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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Technik4" data-source="post: 1058548" data-attributes="member: 7211">Anubis, as K.S. posted, you are flat-out wrong. Ability damage is FAR FAR FAR more powerful than an ability penalty. Consider the following:A) The PCs are tracking the villain on the way to his lair. The villain ambushes them, but seems outclassed so flees. The wizard casts Ray of Enfeeblement for -7 Str Penalty on the villain.B) " " ". The wizard casts Synaptic Shock for -4 on the villain.In A, by the time the PCs encounter the villain again (perhaps that same day, or the next day) that ray of enfeeblement is long gone. In B, it will take 4 days after the day he got shocked for his Int to be back up to par. If the villain was an assasin or wizard, this may impact his spell abilities, if he is anyone else it is almost as bad. Why? Because in the next encounter the PC Wizard is going to be gunning to use that spell against the villain AGAIN. It allows no save, only a RTA, meaning as long as the wizard can hit, it may be K.O. villain (or at least reduced to animal intelligence).Also consider a wand of this mythical 1st level spell. Lets say you use this wand 3 times at 1st level ability in a fight. You hit twice, dealing 2d6 Int damage (missing once entirely). Which is more powerful, 3d4+3 (if you had used a wand of mm, at 1st level ability 3 times) or 2d6 intelligence damage (which is assuming you flub one of your RTAs)?I agree with K.S. that it is power-wise a 3rd level spell, but I think it should be given enough versatility to affect more than just Intelligence. Also, it should be either a Necromancy or an Enchantment, as written.Technik</blockquote>

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