D&D 5E Empowered Evocation plus Magic Missile?

[kerbarian]

From the basic rules, Empowered Evocation lets you "add your Intelligence modifier to the damage roll of any wizard evocation spell you cast."

If I have an Int modifier of +5 and cast a Magic Missile with the three darts targeting three different creatures, presumably the damage against each creature is 1d4 + 6.

If I have all three darts target the same creature, is the total damage 3d4 + 8 or 3d4 + 18?

 

[Juriel]

As written, the bonus applies to each missile. Because after all this time, DnD still cannot understand the power of multi-attacks...

So expect that to get errataed into something like, only applies once per target.

 

[Stalker0]

There is a Mearls tweet that mentions its a one time bonus, not all 3.

 

[Juriel]

https://twitter.com/mikemearls/status/487995399899074560

Once per target.

 

[doctorhook]

From the basic rules, Empowered Evocation lets you "add your Intelligence modifier to the damage roll of any wizard evocation spell you cast."

If I have an Int modifier of +5 and cast a Magic Missile with the three darts targeting three different creatures, presumably the damage against each creature is 1d4 + 6.

If I have all three darts target the same creature, is the total damage 3d4 + 8 or 3d4 + 18?

Good question. I'm gonna say you can only count the damage bonus once per target, meaning that Empowered Evocation will add more to your total damage when you target more than one creature. I feel this is fair, because it mimics the way the damage bonus will apply to area spells--a fireball will do +5 bonus damage to every creature in the area of effect. Adding +15 to the damage against a single creature seems unfair in the case of a single-target, 1st level magic missile.

EDIT: Ninja'd. But I feel vindicated that my ruling seems to match the one Mearls' put on the tweeter.

 

[kerbarian]

https://twitter.com/mikemearls/status/487995399899074560

Once per target.

Hey, look at that -- he answered my exact question. Thanks!

 

[Murkmoldiev]

wow ! now the designers can just tweet in the errata .

Imagine if we had this when the 1st ed DMG came out LOL

( at symbol ) ZagygTSR How does initiative spell segments and speed factor work ?

 

[Evenglare]

For me personally? I'd rule that you can split the damage up anyway you want between the 3 missiles.

 

[Psikerlord#]

https://twitter.com/mikemearls/status/487995399899074560

Once per target.

If that was rai, they need to errata it. A single dev tweeting his view ought to be helpful guidance, but only where the rule is unclear. In this instance the rule is clear, and Mearls is simply incorrect.

 

[thalmin]

Obviously it is not clear. Some are reading

[FONT=Bookmania,Bookmania][FONT=Bookmania,Bookmania]Beginning at 10th level, you can add your Intelligence modifier to the damage roll of any wizard evocation spell you cast.
[/FONT][/FONT]

as if it says

[FONT=Bookmania,Bookmania][FONT=Bookmania,Bookmania]Beginning at 10th level, you can add your Intelligence modifier to each damage die roll of any wizard evocation spell you cast.
[/FONT][/FONT]

where I can see the rules may be intended as

[FONT=Bookmania,Bookmania][FONT=Bookmania,Bookmania]Beginning at 10th level, you can add your Intelligence modifier (once) to the damage roll of any wizard evocation spell you cast.
[/FONT][/FONT]

(above bold has been added)

The best way to decide is see what the other schools give at level 10 and judge accordingly.