Empowering dispel magic

[Particle_Man]

Would an empowered dispel magic add 50% to the caster level check? Similar questions for greater dispel magic, maximize spell, etc.

[tyckspoon]

No. The dispel check is not an effect of the spell; the effect is 'the magic effect is dispelled' or 'the magic effect is not dispelled'. The Dispel check is just how you figure out which result you're going to get. Same reasoning behind why nothing happens if you try to Maximize a Prismatic Spray or a Reincarnation.

[Hackulator]

Empower and Maximize only affect variable effects, ie dice rolls. The amount you add to your dispel check is not a variable effect, it is a set number equal to your caster level.

[Particle_Man]

Thanks for the info! Well back to the drawing board on my anti-magic debuff idea. :smallbiggrin:

[Deophaun]

Empower and Maximize only affect variable effects, ie dice rolls. The amount you add to your dispel check is not a variable effect, it is a set number equal to your caster level.
You're right, but your explanation is wrong.

Empower and Maximize affect variable effects. True. But a die roll is not a variable effect. It is a variable. A variable effect is an effect--such as damage, number of targets, distance, etc.--that has a magnitude determined by that dice roll. With dispelling, there is no magnitude determined by the die roll. You either succeed or you do not. Hence, it is not a variable effect and so not affected by Empower or Maximize.

As a side note, since Empower modifies the variable effect, not the variable of the effect, Empower gives you a 50% boost to all of that effect, not just what you get from the dice.

[Hackulator]

You're right, but your explanation is wrong.

Empower and Maximize affect variable effects. True. But a die roll is not a variable effect. It is a variable. A variable effect is an effect--such as damage, number of targets, distance, etc.--that has a magnitude determined by that dice roll. With dispelling, there is no magnitude determined by the die roll. You either succeed or you do not. Hence, it is not a variable effect and so not affected by Empower or Maximize.

As a side note, since Empower modifies the variable effect, not the variable of the effect, Empower gives you a 50% boost to all of that effect, not just what you get from the dice.

Congratulations, that was the most pedantic thing I've heard since returning to these boards.

[tyckspoon]

Congratulations, that was the most pedantic thing I've heard since returning to these boards.

Man there is a thread a little down the way arguing about theory of language to figure out if you can really understand the intent of a rule or not. This is small fries here :smallamused:

[Yael]

Trascendent Spell (from WoWRPG) releases the caster level cap, so does Reserves of Strength (up to 3 iirc), so there are ways of improving your check.

[heavyfuel]

Pretty sure you *can* apply Empower/Maximize to Dispel Magic, but it only affects the duration for which it suppresses Magic Items (1d4 rounds IIRC)

[Deophaun]

Congratulations, that was the most pedantic thing I've heard since returning to these boards.
Your explanation was entirely wrong. It's not pedantic to point that out. I mean, the dispel check is 1d20+CL. That's not a fixed number by an definition. By your reasoning, it should be affected. That's why it had to be corrected.

[Crake]

Your explanation was entirely wrong. It's not pedantic to point that out. I mean, the dispel check is 1d20+CL. That's not a fixed number by an definition. By your reasoning, it should be affected. That's why it had to be corrected.

Yeah Hackulator, following your logic, the bonus +CL wouldn't be affected, but the 1d20 would be maximized to 20.