this been officially sanctioned or banned in 3.5 ?

Thanks all,
~Pazafar

 

[Staffan]

Yes, it's legal in 3.0. However, each feat works against the base spell, so a doubly-empowered Fireball would do 10d6*2 points, not 10d6*2.25 (each 50% increase is relative to the original 10d6).

3.5e, however, officially says that each metamagic feat can only be applied once.

 

[Destil]

It's not legal in 3E. Nor is it illegal. The rule is ambiguous on this point and no 'official' ruling was ever released (sage advice may have covered it, but that's not official).

 

[Hypersmurf]

It's not legal in 3E. Nor is it illegal. The rule is ambiguous on this point and no 'official' ruling was ever released (sage advice may have covered it, but that's not official).

You mean Official like in the Official Main FAQ, p22?

Can you add a metamagic feat more than once to any
particular spell? For example, double Maximize Spell, or
double Extend Spell?
You can apply most metamagic feats more than once. Just
stack up the costs and remember to apply the additional effects
to the basic spell. For example, if you extend a spell twice, you
get 3 times the duration, not 4 times the duration. (Each
extension adds 100% of the spell’s base duration.)
There are a few metamagic feats that are constructed so as to
make stacking worthless or pointless. You cannot, for example,
get more than maximum damage out of a spell by maximizing
the spell more than once. (If you want to send the spell’s
damage through the roof, use Empower Spell multiple times.)
Heighten Spell already allows you set the spell’s effective level
anywhere you want (and can manage), so there’s no point in
applying the feat more than once.

-Hyp.

 

[Pax]

Um, yeah ... what Hyp said.

 

[Destil]

You mean Official like in the Official Main FAQ, p22?
-Hyp.

Stupid FAQ. I should have kept up with that closer.

 

[LordAO]

Is it just me or are all the changes in 3.5 meant to nerf spellcasters?

 

[shilsen]

Is it just me or are all the changes in 3.5 meant to nerf spellcasters?

It's just you. Only 73.84% of the changes in 3.5 are meant to nerf spellcasters

 

[Stalker0]

It's just you. Only 73.84% of the changes in 3.5 are meant to nerf spellcasters

Yeah, the other 73.84% mess up fighters badly

 

[LordAO]

Yeah, the other 73.84% mess up fighters badly

Don't you guys mean the other 26.16 %?