Metamagic Feats

[Malchia]

Can multiple feats or abilities be used to lower the enhancement penalty of a metamagic feat to 0 extra spell slots?  For example, would it be possible to take "Easy Metamagic" (Empower Spell) to lower the effects of that metamagic feat to 1 slot higher instead of 2, then proceed to take "Arcane Thesis" on a spell and lower it to 0?  An example would be an empowered lightning bolt that normally uses up a 5th level slot (3rd for the spell and 2 for "Empower").  Easy metamagic (Empower) lowers it to a 4th level slot.  Would taking "Arcane Thesis" for Lightning Bolt lower the spell slot back to 3rd?  "Easy Metamagic" doesn't stack and can't lower metamagic feat below 1 extra slot, but "Arcane Thesis" doesn't make mention that there's a limit to lowering spell slots, only that each time you take it, it applies to a different spell.  I'm just throwing this out to all the veteran gamers out there to get your take on this idea.       

[Windblade]

I don't know if we have a house rule for this or if it is the real rules for the game but a metamagic feat must always cost at least +1 level and it states in the easy metamagic  feat that it can only be applied to a feat one time.  If you take easy metamagic again it must apply to a different feat.

The reason I know this is because Brack uses several of the feats you stated above and his class abilities and he has max, empower, and quicken all at +1 for certain spells.  However, he was not allowed to reduce them lower then +1

[Asinjin]

We went through this thoroughly when we were going into the wizard's tournament.

You are not allowed to reduce a metamagic feat adjustment below +1 unless it already was +0.  In the case of a metamagic feat that is +0, it can't be adjusted.

[Malchia]

Yeah, I remember the many wizard tournament discussions.  I guess the real question was whether there was any means of dropping a metamagic feat adjustment to 0, not necessarily via other feats.  The answer is a resounding "no."  Obviously, one can use a magic item to apply the effects of a metamagic feat without actually using that feat or increasing the spell slot, but  adding actual feats and abilities can never reduce below the +1 adjustment.