Talk:Magic:Ice Burst
The utility of Ice Burst relative to Fireball has to do with its damage curve. The arithmetic mean of Ice Burst and Fireball cast at level 10 are both 35. But because Ice Burst has a smaller randomizer, it's d4 set, relative to Fireball, it will give more consistent damage. Fireball will outperform with metamagic, however. It has a higher Maximize threshold and can also take advantage of exaggerating higher spikes in damage with Empower Spell. Lastly, Ice Burst cannot be Quickened: this is noticeable for those who have Auto Quicken Spell feats. ~ Dreamangel