Most damage 5th level caster can do with a Fireball

[Thurbane]

Just a purely number crunching excercise: what is the most damage a 5th level caster can do with a Fireball? His standard damage would be 5d6, but what feats, items or abiltites could push that higher?

For the sake of argument lets assume he is of a LA +0 race, and his items cannot exceed standard WBL guidelines. Also, I'm talking about a spell he can cast himself, not from a scroll, wand or other item.

Cheers - T

 

[Cameron]

Just a purely number crunching excercise: what is the most damage a 5th level caster can do with a Fireball? His standard damage would be 5d6, but what feats, items or abiltites could push that higher?

For the sake of argument lets assume he is of a LA +0 race, and his items cannot exceed standard WBL guidelines. Also, I'm talking about a spell he can cast himself, not from a scroll, wand or other item.

Cheers - T

Anything with +1 caster level. But his best chance would be the Sudden line of metamagic feats (Empower, Maximize, etc.)

 

[FireLance]

Well, at 5th level, we'd be stuck with a wizard - no sorcerers or warmages.

For feats, your best bet would be Sudden Maximize and Sudden Empower (Complete Arcane). Since both of these require another metamagic feat as a prerequisite, that eats up another feat slot.

The reserve feat Fiery Burst (Complete Mage) also adds a +1 competence bonus to caster level for Fire spells, and requires you to be able to cast a 2nd-level Fire spell, so a wizard could get this at 3rd level.

A human wizard would thus be able to get all of the above by 5th level, using his 1st-level feat slots for another metamagic feat and Sudden Maximize, his third-level feat slot for Fiery Burst and his fifth-level bonus feat slot for Sudden Empower. His Sudden Empowered Sudden Maximized fireball would do a maximum of 54 points of damage.

 

[Diirk]

Bloodline of Fire (PGtF, regional feat so may not be available) is better than Fiery burst in terms of maxing out your fireball damage if you can get it

 

[charlesatan]

Bloodline of Fire (PGtF, regional feat so may not be available) is better than Fiery burst in terms of maxing out your fireball damage if you can get it

Aside from Bloodline of Fire, other Forgotten Realms feats like Spell Thematics also bump up the caster level. Bloodline of Fire + Spell Thematics + Fiery Burst = 9th-caster level. As for magic items, right now off the top of my head there's none that you can afford to boost your CL.

 

[Vorput]

How much gold do you have at 5th level? Could you pick up a lesser metamagic rod (empower)- that'd free up a feat slot on FireLance's idea.

 

[charlesatan]

How much gold do you have at 5th level? Could you pick up a lesser metamagic rod (empower)- that'd free up a feat slot on FireLance's idea.

If I remember correctly (5th-level PC gold), it's 9,000 gp. Lesser metamagic rod is 9,000 gp, so yes if your Wizard is naked and doesn't own a spellbook.

 

[green slime]

If I remember correctly (5th-level PC gold), it's 9,000 gp. Lesser metamagic rod is 9,000 gp, so yes if your Wizard is naked and doesn't own a spellbook.

What?!? Some druid corner the market on shrubbery? Leaves cost cash in your campaign?