Custom Spell - What level?

[Anubis]

No, a fighter with 1 Int will fight just as well as a fighter with 8 or 10 Int (with the exception of the feat chain involving Expertise). A fighter with 0 Int will be incapacitated. Also, a fighter would receive a Will save vs enfeeblement, whereas he wouldn't against Synaptic Shock.

First off, there is no save against Ray of Enfeeblement.

Anyway, a fighter with 1 Int will NOT fight as well as a fighter with 10 Int. The fighter will have NO tactical ability WHATSOEVER. That means no "adjusting to get into a flanking position", no switching weapons when one doesn't work, no ready actions, no delay actions, nothing that requires more than the basic animalistic thought. This guy is fighting off pure adrenaline at this point, concerned only with survival.

Touch of Idiocy disabling spellcasters? Not quite, you are assuming spellcaster vs spellcaster so that means my wizard has to get close enough to touch your wizard (Touch of Idiocy after all). Not usually a bright idea in a wizard fight.

Why?

The difference between "helpless" and "effectively" helpless is huge. As other discussions are showing, despite having a 1 in an attribute (and therefore the negative modifiers to your actions) you are just as able to do anything someone with a 10+ can do.

Um, no. With 1 Str, you won't even be able to carry your equipment, much less make effective attacks.

They don't need to be level 9, but you make a good point later about how it is difficult to place the spell level because we are talking about damage instead of a penalty. Thanks for coming around.

Well a little study shows that ability damage spells in and of themselves are a bad idea. I didn't come around. I'm saying that after study, it's obvious it shouldn't be done AT ALL without backlash and penalties.

Also I don't see a problem with Necromancies being able to lower mental attributes, just because there is no precedent. Similarly, I wouldnt have a problem with an Enchantment that lowered physical attributes. These are 2 of the "weaker" schools of magic, no need to make them weaker than they already are by pigeon-holing future spells.

There is a need if the very definitions of those schools don't fit what you're doing. Enchantment = Mind, Necromancy = Physical. This is more or less stated in the book.

Another thing that needs to be considered with this spell (regardless if it is a broken 0-level cantrip for 1d2 Int or a 4th level spell for 1d6 Int,Wiz, or Cha) is that as a follow-up to Enffeblement it makes Enfeeblement that much more powerful by setting up for a spike. After all, wizards and sorcerors get a -4 to save vs Enfeeble, if you can fire a quickened Synaptic Shock in the same round, thats TKO fairly guaranteed for a couple lower level spells.

Technik

Again, there is NO SAVE for Ray of Enfeeblment. Second, how does -1d6 Str and -1d6 Int mean a KO?

 

[Technik4]

Sorry for Enfeeblement I was referring to Feeblemind, the 5th level enchantment, not ray of enfeeblement. After study you are saying what I was saying a bunch of posts up. That your idea of a 1d2 ability damage cantrip is wrong, and that it is a difficult spell to place level-wise because the power is so great (ability damage wise) but the effect so small.

Technik

 

[Knowledge Sinkhole]

There is a need if the very definitions of those schools don't fit what you're doing. Enchantment = Mind, Necromancy = Physical. This is more or less stated in the book.

Well, Enchantment implies some kind of magical penalty; not ability damage. The only spell I've found that deals ability damage (Poison) is Necromancy, which makes sense. We're talking about causing physical changes that injure someone's mental stats; not magic that temporarily impedes it. (As the name "Synaptic Shock" implies, it is akin to frying someone's brain via magic)

 

[Anubis]

Well, Enchantment implies some kind of magical penalty; not ability damage. The only spell I've found that deals ability damage (Poison) is Necromancy, which makes sense. We're talking about causing physical changes that injure someone's mental stats; not magic that temporarily impedes it. (As the name "Synaptic Shock" implies, it is akin to frying someone's brain via magic)

Poison is Constitution damage. There is nothing in the core rules that deals abililty damage to a mental score, and there are only two spells capable of dealing ability damage to a physical score, both getting saves.

This is a pretty good indication that: spells dealing ability damage at no save are broken by default, regardless of the level.

 

[Knowledge Sinkhole]

Poison is Constitution damage. There is nothing in the core rules that deals abililty damage to a mental score, and there are only two spells capable of dealing ability damage to a physical score, both getting saves.

This is a pretty good indication that: spells dealing ability damage at no save are broken by default, regardless of the level.

Right. I was just commenting on spell school. But yes, I am definitely in agreement with you now: spells should not deal ability damage.

 

[Voldrath]

First off, there is no save against Ray of Enfeeblement.

I'm pretty sure ray of enfeeblement is fortitude negates.
*flips pages*
Yep fortitude negates.
Unless they changed that in 3.5?

As for the school the spell is summoning disruptive energy causing physical damage to the brain(mmm.. fried nurons... tasty)
I think necromancy would be most appropriate. I'm against enchantment because as the spell affects the body not the mental self as enchantment does.

 

[Anubis]

I'm pretty sure ray of enfeeblement is fortitude negates.
*flips pages*
Yep fortitude negates.
Unless they changed that in 3.5?

As for the school the spell is summoning disruptive energy causing physical damage to the brain(mmm.. fried nurons... tasty)
I think necromancy would be most appropriate. I'm against enchantment because as the spell affects the body not the mental self as enchantment does.

3.5 is the standard. If someone asks for something for 3.0, I would think they'd be required to post [Version 3.0 Rules] because most people are using 3.5 now.

In 3.5, Ray of Enfeeblement gets no save.