[3.5] Fireball, and being Explosive...

[Greymane]

Maybe it's all the Dragon Age I've been playing lately, but it brought up the reason why I loved the idea of this iconic spell in the first place: Getting knocked about by a Fireball because it's an explosion.

So, what I'm curious about is, would it be reasonable to allow the Fireball spell to have the Explosive Spell metamagic effect on it as just part of the spell itself?

[jokey665]

I would like to note that the spell specifically says it creates almost no pressure.

[Greymane]

Hrm. That's what I get for not reading it lately, I guess. Though, my question still stands from a mechanical view. It wouldn't be unbalanced or anything would it, to give it the innate ability to push people to the blast radius?

[Kylarra]

As a straight third level spell, probably a tad too good for relative blasting. On the other hand, there's precedent for creating normal spells that are really just metamagic-ed versions of other spells, so you could probably get a higher level fireball that has both a higher damage cap and the explosive metamagic attached to it.

[Crafty Cultist]

The explosive spell metamagic feat from complete arcane does this for a 2 level increase to those that fail their saving throw

[Milskidasith]

The explosive spell metamagic feat from complete arcane does this for a 2 level increase to those that fail their saving throw

Please read the first post. He specifically said that he wanted to know if it would be balanced to inherently add that metamagic feat to the spell.

[742]

yes, dropping the 10 dice limit for a fifth level version or just making it a level 4 spell does sound like a shiny balanced plan. its not like evocation is generally considered OP to begin with.

without making it a higher level version it might be slightly OP, but not too much.

[Yuki Akuma]

Yeah I'd make it 5th level, 15d6 damage cap.

[AslanCross]

The most similar spell to your idea is Earth Reaver, a 5th level spell, which deals bludgeoning and fire damage, no save---it then knocks down victims if they fail their Reflex saves.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

It's not unbalanced. You're dealing an additional 2d6 and knocking people prone if they fail. That's barely worth a +1 level, and this is Fireball we're talking about. It should get that free. That might even make the spell worth casting.

[Bob]

Well, if the spell description is to believed, fireball specifically is not an explosion, just a conflagration. What dastardly misuse this amendment of fantasy physics was intended to prevent I cannot imagine.

But I am a big advocate of adding a little condition to the end of evocation spells where appropriate. A stun here a daze there, don't add it directly to the spell though, and try not to cross into enchantment territory. Just make up some cheap rods, maybe a feat.

[PairO'Dice Lost]

Well, if the spell description is to believed, fireball specifically is not an explosion, just a conflagration. What dastardly misuse this amendment of fantasy physics was intended to prevent I cannot imagine.

The dastardly misuse in question isn't a misuse so much as an annoyance--it used to be that a fireball had a volume rather than a radius, and calculating the extent of that so that (A) it spread correctly and (B) didn't fry you and your party was a pain.