Author Topic: Does dragonfire inspiration add damage to spells?  (Read 2244 times)

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Phsyke

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Does dragonfire inspiration add damage to spells?
« on: April 15, 2009, 01:44:53 AM »
I'm playing in a 3.5 game coming up and i'll be playing as a silverbrow, dragon shaman bard and using the dragonfire inspiration feat.
This will mean that when i use inspire courage and change its effects, each ally so inspired loses the standard morale bonus on weapon attack rolls and damage rolls. Instead, they deal an extra 1d6 points of fire damage with his weapons for every point of morale bonus that your inspire courage ability would normally add to the attack roll.

However in my party there will also be a sorceress/incantrix - how will they be affected by the damage boost?
Will ray and touch attack spells gain the additional damage?

Any help appreciated  :)

Akalsaris

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Re: Does dragonfire inspiration add damage to spells?
« Reply #1 on: April 15, 2009, 08:27:01 PM »
Looks like the DM's call to me, but I'd rule yes.  They would get the normal inspire courage bonus to attacks and damage with rays, for example, so the same should apply to this variant.  Though it would be a bit odd for somebody to do a Polar Ray with extra fire damage =P

sendmeanewid

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Re: Does dragonfire inspiration add damage to spells?
« Reply #2 on: April 15, 2009, 09:25:09 PM »
I think I am of the dissenting opinion on this issue.

Ray and touch spells are not weapons per se.

A ray is a spell effect which creates a beam that is typically delivered as a ranged touch attack.
A touch spell refers to the range of the spell in question.  In this case, melee.

Like weapons, one can take weapon focus feats to improve attack rolls, or critically hit while delivering them.  However, they are spells, not weapons.  Dragonfire Inspiration specifically affects weapons (you know, the things listed as simple, martial, exotic).  Presumably, one could deliver a touch spell via a melee attack roll (rather than a touch attack), and if the attack is successful then dragonfire inspiration would apply in that case.  However, I would really not want the party sorcerer going all MMA on the opposition (in most cases).



Irthos Levethix

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Re: Does dragonfire inspiration add damage to spells?
« Reply #3 on: April 18, 2009, 11:40:14 AM »
What about Complete Arcane's rulings on weaponlike spells?  Why would the ray/touch attack be granted the morale bonus to hit and damage, but if its turned into extra dice dmg, it is denied?

Sounds like a bad call to me.
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sendmeanewid

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Re: Does dragonfire inspiration add damage to spells?
« Reply #4 on: April 18, 2009, 01:49:31 PM »
What about Complete Arcane's rulings on weaponlike spells?  Why would the ray/touch attack be granted the morale bonus to hit and damage, but if its turned into extra dice dmg, it is denied?

Sounds like a bad call to me.

They don't receive a morale bonus to hit and damage, nor do they receive extra damage dice.

Complete Arcane, page 85:

Quote
[Weaponlike Spells] deal damage as spells, not weapons, so Strength modifiers to damage and magical effects that increase weapon damage (such as the bard's inspire courage ability and the prayer spell) don't increase damage from a weapon-like spell.

Irthos Levethix

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Re: Does dragonfire inspiration add damage to spells?
« Reply #5 on: April 18, 2009, 01:55:34 PM »
WEAK!

I stand corrected though, thank you.
Run, my pretty little chunks of XP!! - Belkar Bitterleaf

92% Tactician 83% Method Actor 75% Min/Maxer         Thats 250% of Gamer, bitches!

Phsyke

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Re: Does dragonfire inspiration add damage to spells?
« Reply #6 on: April 19, 2009, 11:19:32 PM »
Thanks for the help.
Good to have clarification on that :)