I'd recommend "Particle Illusion", awesome post work app for adding all kindof particle and SFX effects, to animations or to stills. Expensive though.

http://www.wondertouch.com/

I got the v2 SE version free with an art mag years ago, alas, it can only render effects the same size as the actual image on your screen
this means I can only use it on images less than my monitor display size, grrr, so I use it on cut out parts of images etc

However I don't think that's a problem on the full version v3?

Fireball on this image (Vue, sorry :p) was done with Particle Illusion in post:
http://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/index.php?image_id=1667095

"I'd rather be a Fool who believes in Dragons, Than a King who believes in Nothing!" www.silverblades-suitcase.com
Free tutorials, Vue & Bryce materials, Bryce Skies, models, D&D items, stories.
Tutorials on Poser imports to Vue/Bryce, Postwork, Vue rendering/lighting, etc etc!