Empowered Spell Feat

[Yellow Sign]

My 9th level Sorceress just picked up the Empowered Spell feat and I have a few questions. She has lightning bolt, magic missile, and bull strength as spells and I want to figure out how the feat works with these spells. Ok here goes.

1. I cast a lightning bolt that does 9d6 damage. Do I take my total damage and multiply it by 1.5 or do I mulitply each dice by 1.5?

2. I cast magic missile at 2 different targest. Do I multiply the each dice roll by 1.5 and add the +1 or do I figure out my total damage and multiply it by 1.5?

3. I cast bull's strength on one of my fellow PC's. Do I multiply the dice roll after the plus one is added or before?

 

[Dr_Rictus]

When the feat says that the spell does 50% more damage, heals 50% more damage, etc., that's what it means. This requires that you must take the numerical effect the spell would normally have had, and then multiply. So:

1. Roll the total, then multiply.

2. Determine the individual totals for each target (including the +1) and then multiply.

3. Multiply after the +1.

This is undoubtably in the FAQ.

 

[Li Shenron]

Yes, always figure out the final result without the empower effect and multiply by 1.5, round down.

The Magic Missile seems to be a special case (not that special after all), I agree with Dr_Rictus.

 

[Dr_Rictus]

As an aside, I find Empower Spell to be an excellent feat for my sorcerer as well. It allows considerably more flexibility with attacks given the relatively small number of spells known.

Need to hit a single target really hard? Disintegrate. Need an area effect spell? Empowered lightning bolt. Need a really reliable effect or the ability to be flexible with multiple targets? Empowered, Empowered magic missile. All for the same level spell slot. The choice is often well worth the increased casting time.