Bane Magic question

[Thurbane]

Hi everyone, I’ve got a question regarding the Bane Magic feat from HoH. The feat allows the caster to add 2d6 damage to a spell against a specific type of creature. This is pretty straightforward with area spells like Fireball and individually targeted spells like Searing Light, but what about spells like Magic Missile or Spiritual Hammer? Does the extra 2d6 apply per missile, or per blow of the weapon? How about spells that deal ongoing damage like Acid Arrow or Wall of Fire?

My gut feeling is that the extra damage only applies once per spell, but I’m wondering if that is correct?

 

[Jondor_Battlehammer]

The damage only applies once per target/per spell. It also is not multiplied on a critical, etc. With MM, you have to declare targets before assigning damage, so everything works out. For Wall of Fire, damage is dealt every time the target comes into contact.

 

[Thurbane]

Thanks. I still think the feat is a bit ambiguous, though...

Here's the feat description, in case anyone has a different take on the wording:

Your spells deal extra damage to a particular type of creature.

Benefit: When you cast a spell that deals damage against a specific creature type, you deal an extra 2d6 points of damage. For example, a giant bane lightning bolt cast by an 8th-level caster would deal the usual 8d6 points of damage to any nongiant in its path but would deal 10d6 points of damage against giants. This feat has no effect on spells that do not deal hit point damage, and the source and type of the damage remains the same. This feat cannot be used to increase the amount of healing dealt to undead by inflict light wounds and similar spells, but it can add to the damage dealt by casting cure light wounds on an undead creature.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, you must apply its effects to a different type of creature: aberrations, animals, constructs, dragons, elementals, fey, giants, humanoids, magical beasts, monstrous humanoids, oozes, outsiders, plants, undead, or vermin. If you choose humanoids, you must select a particular type of humanoid, such as dwarf or orc.

 

[shilsen]

I read it the way Jondor Battlehammer does.

 

[Thurbane]

I just read Aberration Banemagic in LoM, which does a much clearer job of explaining how the feat works:

You can cast spells that do additional damage to aberrations.

Benefit: When you cast a spell that deals damage to an aberration, you deal an extra 2d6 points of damage.
A single spell can never gain this extra damage more than once per casting. For instance, a fireball deals the extra damage to all aberrations in the area it affects. However, if a 3rd-level wizard casts magic missile and produces two missiles, only one of them (of the wizard's choice) gains the extra damage, whether or not both missiles are directed at the same aberration or two different aberrations. If a spell deals damage for more than 1 round, it deals this extra damage in each round.
Scrolls scribed by you do not gain any benefit from Aberration Banemagic. Scrolls activated by you also gain no benefit from Aberration Banemagic. The same is true for most other magic items, such as wands and potions. However, staffs activated by you use not only your caster level but also gain the benefit of this feat, if applicable.
If the spell allows a saving throw, the DC of the saving throw increases by 2. The additional damage dealt by this spell is either halved on a successful saving throw or negated entirely, depending on how the regular damage dealt by the spell is affected by a successful saving throw.