Booming Blade/GFB Empowered

[PeteNutButter]

I searched for this and found NOTHING on the topic so here it goes:

If I empower a booming blade or GFB what are the effects?

Ruling Option 1: You can reroll any of the dice (up to cha mod) including dice from the weapon, sneak attack, smite, poison, etc. I'm pretty sure this matches RAW, and would make it online with the Great Weapon fighting style rules.

Ruling Option 2: You can only reroll the specific damage dice that are added by the spell. (1d8 at level 5 etc)

[Drackolus]

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).

I feel that when it says a number of the damage dice, it has to be damage that is "part of the spell itself for which you're rolling damage." Which, in of itself doesn't mean anything, but the text for booming/greenflame blade says


On a hit, the target suffers the attack's normal effects, and...

(emphasis mine)
meaning, the attack is a requirement for the spell, much like a somatic or material component, but are not actually a part of the spell.

But, this is 5e, and it's pretty vague, so a dm could run it however they think is right. Once you start mixing it with sneak attack, it might be too powerful for a single point, since rerolling dice hits a sort of "soft cap" in effectiveness at 2x your charisma modifier (since, on average, half will be above and half will be below), which is still 10 dice, which is well within a typical booming blade sneak attack until higher levels.

[MrStabby]

So I am away from the book at the moment but I thought it was phrased that you make an attack As Part of the Spell, i.e. the attack is explicitly part of the spell.

If so then re-rolling the weapon attack is legitimate (although running very much contrary to the flavour I expect from empower).

From a balance perspective empower is not usually a good use of a metamagic choice so something that boosts it isn't bad.

So my votes:

RAW: its allowed (but away from explicit wording at the moment)
Rules as Makes sense: Not really good - metamagic on a spell that deals fire damage suddenly increases expected bludgeoning damage from a club as well?
Balance: Yeah, its fine
Rules as fun: Someone wants to do it? there is a theme? it isn't overpowered? Would recommend the DM say yes.

[PeteNutButter]

So my votes:

RAW: its allowed (but away from explicit wording at the moment)
Rules as Makes sense: Not really good - metamagic on a spell that deals fire damage suddenly increases expected bludgeoning damage from a club as well?
Balance: Yeah, its fine
Rules as fun: Someone wants to do it? there is a theme? it isn't overpowered? Would recommend the DM say yes.

This is pretty much my vote as well. One thing to add is the second paragraph of both spells say that at higher levels "the spells damage increases" and goes on to say that the melee attack gets a +1d8 etc. The "spell's damage" can't increase unless the melee attack is already considered the spell's damage.

As for Rules as Makes Sense, well its an enchanted strike, so it can hit a little harder on the physical side too. :smallbiggrin:

[Drackolus]

As part of the action used to cast this spell, you must make a melee attack with a weapon against one creature within the spell's range, otherwise the spell fails.

They do not use the wording of "part of the spell." It's part of the action used to cast the spell. Think multiattack - the second swing is not part of the first.

Edit: I also think empowered spell is perfectly competitive for a more damage-oriented sorcerer. It's my most used.