How much damage would a 4th level wizard do with an Intensified Burning Hands spell, provided he took Spell Specialization: Burning Hands? 5d4 or 6d4?
4d4 (caster level 4) + 2d4 (Spell Specialization + Intensify Spell) = 6d4
(It's not *technically* a second level spell, just goes in a 2nd level spell slot.)
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The reason I ask is this:
Intensified Spell (Metamagic)
Your spells can go beyond several normal limitations.Benefit: An intensified spell increases the maximum number of damage dice by 5 levels. You must actually have sufficient caster levels to surpass the maximum in order to benefit from this feat. No other variables of the spell are affected, and spells that inflict damage that is not modified by caster level are not affected by this feat.
Level Increase: +1 (an intensified spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell’s actual level.)
Whereas Spell Specialization says this:
Spell Specialization
Select one spell. You cast that spell with greater than normal power.Prerequisites: Int 13, Spell Focus.
Benefit: Select one spell of a school for which you have taken the Spell Focus feat. Treat your caster level as being two higher for all level-variable effects of the spell.
Every time you gain an even level in the spellcasting class you chose your spell from, you can choose a new spell to replace the spell selected with this feat, and that spell becomes your specialized spell.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a different spell.
So, one says you have to actually have the caster levels, the other says you treat your caster level as being 2 levels higher for the level-dependand variables, not that you actually have two more caster levels.
For the record, I think it should stack for 6d4, but I want to be sure.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. . .
Yeah I'd still allow it. . .although the wording is very ambiguous.
That is interesting might wanna hit FAQ in hopes of a dev answer for those PFS players out there.
The reason I ask is this:
Intensified Spell (Metamagic)
Your spells can go beyond several normal limitations.Benefit: An intensified spell increases the maximum number of damage dice by 5 levels. You must actually have sufficient caster levels to surpass the maximum in order to benefit from this feat. No other variables of the spell are affected, and spells that inflict damage that is not modified by caster level are not affected by this feat.
Level Increase: +1 (an intensified spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell’s actual level.)
I think that's just a clarifier that you don't get the 5 dice of damage automatically, that you have to actually cast the spell at a high enough CL to provide the extra dice.
Intensify is weird that it lets you get the effects of the spell as if your CL were higher for it, but without it actually being at a higher CL (i.e. SR is still just as much of a problem). However, the extra damage from intensify is part of the spell's effects, so for the purpose of that your CL is indeed 6.