If I have a scroll in my hand, can I use metamagic on it?
Metamagic says I cannot use other actions:
You must use a metamagic action directly before Casting the Spell you want to alter. If you use any action (including free actions and reactions) other than Cast a Spell directly after, you waste the benefits of the metamagic action
If the spell is on my spell list, I do not need Trick Magic Item, so no extra action is needed.
The rules for scrolls do not mention additional requirements either:
Casting a Spell from a scroll requires holding the scroll in one hand and activating it with a Cast a Spell activity using the normal number of actions for that spell.
So it looks like it should work, but it feels strange. I think it would not have worked in Pathfinder 1e. Does it work here?
Best Answer
You Cannot
TL;DR: Metamagic requires that your next action be Cast a Spell, but to activate a Scroll you must use an Activate an Item activity that subordinates a Cast a Spell activity. Using Activate an Item is not the same as using Cast a Spell, so the metamagic feat's benefits are wasted.
The sidebar about In-Depth Action Rules states that:
The metamagic trait states that:
Metamagic is just like the hypothetical action in the sidebar's example: activities that subordinate Cast a Spell don't work with it!
The Activate an Item activity states that:
There's a lot here, because Activate an Item is basically a catch-all, but the bottom line is that when you are activating items you are using the Activate an Item activity. For some items like staves or scrolls, this activity includes (and therefore subordinates) the Cast a Spell activity.
Unlike other items, the scrolls have omitted the usage and activate entry from their stat block, but these entries are still found within the rules for Casting a Spell from a Scroll:
Also, note the difference with rules for Casting a Spell from a Staff, where an exception is made for metamagic feats to work with staves: