Art of Magic January Preview

[Michael Morris]

Last year Art of Magic was born with a slew of red spells that lead to a color / month theme which lead to the book. So this month we'll look at a red spell and a related feat.

Fanning the Flames
Evocation [Metamagic, Red]
Level: (7), Sor/Wiz 7
Component: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100’ + 10’ / level)
Targets: Fire spells in range
Duration: 1 round / level (D)

“No amount of power, no amount of chaos, no amount of destruction nor any amount of devastation will ever quench our thirst for revenge.” – Tancher.

Fire spells cast in the area of effect are empowered and magnified as per the feats and their damage cap is increased by a factor of 1.5.
(A fireball cast by a 15th level caster in the area of fanning the flames would do a 15d8 x 1.5 damage).


Magnify Spell
[Metamagic]
Your spells deal great damage.
Prerequisite: Empower Spell, Maximize Spell
Level Adjustment: +1
Benefit: A greater empowered spell uses better damage dice and doubles all bonuses to those dice. Damage dice are increased by one step (i.e. d4 becomes d6): d12’s become 2d8; d20’s become 4d6.


Note that metamagic feats in Art of Magic will have a level adjustment entry to make them a little easier to read. The level adjustment is applied to the spell when it is prepared (or cast by a sorcerer or bard)

 

[RisnDevil]

Why is your regular firebal doing d8s.....?

 

[Michael Morris]

Why is your regular firebal doing d8s.....?

Read the feat. The spell applies the feat's effect to its area, that's why I previewed them both.

 

[trentonjoe]

what do the saving throw and spell resistance apply to?

What is the area of effect?

Is there a tangible effect (like it gets warmer?) in the area of effect?

What is ART of MAGIC?

 

[jeffh]

what do the saving throw and spell resistance apply to?

What is the area of effect?

Is there a tangible effect (like it gets warmer?) in the area of effect?

What is ART of MAGIC?

I second all trentonjoe's questions except the last one. I see nothing wrong with the basic idea of it, but this spell is really poorly put together from a rules standpoint.

 

[Cheiromancer]

You greater empower a fireball, and get a 6th level spell that does 10d8 fire damage. Seems kinda underwhelming.

[edit]+1 level for an increase in dice size is much more reasonable! The text of the magnify feat still refers to greater empower, though. (At least at the time of writing this).[/edit]

 

[Xythlord]

Well Mr. Morrus you have gone and done it again. I must confess that I have been really enjoying your preview, and have been a big fan of the Dusk setting for a long time (I do believe that I may still have a copy of your original World of Carthasia doc lying around somewhere).

Anyways on to the point of this post; correct me if I am wrong but this spell is an area of effect, enhancement magic that affects all fire based spells cast within a give area. If that is the case, if a spell caster within the designated area of effect decides to cast a fire based spell, do they then have to roll for a saving throw, assuming that they do not for some reason want this enhancement to effect their spells. Furthermore, if they are then successful with they're saving throw is the spell negated entirely or just for the casting of that spell, or is it negated for that individual caster for all spells that he casts. Same question in regards to Spell resistance.

My second question is in regards to other heat based damaging effects not spell related; for instance a breath weapon (red dragon, etc.) or some heat based aura (like the Efreetis Heat (Ex), a Balor's Body of Flame (Ex), or the fire elementals Burn (Ex).), or certian spells which are based off of heat, but not necessarily fire (like Heat Metal for instance).

While I am not trying to be difficult......maybe not with much success, I really do like this spell and I am really looking forward to the release of Art of Magic. And while I am on that subject, when is that supposed to be released and is that going straight to PDF or will it be in print as well?

Your humble servant

 

[Shadeus]

Greater Empower Spell
[Metamagic]
Your spells deal great damage.
Prerequisite: Empower Spell, Maximize Spell
Level Adjustment: +3
Benefit: A greater empowered spell uses better damage dice and doubles all bonuses to those dice. Damage dice are increased by one step (i.e. d4 becomes d6): d12’s become 2d8; d20’s become 4d6.

There must be a typo there somewhere. I can't see how the greater version isn't worse than empower spell. An empowered fireball from a 10th-level caster does 10d6 x 1.5 for an average of 52.5 points of damage. A greater empowered fireball would do 10d8 for an average of 45 points of damage. And a 10th-level caster can't even CAST a greater empowered fireball (because you need a 6th-level slot to do it).

Is the example in the spell wrong? Should it be 10d8 x 1.5? (Or 15d8 x 1.5 in the spell description.)

The feat says "doubles all bonuses" so does that mean something like greater empowered flame blade (4th-level spell) at 20th level casting does 1d10+20?

 

[I'm A Banana]

I like the spell....(pssst...the area of effect is the range...I guess...which seems an awkward way to put it, but meh)....I really like it. I especially like the added fluff of a little quote for it...very magic-card-esque...

I do wonder what the save and spell resistance apply to, however....and the area might be better explained....

But thumbs up from me.

 

[RangerWickett]

Just to clarify a wee bit, Michael Morris is different from Russell Morrissey. Russ goes by the screen name Morrus and owns the boards; Michael is just a very active supporter who goes by Michael Morris.