Metamagic feats please be simple so I can be sure to understand

[Mr Smiles]

So in this thread I may be posting several times to get full explaination also things I ask in this thread maybe answered in other threads if so please link but I ask that if you are attempting to answer my question please use my examples for your explaination it will be easier for me.

So Empower spell works like this to my understanding am I right or wrong?

Empowered Fireball cast by a 10th level SOR you would roll 15d6 and then lets I get a 30 on my damage so is my damage also increased by half like I actually do 45 damage or is it only the number of dice increased.

[Harley Quinn X]

If I understand the feat correctly, you'd roll 10d6, then increase your result by half.

[Selgard]

I'm not entirely sure they've said whether its:

(using your example)

(10d6)*1.5

or

15d6

they should come out to approximately if not the exact same result overall though, so it ought not really matter. (though some math major may come correct me on that.. and if so, I stand (or rather sit) corrected.)

However you do NOT do both.
You don't get half again as many dice and half again as much of that damage. Its either or.

You get a 50% bonus once.

-S

[MagiMaster]

The average should be the same, but the 15d6 will be more consistently average (smaller standard deviation). Most people will say that consistency benefits the players, but the difference will be pretty small.

Edit: Actually, due to rounding the 10d6 * 1.5 has a 1/4 less or more average. The 15d6 has a standard deviation of 6.61, versus 8.1 for the other.

AnyDice link. Click on summary.

[Thorkull]

As I recall from my 3.5 days (I don't recall seeing a specific ruling for Pathfinder), the correct method would be 10d6 * 1.5, not 15d6.

[8 Red Wizards]

Empower Fireball is roll 10d6 if you are level 10 and than divide the rolled damage by half and than add that half to the 10d6. Rolling 15d6 damage for your fireball is intensify spell metamagic feat, but you would have to be level 15.

Roll 10d6 (42) than divide the rolled damage by 2 (21) than add the Rolled damage and the divided damage together 42 + 21 = 63 and that is your empowered fireball damage.

And I am absolutely positive because this is a feat I use a lot and a better and cheaper choice than Maximize. They should of made Maximize +2 to spell level and empower +3 to spell level in my opinion, but I'm glad they didn't.

[Jeraa]

8 Red Wizards wrote:

And I am absolutely positive because this is a feat I use a lot and a better and cheaper choice than Maximize. They should of made Maximize +2 to spell level and empower +3 to spell level in my opinion, but I'm glad they didn't.

Assuming average damage, maximize does more damage.

CL 10 fireball, empowered: 10d6 (Average 35), x1.5 = 52.5 damage
CL 10 fireball, maximized: 10d6 maximized = 60 damage

Thats why maximize has the larger spell level adjustment. Empower is only better if you roll higher then average damage.