I like it when sorcerer subclasses support theme and a gameplay loop with a new metamagic option. The core metamagic options are usable for a large number of expected spells, though they don’t need to work for allof them to be valid. For this post I’m working on narrower options that might still create memorable signature gameplay. I’m also stretching the concept of what you can affect with metamagic.

Anarchic Spell

When you cast a spell that targets a single creature, you can roll 1d4 and spend that many sorcery points to force the target to roll a Constitution saving throw. If you have fewer sorcery points remaining than the die result, you expend your remaining sorcery points and gain the effect of the number you expended. On a failed saving throw, use the d4 die result from the table below.

1: The target is blinded until the end of your next turn.
2: The target’s speed is reduced to 0 until the end of its next turn, as their legs continually melt and re-form.
3: The target is stunned by chaotic flashing lights until the end of its next turn.
4: A spectral Gargantuan toad appears and swallows the target for 1 minute, banishing them to a tiny demiplane inside the toad. At the start of each of its turns, the creature can roll a Strength saving throw. On a success, the creature takes 3d10 acid damage and is no longer banished. The banishment also ends if dispel magic is cast on the toad.

Decaying Spell

When you cast a spell that deals necrotic damage, you can spend 2 sorcery points. If you do, creatures that are hit by your spell attack or fail a saving throw against your spell also have disadvantage on Strength and Constitution saving throws for 1 minute, and during that time they regain half as many hit points as usual from any source of healing.

Discerning Spell

While a creature is charmed or frightened of you from a spell you cast, you can spend 1 sorcery point to learn one important thing that it wants or fears, outside of the effect of your spell.

Ethereal Jaunt Spell

When you cast a spell that teleports a creature, for each sorcery point you spend, you can teleport one additional willing or unconscious creature within 5 feet of you.

Flame Blossom Spell

When you cast a spell that deals fire damage, you can spend 2 sorcery points to choose one creature that took damage from your spell. At the start of your next turn, that creature and other creatures within 5 feet of them roll a Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d6 + your proficiency bonus fire damage on a failure. If the creature dies before the start of your next turn, this damage does not occur.

Glacial Spell

When you cast a spell that deals cold damage, you can spend 1 sorcery point to choose one creature that took damage from your spell. Until the start of the creature’s next turn, it is frozen in a block of ice. It can’t take reactions, its space is impassable up to its height, and it provides cover as if it were an object.

Incursor Summoning

When you cast a spell that summons one or more creatures, you can spend 2 sorcery points. If you do, one creature that you summon can make an additional attack on its first turn, and until the start of your next turn, it deals an additional 2d6 damage when it hits with an attack.

Solar Spell

During the duration of any spell you cast that creates bright light or dim light, you can use your bonus action and spend 2 sorcery points to make bright light into sunlight, or 3 sorcery points to make dim light into sunlight, until the end of your next turn. You can use this metamagic multiple times during the duration of the same spell.

Spellstorm

When you cast a spell that deals lightning damage, you can spend any number of sorcery points to gain spellstorm charges. At the start of each of your turns for the next minute, you deal 2 lightning damage per spellstorm charge to creatures of your choice within 10 feet of you. When you have any number of spellstorm charges and cast a spell of 1st level or higher that deals lightning damage, you gain 1 spellstorm charge and extend the duration of your spellstorm by 1 minute.

Design Notes

As you see, I’ve gone for more niche applications, under the idea that getting a third metamagic option at 10th and a fourth at 17th, along with potentially two more from Metamagic Adept (in Tasha’s Golden Corral Buffet), you can have a few standard, broad-application metamagics and spare some space for weird, fun tricks.

The challenge in writing these, to me, is to come up with a cool, thematic add-on – a lot of that design space having already been covered by existing spells. For example, Rime’s binding ice (in Fizban’s Investment Portfolio) satisfyingly captures an ice-spell “story” that D&D has seldom touched on, so I needed to do something a bit different for Glacial Spell. Instead, I took inspiration from Sapphiron in Wrath of the Lich King. In D&D this is the kind of benefit that isn’t inherently useful – you’ve got to adjust your tactics to get anything out of it. Maybe that’s okay.

Incursor Spell is inspired by Magic: the Gathering’s Flash and Haste effects that get around summoning sickness. Since D&D doesn’t havesummoning sickness, the summons are instead more powerful on that first turn, bursting into the world from nothing.

I wanted to come up with an Axiomatic Spell metamagic to pair with Anarchic, but the implementations that came to mind weren’t working. Anarchic Spell is me taking a name that I’m pretty sure was a feat in 3.5e and reconcepting it to something more chaotic in function, rather than just exploiting the target’s alignment somehow.

Discerning Spell and Solar Spell are situational applications to be sure, but Discerning Spell is amazing for social interactions afterward (likely even revealing information that impacts your interaction with other NPCs), while Solar Spell is first and foremost a vampire-murder weapon.

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