There is an argument in our gaming group about the use of meta-magic feats and the spells/slots it consumes:
I want to know, as a spell-caster (any: witch, sorcerer, wizard, etc.), when applying a meta magic feat such as Empower to a spell, does that Empowerment count as a usage of that spell: for instance, if I empower Fireball--a third level spell--and I have 3 uses of fireball a day, does that mean one use of Fireball has been consumed in addition to the 5th-level slot, leaving only two normal uses of Fireball and one less 5th-level spell? Or do all three uses of normal Fireball remain and only the single 5th-level slot is consumed?
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For prepared casters the Meta-magic, unless from a Rod or ability that specifically allows spontaneous application, must be applied when the spell is memorized. For example a wizard must memorize an empowered(2)+Fireball(3) in a fifth level slot. This has no effect on his number of third level slots available.
For spontaneous casters the decision to apply metamagic is made when casting not when memorizing and consumes a spell per day use of a level equal to the level of the spell plus the metamagic adjustment and also causes the spell to be cast as a full round action, unless a specific ability such as the arcane bloodline for sorcerer or quicken spell metamagic is used. For example a sorcerer has fireball on his spells known list and has access to both third and fifth level spell slots, when casting he has to decide if he will cast a normal fireball(3) as a third level spell as a standard action, or a Empowered(2)+Fireball(3) as a fifth level spell as a full round action. Either way it only consumes a 3rd or 5th level spells per day slot and has no effect on slots of the other type.
Arcanists are unique in that they may use both methods of casting. An arcanist may when building her spells known list for the day choose to memorize an empowered(2)+Fireball(3) and then cast as many of those as she has 5th level slots, mix and match with her other 5th level spells as a standard action. She may also if had just added fireball as a standard third level spell known choose to apply a metamagic like empower on the fly making it again a 5th rather than third level spell, but casting as a full round action. The benefit to this is that she may also choose to simply not apply metamagic and cast fireball in a third level slot.
Metamagic rods are entirely different.
If you are a prepared caster such as a wizard or witch then you must prepared the metamagic version of the spell, and it will take up a higher level slot during preperation. When you use a spell as a prepared caster that spell is gone.
Example:
5th level empowered fireball(2)
4th level heightened fireball(1)
3rd level fireball(3)
In the situation above I have 3 normal fireballs, 1 heightened, and 2 empowered fireballs prepared. The metamagic ones are taking up higher level slots as you can see.
If I cast the heightened fireball of which I only prepared 1, then the other fireballs are still available because they are their own spells.
Spontaneous casters such as bards and sorcerors do not prepared spells.
6th level 4/day
5th level 4/day
4th level 5/day
3rd level 6/day
Now since the sorcerer has access to every spell he knows all the time he can does not run out of spells. He runs of out daily castings/slot per spell level.
So I can cast a normal fireball at least 6 times per day using the 3rd level slot assuming no other spell is cast.
Empowered fireballs take up a 5th level slot so I would have to use one of my 5th level slots to cast the empowered version. This would only burn one 5th level slot.
PS: The number of daily spells I listed is likely not accurate. I was just using them as an example of how the usage would go.
First of all, Metamagic works differently for prepared casters than it does for spontaneous. A wizard would have to prepare an empowered fireball spell in a 5th level slot when he prepares spells. At no point is any other prepared fireball expended when casting. Just the empowered one already prepared.
Spontaneous casters can spend a full-round action to apply Metamagic to a spell when they cast it. Then it uses up one of their higher level slots, as appropriate for the altered spell level. No other slots are expended. In your example, they'd only expend a 5th level slot.
EDIT: Looks like they beat me to it, and with a much better explanation than I was able to give.
Also what Covent said.
Thank you so much for such a quick replies, this completely answers our questions!
Np, Happy gaming.