[RPG] How does metamagic adept interact with flexible casting and the sorcery points cap

dnd-5efeatsmetamagicsorcerer

You gain 2 sorcery points to spend on Metamagic (these points are added to any sorcery points you have from another source but can be used only on Metamagic). You regain all spent sorcery points when you finish a long rest.

Assume a level 3 variant human sorcerer has 3 sorcery points from their class and 2 from metamagic adept.

They spend 2 sorcery points from their class to make a 1rst level slot with flexible casting. Now they have 1 from their class and 2 from metamagic adept.

Are they able to convert a spell slot to sorcery points?
Or can they not go over 3 sorcery points because they are level 3? In effect forcing them to spend the points from the feat before they can make more.

How does metamagic adept interact with flexible casting and the sorcery points cap?

Best Answer

You have 5 sorcery points.

It's clear from the feat that you add the SP from the feat to your current pool:

these points are added to any sorcery points you have from another source

Your maximum SP with the feat is your old max +2. Therefore, there is no reason you cannot create the 2 feat sorcery points by converting a spell slot - your max is 5.

The 2 points from the feat cannot create slots.

This is also clear from the feat. These two points can:

be used only on Metamagic.

Flexible Casting's function of creating spell slots is not metamagic, so you cannot create spell slots with the two points from the feat.

Specific Beats General

The Sorcerer's Font of Magic reads:

You can never have more sorcery points than shown on the table for your level.

Yet, metamagic adept says:

You gain 2 sorcery points to spend on Metamagic (these points are added to any sorcery points you have from another source

This is a case where we apply the specific beats general rule:

If a specific rule contradicts a general rule, the specific rule wins.

Metamagic Adept specifically isntructs us to add the SP from the feat to SP had from another source. So your maximum is definitely 5 points, and there is no reason you would have to spend the feat SP before creating new SP with spell slots via flexible casting.

You have to do some accounting.

A sorcerer with this feat creates something you have to keep track of. It creates a second type of sorcery point. Optimally, you would use the SP from the feat first, before spending your normal SP on metamagic; similarly, always create normal SP first, before creating the feat's SP.

Yes. Here is a table.

Spell level	Flexible Casting SP	Psionic Sorcery SP
1	2	1
2	3	2
3	5	3
4	6	4
5	7	5
6	NA	6
7	NA	7
8	NA	8
9	NA	9

The second column is taken directly from the Font of Magic feature, and the third column is a direct application of the Psionic Sorcery feature which says:

by spending a number of sorcery points equal to the spell’s level.

These columns are clearly different, which makes sense, these are different features. It would be silly to give a sorcerer subclass a feature that replicates a class feature they already have.

Note, it may be unclear if you can upcast spells using Psionic Sorcery. This question has conflicting answers: Can Aberrant Mind Sorcerers upcast Psionic Spells using Sorcery points?. You mileage may vary for levels 6-9 on this table, depending on how you interpret Psionic Sorcery.

Psionic Sorcery only lets you cast spells learned through the 1st level Psionic Spells feature.

Psionic Sorcery says:

When you cast any spell of 1st level or higher from your Psionic Spells feature...

Psionic Spells says:

You learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Psionic Spells table.

Only spells from this table can be cast with SP through the Psionic Sorcery feature.