The sorcerer in my group has a wand of lightning bolts:
While holding it, you can use an action to expend 1 or more of its charges to cast the lightning bolt spell (save DC 15) from it. For 1 charge, you cast the 3rd-level version of the spell.
He asked whether he could use the Quickened Spell Metamagic option to cast the lightning bolt spell as a bonus action. The description of Quickened Spell reads:
When you cast a spell that has a casting time of 1 action, you can spend 2 sorcery points to change the casting time to 1 bonus action for this casting.
One the one hand, the item specifically mentions that the caster uses their action. On the other, the item also says the caster is casting the spell, so metamagics can apply.
My opinion is that specific beats general, and that the sorcerer cannot do this. The wand could relate to any spell, with longer or shorter casting times, and would always require an action. But I wanted to make sure that is RAW.
Can a sorcerer use the Quickened Spell metamagic option on a spell cast from a magic wand?
Best Answer
Quickened Spell does nothing; the item always requires an action.
You are casting a spell through the wand, so the spell is a valid target for metamagics.
As an example, if it were a single-target spell like chromatic orb, you could use Twinned Spell on it and target 2 creatures. However, the spell you are casting from the wand always requires an action:
This is independent from the spell's actual casting time. The rod of resurrection, for example, lets you cast a spell with a 1-hour cast time using only your action.
In other words, Quickening the spell has no effect, the wand overrules it. You are using your action to activate the magic wand. As part of that activation, you cast a spell. But it doesn't matter what the spell's casting time actually is; you have already spent your action, and that is all you will need to spend.
In fact, as aaron9eee pointed out, even other abilities like the Rogue's Fast Hands have no effect on this.