'Widen' a 'Lightning Bolt' doesn't actually do anything?

[Pyrex]

From the SRD:

WIDEN SPELL [METAMAGIC]
Benefit: You can alter a burst, emanation, line, or spread shaped spell to increase its area. Any numeric measurements of the spell’s area increase by 100%.

and

Lightning Bolt
Evocation [Electricity]
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 120 ft.
Area: 120-ft. line

So, by definition, applying 'Widen' to 'Lightning Bolt' produces a 240' line with a maximum range of 120'

Wow, that's pretty cool.

 

[AuraSeer]

Your interpretation is correct.
In order to make a longer lightning bolt, you need to apply both Widen and Enlarge.

 

[Pyrex]

ENLARGE SPELL [METAMAGIC]
Benefit: You can alter a spell with a range of close, medium, or long to increase its range by 100%. ... Spells whose ranges are not defined by distance, as well as spells whose ranges are not close, medium, or long, do not have increased ranges.

That would be great. If you were allowed to 'Enlarge' a 'Lightning Bolt'

 

[Alchemist]

That would be great. If you were allowed to 'Enlarge' a 'Lightning Bolt'

Why not? The text says "Spells whose ranges are not defined by distance, as well as spells whose ranges are not close, medium, or long, do not have increased ranges." The range of Lighting Bolt is defined by a distance, so it is not automatically excluded.

 

[Siridar]

A lightning bolt affects anything in each square of it's path according to the description for a line, so wouldn't that be a 5ft wide path?

If so, wouldn't a Widened Lightning Bolt be a 10ft wide, 120ft long lightning bolt?

 

[Merlion]

Theres some dispute as to wether the new defintion of "line" would be 5 or 10 feet wide. Due to the fact that there now assuming everyone uses minis and graph paper(one of the few things I dislike about 3er) its a bit tough to call.
Me, I'd say a Widened Lighting Bolt would be 120 feet long and 240 feet wide. And I'd say you can Enlarge a lightning bolt but thats just me.

 

[Skaros]

Theres some dispute as to wether the new defintion of "line" would be 5 or 10 feet wide. Due to the fact that there now assuming everyone uses minis and graph paper(one of the few things I dislike about 3er) its a bit tough to call.
Me, I'd say a Widened Lighting Bolt would be 120 feet long and 240 feet wide. And I'd say you can Enlarge a lightning bolt but thats just me.

Heh. 240 feet wide.

 

[Number47]

I'd say a Widened Lighting Bolt would be 120 feet long and 240 feet wide.

That is a lightning sheet. Man, would that wreak havoc on an army or a village.

 

[The Souljourner]

The range on lightning bolt is wrong, in my opinion. Range should define the farthest point at which the effect may start. Thus, lightning bolt, since it starts at your fingertips, should really have a range of 0, with an area of a 120' line. Range of 120' implies it can *start* 120 feet away from you, which is directly contradicted by its rules text.

Thus, widening a lightningbolt should make it a 240' line, and enlarge would do absolutely nothing.

-The Souljourner

 

[Particle_Man]

Maybe if you turned 90 degrees and shot the lightning bolt out to one side?