Sigh- Yeah, Ray of Stupidity is pretty broken

[Hypersmurf]

In any case, Sneak Attacking with a Ray of Stupidity does NOT simply deal more Intelligence Damage, it deals Negative Energy damage equal to the Sneak Attack amount, plus the normal Intelligence Damage.

A critical hit will deal more Intelligence damage, however.

-Hyp.

 

[Stormtower]

I agree with others' interpretation of this spell as written in the SC. It seems like the intent of the spell was to make a Ray of Enfeeblement analog, but since ability penalties and ability damage are handled differently (as Hyp and others mentioned, penalties cannot reduce a score below 1, but ability damage can) I'd just change it to a 1d4+1 penalty to Intelligence.

Hmm, in such a case, should the spell's level be lowered to 1 to reflect its approximately equal utility to Ray of Enfeeblement? I've thought that RoE should be 2nd level before, but I don't like to make too many granular houserule changes such as this... it just becomes too much to remember.

 

[Hypersmurf]

(as Hyp and others mentioned, penalties cannot reduce a score below 1, but ability damage can)

Penalties can reduce a score below 1; however, Ray of Enfeeblement (and Ray of Clumsiness and Touch of Idiocy) contains a clause making an exception.

If you're changing Ray of Stupidity to make it an analog of Ray of Enfeeblement, there are several changes required:
1. Change damage to penalty.
2. Introduce a duration - an instantaneous penalty is nasty. Instantaneous damage will eventually heal on its own, but a penalty won't.
3. Introduce a "not below 1" clause.
4. Change 1d4+1 to 1d6+X, where X is based on caster level.
5. Change level from 2 to 1.

... as you can see, Ray of Stupidity and Ray of Enfeeblement aren't all that similar.

-Hyp.