| Alex Trebek's Stunt Double |
Metamagic rods are pretty good for what they cost.
One houserule I'm tentatively looking at is breaking up Lesser Rods so you can get a Lesser Minor Rod that has only 1 charge per day rather than 3 for only 1000gp rather than 3000gp. Certainly makes it easier to get into it.
Also, as far as I can tell there is nothing saying you cannot can use rods to keep that metamagic into any means of storing that spell such as scrolls, potions, spell storing weapons/armour, etc. Good way to bring metamagic out by stockpiling metamagic rods limited uses per days, taking several days charges.
Also, a lot of the benefits of metamagic can essentially be achieved with items.
For example, spell storing armour allows you to cast a spell up to 3rd level when the wearer of the armour is hit onto whoever hit the armour wearer. This is great, if your fighter is on the frontline with this armour and is inevitably hit by the big bad, it's kind of like a conditional Quickened spells. Better, it's completely out of turn, doesn't eat into your action economy as well.
A common magic item I make for my campaigns is a "Lesser-minor" ring of spell storing, it stores just 1 level of spells and if any character in your party has this item they can deploy it in a useful position. I price it at 1000gp, in line with how an ioun stone of spell storing is 2000gp and slotless.
Ditto with spell-storing weapon, you don't need a reach rod to turn touch spells into 25ft+5/2level range spell. Give a gauntlet of spell storing to your fighter or rogue, load it with a nasty level 3 touch spell and tell them to hit the big bad with it, giving up their turn where they might otherwise not be capable of much to get more offensive spells out.
Other spells can be gotten out by other means. Potions are limited by how they target the imbiber, but things like Adhesive Spittle initially target the imbiber to give them the ability to target another with a special magical attack.