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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cheiromancer" data-source="post: 3136826" data-attributes="member: 141">What do you think about making [blast] only available as a secondary seed for 20d6?  They'd have 32d6 at USP 24 (20 base +12d6); at USP 30 they could compound it with itself  to make a 46d6 [blast] (two 20d6 seeds at 12SP each, +6d6), at USP 36 they could triple-compound it for 60d6, and so on.  I'm assuming your limit on compounding seeds is such that another seed can be added every 6 levels.  I'm inclined to omit any sort of empower or doubling factor; rely on metannihilator kinds of feats instead.  (We seem to have switched positions on this!)I am a little dissatisfied with the options for the metamagic specialist.  He really needs Enhance Spell, but I doubt he'd take it before epic levels.  And with having to take Metamagic Freedom too, it's a while before he can start to take AMC.  And those prevent him from taking other feats- basically he can only use the feats he used as a non-epic mage.I wonder if an extra benefit can be added to Metamagic Freedom; that every two levels of metamagic increases the dice cap of spells by +5d6 (word it like Enhance Spell).  Given the rate that he'll likely add metamagic to the spell, he'll never hit the cap.Assuming a delayed blast fireball as the base spell and MF at 21st level, but AMC thereafter, he could, using a 9th level slot, level x multiplier = damage21 x 1.5 = 31d624 x 2.0 = 48d627 x 2.5 = 67d630 x 3.0 = 90d633 x 3.5 = 115d636 x 4.0 = 144d639 x 4.5 = 175d642 x 5.0 = 210d645 x 5.5 = 247d648 x 6.0 = 288d6etc.A seed generalist (no AMC) would have 32d6 at 21st level, but quickly fall behind without feats.  At 24th level they do 35d6, at 27th level they do 46d6 (2 seeds), and at 30th level they do 49d6.  At 33rd level (USP 36) they do 60d6, only half what the metamagic specialist does.  Here they hit a wall; the cap on compounding doesn't hurt them so much as the cost of 12SP for +20d6. AMC feats help them then, but 80d6 at level 39 isn't very impressive.Feats that double their damage (like Metannihilator or Herald of the Eschaton) can be given prerequisites so that they fit at the appropriate spots.  Being able to do 70d6 at level 24 makes them shine; they start to fall behind, though, and around level 42 or so could probably use another boost.The formulas are rather similar to calculating the optimal power attack given a known average damage and a known target AC; but they are too hard to be fun.  I suspect a simpler, more utilitarian method is needed; I formulated this post before I saw yours, but I think it streamlines things a lot.</blockquote>

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