Damp Power vs Maximized Fireball

[SangoProduction]

So, Damp Power is a second level psionic power that minimizes damage taken such that 5d6 damage deals 5 damage. Maximize makes the spell deal the maximum damage, so 5d6 is 30.

Damp Power is applied after the maximize effect (since maximize is when it's cast, damp is when it hits), so that would mean that Damp Power asserts priority and you only take 5 damage.

However, there is another reading that would be that Maximize Spell changes it so that the damage is not 5d6 (considered rolling max), but is actually replaced by the maximum number you can roll. Thus minimizing the damage does nothing.

Which one is it? Are there anymore, potentially more convincing arguments for one side or the other? (Other than "ask you DM", and "It'd be bull for a level 2 power to negate a +3 metamagic".)

Also, what book does Damp Power appear in? I can't find it in the SRD.

[A_S]

Damp Power is from Complete Psionic (p. 82).

I don't have any useful input on the rest of your question; this looks like a genuinely hard-to-interpret rules ambiguity, and therefore "ask your DM" is about the best I can do.

[Lateral]

I'd lean towards the latter. The text of Maximize Spell is:

All variable, numeric effects of a spell modified by this feat are maximized.
Nowhere does it say that they cease to be variable numeric effects, which should mean that they can still be affected by Damp Power.

Damp Power is in Complete Psionic.

[Eldaran]

Damp Power is from Complete Psionic. I think by strict RAW it wouldn't do anything to a maximized spell, since there is no variable component. Though as a house rule I had them cancel each other so it would just become a regular fireball again.

[Stegyre]

I think by strict RAW it wouldn't do anything to a maximized spell, since there is no variable component.
My recollection, there is an FAQ or CustServ ruling that reaches this conclusion. Damp Power minimizes the target spell's effect. For a maximized spell, that "minimum" is the maximum amount of each die.

[Kyberwulf]

I can't remember where I read it. I think that when there are two conflicting rules like this, the one with the negative outcome supersedes the other. So, the fireball would do maximum damage.

[Crake]

I can't remember where I read it. I think that when there are two conflicting rules like this, the one with the negative outcome supersedes the other. So, the fireball would do maximum damage.

The "negative" outcome is entirely subjective, so that's a really terrible way to try to interpret it.

I'm in the "it's still maximised" camp. Maximize removes variability from the equation, so it's minimum and maximum are the same.

[SangoProduction]

Damp Power is from Complete Psionic. I think by strict RAW it wouldn't do anything to a maximized spell, since there is no variable component. Though as a house rule I had them cancel each other so it would just become a regular fireball again.

I honestly rather like this ruling, from a houserules perspective. Probably would use it too, if it came up.

[Deophaun]

The "negative" outcome is entirely subjective, so that's a really terrible way to try to interpret it.
Psh... obviously that means that the fireball's caster only deals the minimum, while the target takes the maximum. From the caster's point of view, the target is alive, and from the target's point of view, well, the target ceases to have a point of view because he's dead. Also, there's a cat.

This is basic magical relativity 101.

[Bakkan]

You're thinking of quantum magicanichs. Magical relativity is how you can still see things in a time stop because no matter how fast you're moving, light still moves at the same speed relative to you.

[denthor]

How many 1d6's are in a maximised fireball?

As I recall it takes a feat to throw one at three spell levels higher than 3rd level spell so a 6th level spell means you are a 11th level caster which means 10d6 if you cast it as 3rd level spell maximized is 60 points if the feat is applied.

[SangoProduction]

How many 1d6's are in a maximised fireball?

As I recall it takes a feat to throw one at three spell levels higher than 3rd level spell so a 6th level spell means you are a 11th level caster which means 10d6 if you cast it as 3rd level spell maximized is 60 points if the feat is applied.

The number of D6s is X. The min roll is X. The max roll is X*6. What X is, is unimportant.

[Asgurgolas]

Wizard casts Fireball. 5d6. It's maximized, so it comes out of as the maximum of its 5d6 variable, or 30 damage.

It wants to burst next to me, for 30 damage. But having Dampen cast, it shrinks to the minimum of its 5d6 variable; or 5.

Dampen would influence an already cast spell, same way as how a Fire Resistance 10 would "cut" that damage down to 20