Question concerning Elemental Savant and Subdual Substitution

[hammymchamham]

So, if say an Elemental Savant (Fire) used Subdual Substitution (Fire) to a Fireball, would the Elemental Savant use his Elemental Focus (Fire) to increase the save DC vs his Subdual fireball?

Basically I'm (as a DM) going to use subdual spells to knock out my party and have them stuck in the middle of a maze

 

[Mr Fidgit]

yep, elemental focus affects any spell of the savants chosen focus energy type

and it's cumulative with spell focus and greater spell focus. i'd say those PCs are heading for the maze

 

[hammymchamham]

Ok, now what if I energy substituted (fire) into a cone of cold, and then subdual substituted. will that also work?

The mage is for a plot hook I plan on using later in the campaign. But just haste with a few substituted fireballs will send them to the maze (or other spells incase one has a nice reflex save and evasion)

 

[Mr Fidgit]

i don't think so...

energy substitution - "you can modify a spell with an energy designator to use the chosen energy type instead. a substituted spell works normally in all respects except for the damage dealt"

so it doesn't actually change the original energy designator

 

[Mr Fidgit]

if you want a 4th level fire spell, i could post explosive cascade from Magic of Faerun, if you don't have it

 

[Celtavian]

Re

I believe when you change the energy designator to your chosen type of energy, your elemental focus does work. In my opinion, the whole reason for having energy substitution (Chosen energy) is to be able to turn all of kinds of energy spells into energy spells of your chosen type so that your elemental focus does apply.

At least this is the way we play energy substitution and elemental focus, so that an elemental savant can take full advantage of his or her special abilities.