D&D 3E/3.5 [3.5] countering Ray of Enfeeblement

[Kershek]

How do you counter Ray of Enfeeblement at lower and higher levels? At 2nd level, it does 1d6+1 strength damage up to 30 feet away. At 10th level, it does 1d6+5 strength damage up to 50 feet away. At 10th level, it can be maximized to do 11 strength damage or empowered to do (1d6*1.5)+5 strength damage. There is no save.

I don't see any way of countering the spell at 1st or 2nd level. At 3rd, you have Bull's Strength as a 2nd level spell, but it won't give back the amount that the ray can take away (as a higher level spell, strangely enough). At 10th, all I see is dispel magic.

This seems to be very powerful for a 1st level spell. A ranged touch attack gets easier as you go up in level. At 1st level, it will probably be about 50-50, but by 10th it will probably be a 70% chance to hit (assuming caster dex 16 + 5 BAB against a fighter touch AC of 14).

 

[Wippit Guud]

Well, I can't load the wizards page at the moment, so I don;t have SRD access... but would death ward block it? That'sd assuming the Ray is negative energy, which again I can't look up right now.

 

[Snipehunt]

Use lesser restoration. It:

dispels any magical effects reducing one of the subject's ability scores or cures 1d4 points of temporary ability damage to one of the subject's ability scores.

This is a magical effect, so it completely eliminates the loss. Lesser restoration is a really, really useful spell now - also gets rid of the fatigue/exhaustion.

 

[Kershek]

Lesser restoration and restoration do not get rid of the strength penalty from ray of enfeeblement. Only greater restoration, a 7th level spell, states: "dispels all magical effects penalizing the creature’s abilities."

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Lesser restoration and restoration do not get rid of the strength penalty from ray of enfeeblement. Only greater restoration, a 7th level spell, states: "dispels all magical effects penalizing the creature’s abilities."

Doesn't Ray of Enfeeblement cause temporary ability damage? I'd think that Lesser Restoration would restore 1d4 points of damaged strength per casting.

And really, not everything has a counter. The only perfect counter to Ray of Enfeeblement is a wizard readying an action to counterspell.

 

[Ysgarran]

Lesser Restoration seems pretty unambiguous to me. It dispels any magic affects that reduce one of the subjects ability scores.

From the 3.5 SRD
Lesser restoration dispels any magical effects reducing one of the subject?s ability scores or cures 1d4 points of temporary ability damage to one of the subject?s ability scores. It also eliminates any fatigue suffered by the character, and improves an exhausted condition to fatigued. It does not restore permanent ability drain.

Lesser restoration and restoration do not get rid of the strength penalty from ray of enfeeblement. Only greater restoration, a 7th level spell, states: "dispels all magical effects penalizing the creature?s abilities."

 

[Dinkeldog]

Doesn't Ray of Enfeeblement cause temporary ability damage? I'd think that Lesser Restoration would restore 1d4 points of damaged strength per casting.

And really, not everything has a counter. The only perfect counter to Ray of Enfeeblement is a wizard readying an action to counterspell.

It does not cause temporary ability damage, that would be too much. I'd go with Lesser Restoration. I could probably be convinced to allow a caster with Lesser Restoration prepared counterspell a Ray of Enfeeblement.

 

[clark411]

Ray of Enfeeblement causes a penalty to Strength, it does not deal ability damage. Only Greater Restoration addresses the removal of penalties to attributes, the rest handle drains and damages.

Penalties are inferior to damage and drain in their duration, and superior in their difficulty to remove in the short term.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

For reference, from the 3.5 SRD:

Ray of Enfeeblement
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: Ray
Duration: 1 min./level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes
A coruscating ray springs from your hand. You must succeed on a ranged touch attack to strike a target. The subject takes a penalty to Strength equal to 1d6+1 per two caster levels (maximum 1d6+5). The subject’s Strength score cannot drop below 1.

That does seem rather ambiguous. Looking at the spell again, I'd have to say that Lesser Restoration is indeed the key. Ray of Enfeeblement gives a penalty to strength, which has a duration of 1 min/level, so the magic continues to be actively suppressing the target's strength during that time. Lesser Restoration removes magical effects that reduce an ability score.

Though I don't think I'd allow a cleric to counterspell with it.

Edit: wizards don't get Lesser Restoration, clerics do...

 

[AuraSeer]

Only Greater Restoration addresses the removal of penalties to attributes, the rest handle drains and damages.

This is just not correct. Go to the SRD and read the first line of the spell description. "Lesser restoration dispels any magical effects reducing one of the subject’s ability scores."

Even the 3.0 version included this line.