empowered ray of enfeeblement?

[myradale]

Ok, I'm probably going to whup my players this week.
I just want to make sure I whup them legally.

They are a group of 5 10-11th with a paladin, a cleric, a rogue and a psion/wizard/cleric and a bard/fighter.

I'm sending them up against a BBEG 11th level wizard. He's got himself a lesser rod of empowering, and I was thinking of using it for some ray of enfeeblement spells.
At 11th level, he's got 1d6+5 for the strength drain.
With empowering is that (1.5*1d6)+5 [6-14,average 10] or 1.5*(1d6+5) [9-16 average 13]?

And what happens to a character that can no longer carry his own equipment?

If I've got a 19 STR paladin with full plate armor (50lbs) and a light load (116lbs) who gets knocked down to 4 STR, his armor alone is now more than his heavy load. And his total encumberance is more than he can lift without staggering.
Is this right?

 

[Thanee]

It's (1d6+5)*1.5.

There aren't really any rules for carrying equipment beyond that point or what happens then.

You could say, that he falls prone from the weight of his armor, which is quite reasonable, but also kinda nasty, or just say he cannot move anymore and apply the heaviest penalties for encumbrance.

With your party, there should be a few Lesser Restoration or Restoration spells prepared, which completely dispel the Strength penalty.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Scion]

empowered enfeeblement at that level would be (d6+5)*1.5

it is definately powerful against the right sort of opponent, such as those with strength scores and carrying things

Check out the encumberance rules though, I think they will tell you what you need to know about what happens. (I believe you have already done this)

But yes, you are correct. He will be staggering and only able to move 5' per round (full round action) and lose his dex bonus.

He is in for a world of hurt at that point.

If he has more than 80lbs total of gear he is on the ground and cannot move. Someone had better help him get something off. I would allow him to still use a weapon but not threaten an area around himself, but I wouldnt make him 'helpless'

Unless there is more explanation in the actual phb?

 

[Scion]

for reference:

Lifting and Dragging: A character can lift as much as his or her maximum load over his or her head.
A character can lift as much as double his or her maximum load off the ground, but he or she can only stagger around with it. While overloaded in this way, the character loses any Dexterity bonus to AC and can move only 5 feet per round (as a full-round action).

 

[seans23]

At 11th level, he's got 1d6+5 for the strength drain.
With empowering is that (1.5*1d6)+5 [6-14,average 10] or 1.5*(1d6+5) [9-16 average 13]?

According to the description in the SRD, you'd think that it's (1.5*1d6)+5 (since only 1d6 is a variable numeric effect, but the PHB clarifies this with a magic missile example (for each missile, roll 1d4 +1, and then multiply the total result by 1.5. So, go with 1.5*(1d6+5)

...
wow three posts since I started typing. guess you got your answer....

 

[andargor]

According to the description in the SRD, you'd think that it's (1.5*1d6)+5 (since only 1d6 is a variable numeric effect, but the PHB clarifies this with a magic missile example (for each missile, roll 1d4 +1, and then multiply the total result by 1.5. So, go with 1.5*(1d6+5)

Actually, 1d6+5 is a variable numeric effect: 6-11. It's just that I don't know of any d11 dice that start at 6...

Andargor

 

[Thanee]

Good catch, but it's not a d11, it's a d6+5. There are blank dice, you could just write the numbers 6 through 11 on them, and voilá, there you go!

Bye
Thanee

 

[Piratecat]

Hoping my players don't see this thread...

Is there an existing feat that allows rays to hit multiple targets, such as the "chain spell" feat?

 

[Crothian]

Hoping my players don't see this thread...

Is there an existing feat that allows rays to hit multiple targets, such as the "chain spell" feat?

split ray but it reduces the effectiveness of the spell.

 

[Infiniti2000]

At 11th level, he's got 1d6+5 for the strength drain.

It is not strength drain. That would be an entirely different effect. It's only (and I use this word loosely) a strength penalty, and multiple rays of enfeeblement do not stack -- you simply apply the best one.