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Message: <blockquote data-quote="StreamOfTheSky" data-source="post: 4785148" data-attributes="member: 35909">Yes, Empower affects all of xdy +z, not just the xdy.  The PHB makes that pretty clear in the magic missile example.Does that mean Empower is better than Maximize sometimes?  Yes.  Is that such a big deal?  In terms of opportunity cost of feats, Split Ray is mechanical almost always superior to empower.  But it can only be used on a small portion of spells, so it's balanced.  Empower is better on any d4 +z roll, but there aren't too many of those.  (And in the case of time Stop, knowing when it will end via maximize is nice.)   On a standard xd6 roll, or xd8 or more, Maximize gives a better total with no risk of low rolls, the differences increasing with the die size.  Spells that deal d8's are much better maximized, higher level adjustment aside.If anything, it's not that Empower is too strong.  It's that maximize is too weak.  I have never once in 3.5 felt it was ever worth the +3 levels or huge metamagic rod cost to get it.  IIRC, in 3.0, both feats were a +2 level adjustment.  Maximize should probably include some other small benefit to make it worthwhile at +3.</blockquote>