I would say yes, it was their intent, since it was also one of the reasons why they made the ability score buffs a non-variable +4.3d6 said:Does anyone know if it was the designer's intent to make the area of cones un-increasable by metamagic feats? It seems unfair for all other area-effect spells to be alterable, but not cones.
3d6 said:Does anyone know if it was the designer's intent to make the area of cones un-increasable by metamagic feats? It seems unfair for all other area-effect spells to be alterable, but not cones.
WIDEN SPELL [METAMAGIC]
Benefit: You can alter a burst, emanation, line, or spread shaped spell to increase its area. Any numeric measurements of the spell's area increase by 100%.A widened spell uses up a spell slot three levels higher than the spell's actual level.
Spells that do not have an area of one of these four sorts are not affected by this feat.
Cone of Cold
Evocation [Cold]
Level: Sor/Wiz 5, Water 6
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 60 ft.
Area: Cone-shaped burst
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes
Cone of cold creates an area of extreme cold, originating at your hand and extending outward in a cone. It drains heat, dealing 1d6 points of cold damage per caster level (maximum 15d6).
Arcane Material Component: A very small crystal or glass cone.
Pax said:What are you talking about? You can still increase Cone's affected area; you simply have to use Widen Spell to do so. Just like with a Fireball.
The limitation is that you have to use the [+3 level] Widen to gain a 100% increase in area, rather than the [+1 level] Enlarge to gain a 100% increase in area. IOW, it is now no easier and no cheaper to get a godawful-huge Cone of Cold than it is to get a godawful-huge Fireball.
Two snippets from the SRD for you:
Elder-Basilisk said:Sure but increasing the area of a cone requires using the widen spell feat and the enlarge spell feat to increase the range. Otherwise, you get a cone with an effect twice the original size that cuts off abruptly at the listed range.
drnuncheon said:You don't even need Rule 0, just read the book. "Any numeric measurements of the spell's area increase by 100%." Is the 60' range a numeric measurement of the spell's area? Yes. Therefore, it increases by 100%.
Elder-Basilisk said:One might think so but you should have seen some of the arguments generated by the suggestion that the 40' cone from 3.0 Sculpt Spell enabled a spell to have a 40' cone effect regardless of the range.