fireball with metamagic feat using rods

[morrissoftxp]

so empowered fireball uses a 5th spell slot but its a 3rd level spell, so can you use a lesser rods or do you have to use the higher level rods.

[Diego Rossi]

Here is a thread trying to get an answer about that.

I think that the modified level matter, but there is a good number of people that think that what matter is the original level.

[Paladin of Baha-who?]

An empowered fireball is still considered a Level 3 spell for all purposes other than what slot it is cast from. You can use a lesser rod with such a spell.

[Some Random Dood]

All metamagic (with the exception of heightened spell) only increase the level of the slot used, they don't change the actual level of the spell. Heightened spell is the only metamagic that changes the actual level of the spell.

[DonDuckie]

ignore; misunderstood the question:

Lesser rods work on 3rd level spells(including fireball).

Simple reasoning:
If not: A lesser Quicken Metamagic Rod works on spells of 3rd level or lower, if this was after the modification of level, a cantrip would be a 4th level (slot) spell and the rod would not work on anything.

A lesser Maximize Rod would only work on cantrips; but it clearly says that lesser rods work spells of 3rd level or lower.

EDIT:
I misunderstood the question. It's the minimal spell slot level required that counts, when using metamagic rods.

[bbangerter]

By RAW yes.

Also by RAW creating a wand of quickened fireball costs the same as a wand of non-quickened fireball.

By RAW the concentration DC to cast a metamagic'd spell is the same as casting the same spell non-metamagic'd. If you follow the thread Diego linked though you will find another link there by me pointing to a unofficial comment by SKR that the metamagic'd spell should have a higher concentration DC (that is based on the spell slot level even though RAW the concentration DC is based on spell level).

Take what you want from all of that for what the RAI on any of these is.

[Isil-zha]

If it were the modified level that mattered, what would a lesser rod of quicken spell be good for?

[Diego Rossi]

Isil-zha wrote:

If it were the modified level that mattered, what would a lesser rod of quicken spell be good for?

I don't get the question.

If I have a non-metamagiched spell or a metamagiched spell whose modified level before applying the rod is 3 or less a lesser rod will work without problems.

[Isil-zha]

I guess I misunderstood the OP. I thought he was asking whether or not the metamagic feat applied through the rod counted towards the spell level for the required type of rod. (Should've read Don's spoiler, I guess)

[DonDuckie]

At least I wasn't the only one... :)

[StreamOfTheSky]

The lesser rod works, by RAW. Only heighten actually changes the spell's level.

The thing about wands of quickened fireball may or may not be true by RAW, but should not be allowed, that's just silly.