Metamagic Ray BBEG

[Vaz]

My players in their next session are due to come up against a BBEG with a penchant for blasting. Alignment restrictions are wavered.

I am thinking around 18-20 levels, and I've decided I want to put on some hurt without going typical mailman.

Instead, I've decided I want to focus on Negative Levels, and Enervation seems to be the one for me.

Having a look at the Metamagic Handbook, I've decided Arcane Thesis (Enervation) is the way I want to go. As a DM, I might as well take a Slaymate.

Black Lore of Moil (-1), Fell Drain (+1), Maximise (+2), Empowering (+1), Split Ray (+1), Twin (+3), Invisible (-1), along with Incantatrix 10 gets me there at 18th level.

Each ray is dealing 7 no save negative levels, and I put out 4 of them each turn.

Is there any other way to deal similar levels?

[HunterOfJello]

don't forget Improved Critical (Ranged Touch)

~

Also, is there a cleric with a Chain Spell Rod in the party? Is the whole group going to have immunity to negative levels after round 1?

If they do, I'm going to laugh at your BBEG. Hard.

[Piggy Knowles]

It's going a somewhat different direction, but what about a variation on this build (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/29755371/Weekly_Optimization_Showcase:_Wand_Overdrive?pg=la st)? It's an artificer that uses Legacy Champion/Uncanny Trickster to boost Cannith Wand Adept well beyond its usual three levels (which in turn boosts the DC and CL of all spells from wands), as well as the standard artificer spell trigger metamagic shenanigans.

Dual wielding wands each firing twinned, split and fell draining ray spells with +11 to their DC and CL is pretty nice, and a change from the ordinary blaster. Plus, when your party manages to take down the wandslinger, they'll have a bunch of partially charged wands as treasure to sell to any wandering monks they might find.

EDIT: And repeat, duh. How could I forget repeat spell?

EDIT 2: OK, so you dual wield two wands of whatever ray spell, burning through a crapton of charges to twin, repeat, fell drain and split ray. Then you Wand Quick Draw a third wand and fire that one off, quickened, twinned, repeating, fell draining and split.

First round, that's a minimum of twelve negative levels from fell drain alone, plus the fact that the rays themselves are supercharged (again, +11 to the DC and CL of all wand spells, more with Karsus and/or Reckless Wand Wielder). Next round everything repeats, plus you attack again. You're also basically burning through a wand every attack routine, but that's OK, right? I mean, you're an artificer, you've got a craft reserve and retain essence...

[Keld Denar]

At that level, your group is probably gonna have some sort of protection from negative levels. A simple 4th level Death Ward renders your bad guy's whole schtick ineffective. The problem with bad guys laying on the MM abuse is that it is most likely that he will KILL anyone he looks at, each turn (maybe 2 per turn), with no save, so the party has to kill him in 1 round before he's able to do it again. You'll either end up with your bad guy getting splattered in a round or so, or a TPK.

[TuggyNE]

Plus, when your party manages to take down the wandslinger, they'll have a bunch of partially charged wands as treasure to sell to any wandering monks they might find.

I see what you did there!

And approve.

[Spuddles]

At that level, your group is probably gonna have some sort of protection from negative levels. A simple 4th level Death Ward renders your bad guy's whole schtick ineffective. The problem with bad guys laying on the MM abuse is that it is most likely that he will KILL anyone he looks at, each turn (maybe 2 per turn), with no save, so the party has to kill him in 1 round before he's able to do it again. You'll either end up with your bad guy getting splattered in a round or so, or a TPK.

MDJ + Quickened hurt.

But hey, rocket tag. What's new at level 20?