Has anybody tinkered with a tweak to the metamagic rules where the cost is in spell slots of the same spell level as opposed to an increase in the spell level? For example, a silent fireball would cost two 3rd-level spell slots instead of one 4th-level spell slot.
Thoughts? Concerns? Predictions of potentially unseemly repercussions?
All are welcome!
The ability gained at level 8 for Universalist Wizards is almost exactly this!
Several times per day, they can add metamagic to a spell. They use spell slots equal to the level increase (minimum one slot).
This does make cheap metamagic (+1 like Silent and Still) not use extra slots, though. This is balanced by the wizard only being able to do this a few times per day.
Regardless, I like the idea. It is an interesting alternative.
A new concern would be that people can now put metamagic on 9th level spells. Like, I dunno, quickened Wish. Not sure if that is strong, but it is possible with this idea, but not the original rules.