D&D 3E/3.5 [3E/C&C] What level would you make this spell? Destruction of the Prepared Mind

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Question: What will it do to the "unprepared mind", such as Sorcerers, Bards and other spontaneous casters?

If they're immune then the spell is broken.

Why? I view that as a feature, rather than as a bug. This is a spell designed by one jealous scheming wizard specifically to kill other jealous scheming wizards. Leaving everyone else alone makes sense -- they're beneath his notice.

It does make it a spell that won't be used all the time, but that's the whole point of spellbooks, IMO: Wizards should fill them up with all sorts of weird corner case spells that are only used once in a long while, but when they're needed, there's a bizarre ritual ready to go. (The more bizarre, the better.)

 

[Greenfield]

Why would it be broken?

If a sorcerer can take the spell (as the Sorcerer and Wizard share the same spell lists), he had an unbalanced nuclear option against prepared casters. Since he/she is immune to the spell, there is no downside to using it on a regular basis.

Granted, this is premised on the idea that the caster is not immune, thus making it a risky and expensive spell to cast. Oddly, that vision of the spell gives it an odd appeal: It's the spell a Wizard chooses to take down higher level casters, since they'll take more damage from it.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Why would it be broken?

If a sorcerer can take the spell (as the Sorcerer and Wizard share the same spell lists), he had an unbalanced nuclear option against prepared casters. Since he/she is immune to the spell, there is no downside to using it on a regular basis.

Granted, this is premised on the idea that the caster is not immune, thus making it a risky and expensive spell to cast. Oddly, that vision of the spell gives it an odd appeal: It's the spell a Wizard chooses to take down higher level casters, since they'll take more damage from it.

Sorcerers and wizards typically share the same spell list, but there are already spells that are sorcerer-only in WotC's 3E supplements, and in this case, it wouldn't be hard to declare that this spell -- which is going to be sitting in a single wizard's spellbook most likely, and not common knowledge for other spellcasters -- could only be cast by preparation-based spellcasters.

 

[Dandu]

If a sorcerer can take the spell (as the Sorcerer and Wizard share the same spell lists), he had an unbalanced nuclear option against prepared casters. Since he/she is immune to the spell, there is no downside to using it on a regular basis.

Are sorceres immune to the dozens of other nuclear options other than this spell?