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During play-testing, two questions came up to which I was unable to find official answers.
The description in the power state: You can apply any one metamagic feat that you know to a spell you are about to cast. This does not alter the level of the spell or the casting time....
These two sentences led my group to ask two questions:
The first sentence:
Does the character have to be able to "use" the metamagic feat on the spell in question in order to use the feat? For example, could a level 8 wizard with the maximize feat use this power to maximize a fireball (Which would usually require that the caster was at least level 11 so that they had a level 6 spell slot to 'store the spell)? Same for Heighten, I would think they actually needed to have a slot they could have heightened it up to. Basically, I would assume that you need to be able to use the feat "normally" in order to use it with this ability. Is this assumption true?
The second sentence:
Would this mean that you can't use this ability to Quicken a spell as that power specifically alters the casting time? If this wasn't the intent, why mention casting time at all? was it just to ensure we don't confuse it with the sorcerer's/bard's metamagic-on-the-fly ability?
Does the character have to be able to "use" the metamagic feat on the spell in question in order to use the feat? For example, could a level 8 wizard with the maximize feat use this power to maximize a fireball (Which would usually require that the caster was at least level 11 so that they had a level 6 spell slot to 'store the spell)?
I believe that as written, the only upper limit is the available number of metamagic levels (and available metamagic feats). So your 8th level wizard could maximize fireball twice, as long as he had the maximize feat.
This has caused some people some concern, and after doing some playtest prep I think I see their point. I updated a wiz 13/archmage 2 in a WOTC module, and his 8th level spell went from 'empowered chain lightning' to 'horrid wilting', which could be empowered, twinned, or quickened. I may have to give my PCs "save points" in our playtest.
Limiting metamagic feats so that they can't go over the maximum spell level would be a reasonable nerf to metamagic mastery, and if it were written into the basic metamagic rules it would also address Divine Metamagic.
The second sentence:
Would this mean that you can't use this ability to Quicken a spell as that power specifically alters the casting time? If this wasn't the intent, why mention casting time at all? was it just to ensure we don't confuse it with the sorcerer's/bard's metamagic-on-the-fly ability?
That is a good question, and I could see either interpretation being valid.