Stun Ray (Broken 1st level spell?)

[Vexed]

Hello,

I have a wizard in my party who uses the spell "Stun Ray" out of Dragon Annual 5 Pg. 23.

He interprets the spells as if he hits you with it, you are automatically stunned for one round, and if you fail you are stunned for 1 round plus 1d4. He has won many battles against high level characters becuase of this one spell. You are stunned regardless if you saved or not, so everyone in the party (including himself) goes again since a stunned character cant take any actions.

Does everyone agree with the wording of the spell? Seems a bit harsh, even if you make your save you are still stunned for a round. At our high level of play its devestating. If the wording is correct, well i guess this is just a really powerful 1st level spell! lol.

Stun Ray
Conjuration (Creation) [Electricity]
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, M
Castin Time: 1a
Range: Close
Effect: Ray
Duration: 1 round plus 1d4 rounds
Saving Throw: Fortitude Partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

A quick jolt of electricity darts from the caster to the target. This ray of electricity requires a successful ranged touch attack to hit. The target is stunned by the ensuing shock for one round and an additional 1d4 rounds unless a successful Fortitude save is made.
Material Componepent: A coiled copper wire.

 

[Hypersmurf]

He interprets the spells as if he hits you with it, you are automatically stunned for one round, and if you fail you are stunned for 1 round plus 1d4.

Notice that the stat block says "Fortitude Partial", not "Fortitude Negates".

-Hyp.

 

[Pielorinho]

Yikes! That's a nasty spell. Stunning is a fantastic power, since there's just about no way to get rid of it -- and a spell that stuns a character for one round, no save, is by itself far better than any first-level spell has a right to be. Heck, a sorcerer using this could take out any dragon that lacked spell resistance, as long as he had a fighter helping out.

I'd change the spell to a ray that stuns an opponent for one round, fortitude negates: similar to daze, but with no HD cap. Then it's a spell worth taking, but it's not ridiculously good.

Edit: I do think he's interpreting the spell correctly, as it's written; I don't think the spell, as written, is anything close to first level.

Daniel

 

[Vexed]

Correct, Hence my inclination if it was a broken spell or not, that being the case...

 

[AuraSeer]

The spell is HIGHLY overpowered for 1st level, because there's no way to avoid the stun.

Compare to Otto's Irresistible Dance. OID requires a melee touch attack, and works for a minimum of 2 rounds. Stun Ray may work for 1 round less, yet in exchange it's usable at range. The Otto dancing is slightly more inconvenient than a stun, but that's not enough to account for 7 levels of difference!

For this to be a valid 1st-level spell, change the save to "Fortitude negates", or let it affect only opponents up to 5 HD (like Sleep), or both.

 

[LuYangShih]

Stunning is one of the most powerful effects in the game, especially against Fighters. I wouldn't even bother trying to fix the spell, I'd just ban it.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

Stun Ray is approximately as powerful as Power Word Stun, a 7th level spell. At higher levels, I would happily prep with a Quickened Truestrike just to guarantee the ray connects.

 

[Dash Dannigan]

Hmm, it is a bit broken as written. Might just change the save to: fortitude negate. Either that or change to the stun effect to Daze perhaps? At least with Daze you can still defend yourself...

 

[krunchyfrogg]

Don't use crap from Dragon Magazines. Your games will be a lot more fun and fair.