Someone Here 18's page

I know this has been brought up in threads before, but I don't think the threads are correct, and rather than necro one, here we go:

I was GMing for a 12th level wizard recently. I'm thinking the whole time I have metamagic down pat. He pulls his metamagic rod in the middle of combat to cast a selective fireball. I say "you had to prepare a selective fireball" because as I believe, spontaneous casters can use them on the fly, prepared casters have to prepare them. He, and the table, scream at me, "No way! That is the point of rods, everyone uses them on the fly." After the game, I look up the rod description it says:

Metamagic rods hold the essence of a metamagic feat, allowing the user to apply metamagic effects to spells (but not spell-like abilities) as they are cast. This does not change the spell slot of the altered spell. All the rods described here are use-activated (but casting spells in a threatened area still draws an attack of opportunity). A caster may only use one metamagic rod on any given spell, but it is permissible to combine a rod with metamagic feats possessed by the rod's wielder. In this case, only the feats possessed by the wielder adjust the spell slot of the spell being cast.

Possession of a metamagic rod does not confer the associated feat on the owner, only the ability to use the given feat a specified number of times per day. A sorcerer still must take a full-round action when using a metamagic rod, just as if using a metamagic feat he possesses (except for quicken metamagic rods, which can be used as a swift action).

My 12th level wizard stopped reading at the first bolded line, which I think is the fluff. But the first and second boldings seem to contradict each other. The first seems to imply on the fly. The second seems to clearly outline the mechanics and references the feat found here(bolding mine):

Metamagic Feats

As a spellcaster's knowledge of magic grows, he can learn to cast spells in ways slightly different from the norm. Preparing and casting a spell in such a way is harder than normal but, thanks to metamagic feats, is at least possible. Spells modified by a metamagic feat use a spell slot higher than normal. This does not change the level of the spell, so the DC for saving throws against it does not go up. Metamagic feats do not affect spell-like abilities.

Wizards and Divine Spellcasters: Wizards and divine spellcasters must prepare their spells in advance. During preparation, the character chooses which spells to prepare with metamagic feats (and thus which ones take up higher-level spell slots than normal).

No one is arguing the three times per day or the lack of level change. The bolded portion clearly illustrates spells cast with metamagic feats have to be prepared with metamagic and cast as normal. I understand the first bolded line says "as they are cast," but I don't know how you can get around the reference to the feat in the second bolded line. My best logical argument is that there is some "casting" that happens during preparation, but I can't find that quote anywhere.

If that is the way, it does makes the sorcerer reference in the original rod quote:

A sorcerer still must take a full-round action when using a metamagic rod, just as if using a metamagic feat he possesses (except for quicken metamagic rods, which can be used as a swift action)

make all sorts of sense.

As my wizard was playing it, he trumped the sorcerer at the thing the sorcerer should be able do best! If the wizard has to prepare them as metamagic'd then there would be additional time preparing them, but since they are prepared that way, there is no additional casting time. The sorcerer on the other hand is casting a metamagic'd spell, which takes longer, hence the full round action. The whole wizard schtick is thinking ahead; Being a smarty pants. Sorcerers are spontaneous, no pun intended. If a wizard can use a rod the same way a sorcerer can, but without the increased time, that is broken. There is no point to play a sorcerer.

It seems to be that fluff line needs an errata or FAQ.