Your opinion/advice/ruling wanted. If a sorcerer casts Shadow Blade and empowers it, does the empowerment last the duration, or does it only work for one hit and damage roll? In a close reading, I'd say just per damage roll (necessitating another Sorcery point if you wanted to empower the next hit), but it's not a slam dunk. Your thoughts?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he). Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
I'm thinking it only applies to one hit, for several reasons. Most obviously, it uses the phrase when you roll damage, which you do every time you hit with a weapon--which shadow blade creates.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Empower Spell reads: "When you roll damage for a spell, you can spend 1 sorcery point to reroll a number of the damage dice up to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). "
Shadow Blade is the spell, which conjures a weapon. The spell does not roll any damage dice (which is helpful, since the range is self). When you attack, you attack with the weapon, not the spell. Empower Spell does not apply.
Empower Spell reads: "When you roll damage for a spell, you can spend 1 sorcery point to reroll a number of the damage dice up to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). "
Shadow Blade is the spell, which conjures a weapon. The spell does not roll any damage dice (which is helpful, since the range is self).
When you attack, you attack with the weapon, not the spell. Empower Spell does not apply.
Empower Spell reads: "When you roll damage for a spell, you can spend 1 sorcery point to reroll a number of the damage dice up to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). "
Shadow Blade is the spell, which conjures a weapon. The spell does not roll any damage dice (which is helpful, since the range is self). When you attack, you attack with the weapon, not the spell. Empower Spell does not apply.
This brings up an interesting divide that is also noted with the domain of life's Disciple of Life and goodberry as well as dragon's breath, flaming sphere, and witch bolt and Draconic Bloodline's Elemental Affinity. The question becomes does the conjured effect count as a spell?
To me, it's a distinction of, can you cast dispel magic on it? If you can and it was created by a spell, then in my eyes all rolls from the effect or object are no different than the rolls of fireball or cure wounds.
Truth be told, this issue deserves its own thread.
"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett
Empower Spell reads: "When you roll damage for a spell, you can spend 1 sorcery point to reroll a number of the damage dice up to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). "
Shadow Blade is the spell, which conjures a weapon. The spell does not roll any damage dice (which is helpful, since the range is self). When you attack, you attack with the weapon, not the spell. Empower Spell does not apply.
This brings up an interesting divide that is also noted with the domain of life's Disciple of Life and goodberry as well as dragon's breath, flaming sphere, and witch bolt and Draconic Bloodline's Elemental Affinity. The question becomes does the conjured effect count as a spell?
To me, it's a distinction of, can you cast dispel magic on it? If you can and it was created by a spell, then in my eyes all rolls from the effect or object are no different than the rolls of fireball or cure wounds.
Truth be told, this issue deserves its own thread.
To me it seems to be an issue of what triggers the ability. Elemental Affinity states "when you cast a spell that deals damage", not "when a spell you cast deals damage". This makes me think that the ability is only triggered on the turn you cast the spell (e.g. fireball, wall of fire the turn it is cast but not if someone walks into it later). The Disciple of Life ability is interesting because it states "whenever you use a spell of 1st level or higher to restore hit points". That leads to some ambiguity, in my opinion, because you could argue that the goodberry spell is "used" when a character eats the berry. It doesn't say anything about when the spell is cast. It makes me wonder if a Life cleric's crafted healing potions would gain this benefit as well. Just my 2cp.
I would think you could use the ability to Empower it for the duration.
Ultimately the cost is a Spell Point every time to you use it, so I don't think it's really going to cause a balance issue.
It's similar to the Dragon's Breath. The spell creates an Action which causes a effect. I'd argue the Sorcerer could Empower any use of that spell effect, it's still going to be costly. I also think Elemental Adept also works on Dragon's Breath.
Your opinion/advice/ruling wanted. If a sorcerer casts Shadow Blade and empowers it, does the empowerment last the duration, or does it only work for one hit and damage roll? In a close reading, I'd say just per damage roll (necessitating another Sorcery point if you wanted to empower the next hit), but it's not a slam dunk. Your thoughts?
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Campaign links for Game Log access because DDB has abandoned the forum dice roller, apparently.
Radiant Citadel by cbaer8 ~•~ Stormwreck Isle by Rforrest14 ~•~ Wildspace by Rhanloi ~•~ Rise of Tiamat by SteveThaiBinh ~•~ The Long Road currently by me
I'm thinking it only applies to one hit, for several reasons. Most obviously, it uses the phrase when you roll damage, which you do every time you hit with a weapon--which shadow blade creates.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Tooltips (Help/aid)
Empower Spell reads: "When you roll damage for a spell, you can spend 1 sorcery point to reroll a number of the damage dice up to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). "
Shadow Blade is the spell, which conjures a weapon. The spell does not roll any damage dice (which is helpful, since the range is self). When you attack, you attack with the weapon, not the spell. Empower Spell does not apply.
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Tooltips (Help/aid)
Tooltips | Snippet Code | How to Homebrew on D&D Beyond | Subclass Guide | Feature Roadmap
Astromancer's Homebrew Assembly
"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett
Will do.
ey/em/eirs, or they/them works, too (just not he).
Role-playing since that keep on those borderlands. Here's my D&D stuff. I love it so.
Campaign links for Game Log access because DDB has abandoned the forum dice roller, apparently.
Radiant Citadel by cbaer8 ~•~ Stormwreck Isle by Rforrest14 ~•~ Wildspace by Rhanloi ~•~ Rise of Tiamat by SteveThaiBinh ~•~ The Long Road currently by me
I would think you could use the ability to Empower it for the duration.
Ultimately the cost is a Spell Point every time to you use it, so I don't think it's really going to cause a balance issue.
It's similar to the Dragon's Breath. The spell creates an Action which causes a effect. I'd argue the Sorcerer could Empower any use of that spell effect, it's still going to be costly. I also think Elemental Adept also works on Dragon's Breath.