Bloodline Arcana: Whenever you cast a spell with an energy descriptor that matches your draconic bloodline's energy type, that spell deals +1 point of damage per die rolled.
Elemental Spell (Metamagic) You can manipulate the elemental nature of your spells. Benefit: Choose one energy type: acid, cold, electricity, or fire. You may replace a spell's normal damage with that energy type or split the spell's damage, so that half is of that energy type and half is of its normal type. An elemental spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell's actual level. Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Each time you must choose a different energy type.
So, I was planning out advancement for a sorcerer of mine when I ran across this feat. The way I read it, elemental spell does not change the spell descriptor, only the damage type. So, with red dragon bloodline, a burning hands spell converted to cold damage would still receive the +1 damage per dice, but a cone of cold converted to fire damage would not. I'm sure that I've forgotten something and that this shouldn't actually work this way, but I can't for the life of me figure out why. Anyone care to enlighten me?
I always considered that when Elemental Spell is used to replace normal damage the descriptor is replaced as well, while splitting the damage adds the new descriptor to the old.
So, I was planning out advancement for a sorcerer of mine when I ran across this feat. The way I read it, elemental spell does not change the spell descriptor, only the damage type. So, with red dragon bloodline, a burning hands spell converted to cold damage would still receive the +1 damage per dice, but a cone of cold converted to fire damage would not. I'm sure that I've forgotten something and that this shouldn't actually work this way, but I can't for the life of me figure out why. Anyone care to enlighten me?
Other abilities that grant that effect, also changes the spells descriptors, so it wouldn't be unreasonable to rule that it also is the case with Elemental Spell.
In anyway, you should consider being cross-blooded with elemental bloodline (matching your dragon), which would allow you to do it for every spell you cast, without costing a feat (which could be iron will to offset the -2 from crossblooded), and without raising the level of the spell you cast and their casting time through metamagic (while you get fewer spells known, this is a more than fair trade if using it alot). On top of this, you get a lot of additional choices in feats and bloodline powers to choose from.
That seems like the common sense response, but if the spell has both descriptors, then do all of the damage dice still get the +1? Because the ability refers to the descriptor and not the damage type, it is unclear to me. Also, I can't seem to find any rules about changing spell descriptors except in some of the summoning spells, where it is explicitly addressed. By not addressing it here, I'm not sure that the common sense interpretation is the correct one.
Also, I can't seem to find any rules about changing spell descriptors except in some of the summoning spells, where it is explicitly addressed. By not addressing it here, I'm not sure that the common sense interpretation is the correct one.
In case of the elemental bloodline (and I believe some others), the spell changes type, which is the same a changing descriptor.
The admixture wizard can also change the type which his school power, which also changes the descriptors.
the spell changes type, which is the same a changing descriptor.
The admixture wizard can also change the type which his school power, which also changes the descriptors.
Can you point me to where that is spelled out in the rules? I'm don't want to be difficult, i just want to be able to see how it works using the RAW.
Right, but you may notice that the Elemental Spell feat uses significantly different language. And does not explicitly state that it changes the descriptor, hence my confusion.
I follow the same line of thought as Drejk, changing the damage type also changes the descriptor. Besides, it makes no sense for a spell with the ice descriptor to do fire damage.
That seems like the common sense response, but if the spell has both descriptors, then do all of the damage dice still get the +1? Because the ability refers to the descriptor and not the damage type, it is unclear to me.
If you are using elemental spell to have a spell do both ice and fire damage, then yes, the spell would have both the ice and fire descriptors.