Does Havoc of the Society add the [Force] descriptor to a spell? Should it?

[Covert Operator]

Havoc of the Society wrote:

Through countless hours studying vast libraries of arcane power, you have learned how to cause greater damage to your foes.

Whenever you cast a spell that deals damage, you gain a +1 trait bonus to the total damage dealt. This damage is considered force damage regardless of the type of damage dealt by the spell.

[OldSkoolRPG]

Traits only do what they say they do. So, no, it just does 1 point of force damage in addition to whatever damage the spell does and has no effect on the descriptor.

As for whether it should, that is also a no. Notice the last sentence differentiates between the damage dealt by the spell and the damage dealt by the trait. The spell is not the source of the force damage, the trait is, so the spell's descriptor should not change.

[LazarX]

No... it just adds one point of force damage to the standard damage type of the spell. so if it's a acid splash, the spell does 1d3 acid plus 1 force.

If one wants to be pedantic, the original damage retains it's type and the trait damage is a separate force described effect.

[CampinCarl9127]

Agreed with those above. If it changed all the damage to force damage it would be broken as hell anyways.

[Covert Operator]

CampinCarl9127 wrote:

Agreed with those above. If it changed all the damage to force damage it would be broken as hell anyways.

Adding the Force descriptor would make sense, because the spell now deals force damage as well as its original damage. Adding that descriptor doesn't change the spell's damage type.

[Nefreet]

I agree as well (Edit: with the three replies earlier), though I have seen at least one online guide that combined this Trait with Toppling Metamagic, and have encountered one PFS character built using said guide, so there is misinformation out there.

[CampinCarl9127]

Covert Operator wrote:

CampinCarl9127 wrote:

Agreed with those above. If it changed all the damage to force damage it would be broken as hell anyways.

Adding the Force descriptor would make sense, because the spell now deals force damage as well as its original damage. Adding that descriptor doesn't change the spell's damage type.

I'd be careful with that. If it had the force descriptor that means it fully effects ethereal creatures and the like, even the non-force damage. I would only allow the force damage to have the force descriptor.

[Covert Operator]

CampinCarl9127 wrote:

Covert Operator wrote:

CampinCarl9127 wrote:

Agreed with those above. If it changed all the damage to force damage it would be broken as hell anyways.

Adding the Force descriptor would make sense, because the spell now deals force damage as well as its original damage. Adding that descriptor doesn't change the spell's damage type.

I'd be careful with that. If it had the force descriptor that means it fully effects ethereal creatures and the like, even the non-force damage. I would only allow the force damage to have the force descriptor.

That's what I meant too. I thought that if a spell dealt Acid and Fire damage, it would have the Acid and Fire descriptors, but the Fire damage wouldn't interact with things that apply to the Acid descriptor.

[CampinCarl9127]

Ah, I rolled a nat 1 on reading comprehension. Apologies.

[Covert Operator]

CampinCarl9127 wrote:

Ah, I rolled a nat 1 on reading comprehension. Apologies.

Either that or I don't know the rules very well 0_0

[alexd1976]

The single extra point of damage is Force.

That is all.