Empowered Phantom Steed?

[Crake]

I'm having a little trouble understanding what is and is not affected by empower spell.

If you were to empower a phantom steed, would it move 1.5x as fast, would it have 1.5x the hp and would it last 1.5x as long? All of these are variable numeric effects, and the feat describes itself as making spells affect 1.5x as many foes, which is typically something that scales only with level, and not have anything to do with a dice roll.

[Kumori]

Empower Spell [Metamagic]
Benefit

All variable, numeric effects of an empowered spell are increased by one-half.

Saving throws and opposed rolls are not affected, nor are spells without random variables. An empowered spell uses up a spell slot two levels higher than the spell’s actual level.

When Empower Spell is talking about "variable effects" it is referring to effects which you would roll for when you cast the spell. The sentence I underlined in the quote is the one that I think says it clearest.

The random part is important. Phantom Steed is a good example spell to use here. It has lots of variables, none of which are random (rolled). They are all derived values and are therefore not increased by empower spell.

[Dusk Eclipse]

For the purpose of Empower spell metamagic variable numeric effects only refer to variables represented as dice, such as the xd6/CL formula most direct damage spells have. In the case of Phantom Steed it wouldn't do anything, if you want to have it last longer I suggest using extend spell, it even uses a lower level slot (a 4th level slot IIRC).

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Nope.

Variable effects are those whose value is determined by a die roll. Movement speed, number of targets, etc. are not affected by Empower unless they're determined by a die roll.

A summoned/called creature's hp, attack damage, etc. which are not stated as a part of that spell's description are not an effect of that spell. The creature itself is an effect of the spell, but effects created by that creature are not directly effects of that spell.

Checks, such as dispel checks, caster level checks, attack rolls, etc. are not numeric effects, they are checks with no varying degree of success or failure, and are never affected by Empower.

"Saving throws and opposed rolls are not affected, nor are spells without random variables." Phantom Steed has no random variables, so Empowering it will do absolutely nothing.

[Acanous]

I always thought Summoned Monsters' HP could be Maximized and/or Empowered. They ARE effects of the spell (They generate a creature with XdY HP) and it's not particularly broken or anything.

[Crake]

In the case of a phantom steed, its hp is simply calculated as 7+1/caster level. So from the sounds of things it wouldn't be empowered. Also, I wasn't specifically aiming to make it last longer, just give it more hp and make it go faster to get more effective travel done by several hours of hustling and a few extra hours of forced marching before the horses died from travel damage.

[tyckspoon]

I always thought Summoned Monsters' HP could be Maximized and/or Empowered. They ARE effects of the spell (They generate a creature with XdY HP) and it's not particularly broken or anything.

The problem here, IMO, is that it opens an argument for *everything* the Summoned Monster does to be (Maximized/Empowered) as an 'effect of the spell'. Always roll 20s? Max damage? Yeah, ok. You can unambiguously Maximize or Empower the number of critters you summon, but I would be careful of transferring any changes into the creatures themselves.

[Kumori]

In the case of a phantom steed, its hp is simply calculated as 7+1/caster level. So from the sounds of things it wouldn't be empowered. Also, I wasn't specifically aiming to make it last longer, just give it more hp and make it go faster to get more effective travel done by several hours of hustling and a few extra hours of forced marching before the horses died from travel damage.

Talk to your DM. See if you can convince them to allow you to do some independent research to create a new spell, something along the lines of Greater Phantom Steed. Up the spell level by 1 or 2 and see what that can get you.