Instead of creating new spells each time was thinking of creating spells each time? Would that be balanced?
Cast this new custom spell: Empowering Spell (a 5th level spell)
The next spell you cast that is two levels lower in the next round is considered empowered.
Then you could create a greater version of the spell at 7th. And and lesser version at 3rd.
You get the idea.
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This.......well.....this has the exact same outcome as if you simply cast an empowered spell. It would take up the spell slot you used to cast this Empowereing Spell. I'm not trying to say that this is a bad idea, but from what you've presented here, it is completely redundant with the mechanics already in place.
Instead of creating new spells each time was thinking of creating spells each time? Would that be balanced?
Cast this new custom spell: Empowering Spell (a 5th level spell)
The next spell you cast that is two levels lower in the next round is considered empowered.Then you could create a greater version of the spell at 7th. And and lesser version at 3rd.
You get the idea.
This is how it was handled in AD&D 2ed (metamagic were spells before they became feats).
This way you'd be burning spell slots faster, with the potential benefit or using lower level spell slots and be much more versatile (for prepared casters) on metamagic application. I can see some potential abuse at higher levels when you have a lot of lower spell slots that you don't much care about, while keeping your higher spell slots for meaner spells (which you could potentially enhance with metamagic as well).
Can you elaborate on how you'd see this system advantageous over the current one?
1) As a casting class you are usually feat starved, no feat required
2) Allows for more versatility while sacrificing higher level spell slots
3) Action economy suffers though because it takes two rounds to cast a metamagic spell instead of one
Example usage:
You memorize a 5th level Empowering Spell planning on using it on a one of your 3rd or lower level spells.
You have Lightning Bolt, Fireball, and Scorching Ray, and Magic Missile among other spells memorized.
You come upon an incorporeal creature and its kicking your party's butt. While you would normally empower one of your 3rd level spells you decide to instead empower your Magic Missile because the area effect spells would hit your party members and the creature is too hard to hit with a Scorching Ray.
1) As a casting class you are usually feat starved, no feat required
2) Allows for more versatility while sacrificing higher level spell slots
3) Action economy suffers though because it takes two rounds to cast a metamagic spell instead of one
Metamagic still uses high spell slots, got it.
But as a spontaneous spellcaster, you are also spell known starved. As a sorcerer, I'd rather burn a feat on Empower Spell (the feat) than spending one of my precious few known spells on Empower Spell (the spell).
And as a prepared spellcaster you are short on spell slots until you get 12th level or so. Having to spend two spell slots for improved versatility is a fair (if a bit high) tradeoff, but having to cast two spells (taking two rounds) for what is essentially a single spell is a serious blow. You could make metamagic spells automatically quicken (like feather fall) I guess. That would make it a bit better, but you couldn't cast a quicken spell followed by an empowered spell however. Thematically, if its a spell, it needs to be cast; so a freebee on metamagic spellcasting would be slightly inconsistent with the themes of Vancian magic.
I can see the system as viable - I've played it back in 2E AD&D - but I see no big advantage over the current system.