Custom Spell - What level?

[Knowledge Sinkhole]

Synaptic Shock
Evocation
Level: Sor/Wiz ?
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: Ray
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes
A ray of disruptive energy springs from your hand. You must succeed on a ranged touch attack to strike a target. The subject suffers 1d2 points of Intelligence damage. Creatures without intelligence are not affected by this spell.

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What spell level is appropriate?

 

[Anubis]

First off, this would not be Evocation, but rather either Transmutation or Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting] . . . I would go with the latter . . .

Fox's Cunning, Level 2, Transmutation, +4 Int, 1 min./level

Touch of Idiocy, Level 2, Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting], -1d6 Int and Wis and Cha, 10 min./level

Ray of Enfeeblement, Level 1, Necromancy, -1d6(+1/2 levels) Str, 1 min./level

Using these three as comparison, your spell (-1d2 Int) looks like a cantrip, making it Level 0.

 

[Knowledge Sinkhole]

Keep in mind, this is Intelligence damage, not just a negative enhancement bonus. That means that it can reduce a target's intelligence to 0, causing unconciousness. That makes it mighty effective against creatures with an int of 1-2...

 

[Technik4]

1st level, for the effect you want (damage) as long as it can't take a subject to less than 1 Int.

0 level if it was an Int penalty (only the highest penalty applies)

2nd or 3rd level if you want Int damage that can knock someone unconscious (although I would bump the 1d2 to a 1d4).

Technik

 

[Technik4]

Trelek's Debilitating Flourish
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: One or more rays
Target: Living Creatures
Duration: 10 min./level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

A dark yellow ray shoots from your outstretched hand. You must succeed on a ranged touch attack to strike a target. The subject suffers a 6 point penalty to the ability of your choice. You may fire one ray, plus one additional ray for every 3 levels beyond 7th (to a maximum of 3 at 13th level). All rays must be aimed at targets within 30 feet of each other, affect the same ability score, and be fired simultaneously.

Material Component: An article of clothing you are wearing must be adorned with a large onyx (500 gp).

[Its sort-of a maximized Touch of Idiocy, but its a ray instead of a touch and you get to choose the ability score affected. Its also a Necromancy, modeled after Ray of Enfeeblement instead of an Enchantment. Its less powerful because a maximized Touch of Idiocy actually puts a 6 point penalty to 3 different scores, whereas this can only affect 1 person at a time. It can also be compared to a maximized Ray of Enfeeblement, which would do 11 points of strength penalty, but only 1 min/level. This can do 18 points of ability penalties, for 10 min./level and you get to choose which abilities, but it only does 6 to each target (and only the highest penalty applies so no sense targetting the same person with more than one ray, unless you think you are going to miss). Maxed Ray of Enfeeblement (or Empowered) is better for really taking down one enemy, but this spell eventually affects 3. It also has some variation, as you choose the ability score affected. Ambushed by Rogues? Dex. Sorcerors? Cha. etc. ]

After I made this spell I realized that ability damage is really powerful, so I would be cautious allowing a spell to do it (I dont think there is one that does as of now, its a monster ability) at all.

Even though 1d2 Int damage doesnt sound like much, if its on a wand and can take people down below 1 Int then its quite powerful. Making a higher level 1d4 version as I suggested earlier steps on feeblemind's toes, not to mention invites metamagic abuse.

I would make something like this for a player that wanted an Int affecting spell:

Stupify
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 1 Standard Action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Duration: 1 min./level
Saving Throw: Yes
Spell Resistance: Yes

You reduce the target's mental faculties. The target takes a penalty to Intelligence equal to 1d6+1 per two caster levels (maximum 1d6+5). The subject's Intelligence score cannot drop below 1.

or perhaps

Synaptic Shock
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 1 Standard Action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: Ray
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

A ray of disruptive energy springs from your hand. You must succeed on a ranged touch attack to strike a target. The subject suffers 1d4 points of ability damage to your choice of Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma. Creatures without the targetted ability score are not affected by this spell.



I've thought of a couple ways to mitigate the ability damage:

A) Make it an [evil] spell. After all, you are seriously trying to kill someone, if their ability scores go to less than 1 they are pretty much incapacitated.

B) Add Material Component: The caster must give up a small portion of of his life force to cast this spell, he loses 1 hp whether the ray hits or not. This way it is a more costly affair to cast this spell again and again to reduce someone to gibberishness.

Well, that was fun, hope something up there helped.

Technik

 

[DaveStebbins]

The original post listed a duration of "Instantaneous." This would mean it causes a permanent loss which cannot be dispelled. That, plus the fact that it, as you pointed out, incapacitates any INT=1 (and half the time an INT=2) creature on a ranged touch, no save, makes this a level 5 spell IMO. It compares well with Feeblemind.

-Dave

 

[Knowledge Sinkhole]

The original post listed a duration of "Instantaneous." This would mean it causes a permanent loss which cannot be dispelled. That, plus the fact that it, as you pointed out, incapacitates any INT=1 (and half the time an INT=2) creature on a ranged touch, no save, makes this a level 5 spell IMO. It compares well with Feeblemind.

-Dave

Well, it deals ability damage, which can be healed in a variety of ways. But yeah, it was the incapacitate int 1/2 critters that made me think it would be pretty high in level.

 

[Anubis]

The original post listed a duration of "Instantaneous." This would mean it causes a permanent loss which cannot be dispelled. That, plus the fact that it, as you pointed out, incapacitates any INT=1 (and half the time an INT=2) creature on a ranged touch, no save, makes this a level 5 spell IMO. It compares well with Feeblemind.

-Dave

Feeblemind is about ten times more powerful than this spell. It looks like someone is smoking some of the funny grass here. It's 1d2 damage, less than what spells at Level 1 and Level 2 do (Ray of Enfeeblement and Touch of Idiocy.)

This is CLEARLY a cantrip as a spell. If it's boosted to Level 1, it need to compare to Ray of Enfeeblement.

 

[kreynolds]

This would mean it causes a permanent loss...

No. Ability damage by default is temporary, as it heals on its own (rather quickly too, 1 point per score per day of rest). Drain is permanent. Damage is not.

 

[Technik4]

This is CLEARLY a cantrip as a spell. If it's boosted to Level 1, it need to compare to Ray of Enfeeblement

Too powerful as a cantrip (as written). Do you find Crippling Strike, the 10th level Rogue ability to be weak? What about Wounding, a +2 weapon enhancement? Both of those cause ability damage and both are powerful because of it.

The spell, as written, is probably a level 2 spell, but like I said its level 2 because it does ability damage (so casting the spell twice stacks, as opposed to touch of idiocy or ray of enfeeblement which both cause ability penalties) not because it is a correctly written level 2 spell.

All my opinion of course.

Technik