Newb here; I've searched & searched, but couldn't find the needle I need.
I'm playing a 10th-level half-orc sorceress w/ the Efreeti bloodline. (I've already figured out from reading the boards that this isn't the most efficient Blaster build possible, but ah well, I'm enjoying RPing her.)
The alternate preferred class bonus for half-orc sorcerers is to add +1/2 to fire spell damage. (By now she is up to +5.) And the Efreeti bloodline's arcana is "Whenever you cast a spell that deals energy damage, you can change the type of damage to fire. This also changes the spell's descriptors to match this energy type."
The basic interaction of these two abilities is clear. She can turn a wimpy 2d4 Acid Arrow into a much better 2d4+5 Burning Acid Arrow; both spells do that damage for (at this point) another 3 rounds. However, the GM thinks that because she's changed the descriptor to fire, that would change SR as well, making the spell nigh unto useless. (He's picturing an evoked fiery arrow, even though it's still a conjuration spell.)
Is there a ruling anywhere on changing SR when the descriptor changes?
And, while I'm here, I've assumed until now that the Efreeti arcana would not let my character change Magic Missile; that the "missile strikes unerringly" property was (a) not energy damage or (b) would be eliminated if turned to fire. As I've been searching for the answer to my question above, I've become curious about the debate over Magic Missile--I've seen opinions going both ways. Is there now a ruling? I'd love five unerring 1d4+6 missiles, but would take one of them on top of four others at 1d4+1.
No, Acid Arrow changed to fire does not require a Spell Resistance check.
The lack of SR for Acid Arrow is because it is conjuration (creation). Changing it to fire does not change that it is conjuration (creation).
Magic Missile is force, it is not "energy" (in terms of elemental energy that the Efreeti bloodline is intending). You cannot change it to fire.
Nothing about energy type has anything to do with SR, when applying things like your bloodline power an important principle is "you get whay it says on the box", meaning it only does what it says it does. Save DCs, range, material components, you might imagine reasons for all of these to change, but it doesn't say they do, so they don't.
To your questions about magic missile, it inflicts force damage, not energy damage of any type, so nothing you can do here.
Energy damage typically refers to the primary four; fire, cold, acid, electricity.
Here's another voice to the pile in your favor in the fire arrow. Your GM was doing the time honored technique of extracting notions from his posterior.
Thanks for the input! I'm forwarding it to my GM. I have to admit, though, I was hoping for a link to some sort of official ruling or a quote from one of the books. Is there one? Is this sort of question prevalent enough to warrant a faq? (I have indeed taken notice of the fact that the staff like short questions, which mine was not, and hate weighing in on disputes with GMs. So maybe not.)
I don't really think any quotes would be relevant. It sounds like you're hoping for a "Nothing else about the spell is affected" clause, which is basically implied in every alteration to anything.
Your GM claimed a rule exists. The burden of proof is on him, not you.
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Energy damage typically refers to the primary four; fire, cold, acid, electricity.
Sonic is sometimes included in this list, too.
Negative, positive, and force are all energy types, but are not usually considered as such for resistances and effects to change energy type. Such a confusing game, eh?
Regarding acid arrow, yeah, you've got it right. The only thing here is that it doesn't become a different spell. It's still an acid arrow, your acid just burns fiery. You could re-skin the spell and call it a burning arrow, but really, the spell is still acid arrow, despite no longer dealing acid damage.
bitter lily,
It is difficult to provide an official ruling or a quote on something that does not exist.
Put another way, unless a rule states something happens, then it doesn't happen.
There is no rule stating that changing the energy type of a spell changes whether or not there is a Spell Resistance check. Your GM needs to provide such a rule if his intent is to go by the rules.
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Newb here; I've searched & searched, but couldn't find the needle I need.
I'm playing a 10th-level half-orc sorceress w/ the Efreeti bloodline. (I've already figured out from reading the boards that this isn't the most efficient Blaster build possible, but ah well, I'm enjoying RPing her.)
The alternate preferred class bonus for half-orc sorcerers is to add +1/2 to fire spell damage. (By now she is up to +5.) And the Efreeti bloodline's arcana is "Whenever you cast a spell that deals energy damage, you can change the type of damage to fire. This also changes the spell's descriptors to match this energy type."
The basic interaction of these two abilities is clear. She can turn a wimpy 2d4 Acid Arrow into a much better 2d4+5 Burning Acid Arrow; both spells do that damage for (at this point) another 3 rounds. However, the GM thinks that because she's changed the descriptor to fire, that would change SR as well, making the spell nigh unto useless. (He's picturing an evoked fiery arrow, even though it's still a conjuration spell.)
So, side note. That half-orc favored bonus only adds 1/2 fire damage per level to the spell, not each time the spell damages something. So if the spell does 2d4 initially, and 2d4 per round there after, you only add the 5 damage once.
Not that it can, but if you could cast a fiery magic missile, this favored class bonus would apply to one missile per casting of the spell, not to every missile. At tenth, it would add 5 damage to the spell, not 5 damage to each of five missiles for a total of +25 damage to the spell. You could divid the extra damage to each missile, but you couldn't add more than favored bonus to each spell. I know, since it can't affect magic missile, this is a bit confusing, but it was an easy example of a spell with lots of damaging attacks in a single turn.
Victory! Thank you all. I emailed my GM your quotes, a couple of conjuration [fire] spells, and the suggestion that I call my spell Napalm Arrow. I'm sure it all contributed, but he did specifically cite the imagery of conjuring burning gel or liquid that then gets flung at the target.
Regarding acid arrow, yeah, you've got it right. The only thing here is that it doesn't become a different spell. It's still an acid arrow, your acid just burns fiery. You could re-skin the spell and call it a burning arrow, but really, the spell is still acid arrow, despite no longer dealing acid damage.
I believe you, and it will help me utilize my ability, but obviously, creative re-skinning is going to be helpful, too. Ah well.
So, side note. That half-orc favored bonus only adds 1/2 fire damage per level to the spell, not each time the spell damages something. So if the spell does 2d4 initially, and 2d4 per round there after, you only add the 5 damage once.
Umm, I'm hoping there's some dissension on this. For Magic Missile, where all the missiles hit in one round, sure. But it seems like Acid Arrow could (arguably should) be different, especially since it's a duplicate of the spell damage turn after turn, not during one turn.