This question from a player of mine caught me off guard,i admit.
He is creating an oracle (charisma based caster,no preparing spells at morning) as a backup PC, and he is currently playing a sorcerer, he really hates having to decide what spells to memorize once awakened.
Anyway, he asked whether with a metamagic feat his pc could decide anytime during the day which spell to apply it to, since he has no need to prepare spells.
Since all of his experience of metamagic spells comes from NeverwinterNights 2, i thought in a real table game things wouldn't have been so easy; or i'm afraid being able to cast a powered or extended or silent spell right away while a wizard has to decide which spell to modify at the beginning of a day would give the sorcerer a too greater edge?
And of course he knows the spells and only choose the most useful (but he only focus on combat spells), so he has anyway the best options for a given situation.
Hope i was clear enough, English being a second lang for me.
Anyway, he asked whether with a metamagic feat his pc could decide anytime during the day which spell to apply it to, since he has no need to prepare spells.
Yes, a spontaneous caster can decide whenever he casts a spell if he wants to add any metamagic to that spell. Only drawback to that is it takes longer for a spontaneous caster to cast a metamagic'd spell (the time is equal to a full attack with a weapon).
EDIT: It may be powerful compared to a wizard, but prepared casters get their spells 1 lv later. And once they pick their spells, they can only change 1 every 2 lvs, so they need to pick their spells a lot more smartly or they may be useless in some situations. Where as a prepared caster can change their spells the next day making them a lot more versatile.
The following is true of spontaneous casters in general, since oracles and summoners hadn't been invented yet. (Emphasis added.)
Sorcerers and bards choose spells as they cast them. They can choose when they cast their spells whether to apply their metamagic feats to improve them. As with other spellcasters, the improved spell uses up a higher-level spell slot. Because the sorcerer or bard has not prepared the spell in a metamagic form in advance, he must apply the metamagic feat on the spot. Therefore, such a character must also take more time to cast a metamagic spell (one enhanced by a metamagic feat) than he does to cast a regular spell. If the spell’s normal casting time is a standard action, casting a metamagic version is a full-round action for a sorcerer or bard. (This isn’t the same as a 1-round casting time.) The only exception is for spells modified by the Quicken Spell metamagic feat, which can be cast as normal using the feat.
For a spell with a longer casting time, it takes an extra full-round action to cast the spell.
Anyway, he asked whether with a metamagic feat his pc could decide anytime during the day which spell to apply it to, since he has no need to prepare spells.Yes, a spontaneous caster can decide whenever he casts a spell if he wants to add any metamagic to that spell. Only drawback to that is it takes longer for a spontaneous caster to cast a metamagic'd spell (the time is equal to a full attack with a weapon).
EDIT: It may be powerful compared to a wizard, but prepared casters get their spells 1 lv later. And once they pick their spells, they can only change 1 every 2 lvs, so they need to pick their spells a lot more smartly or they may be useless in some situations. Where as a prepared caster can change their spells the next day making them a lot more versatile.
Thanks, i read back and forth the Magic chapter of corebook but couldn't find anything on the topic.Where are these rules?
edit:missed that, damn.
Thanks again.
In fact, this is true for almost any spell that is cast spontaneously and the modified by metamagic.
It applies for all metamagic castings of Sorcerers, Oracles, Inquisitors and Bards... but, for example, if a Cleric spontaneously converts a spell into a meatamagic'ed Cure spell, he will suffer the increased casting time, as well.