Ray Spell (Cha damage vs undead)

[Job]

Intercision Ray
Abjuration
Level:Sor/Wiz 3
Components:V, S, M
Casting Time:1 standard action
Range:Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect:Ray
Target:One undead
Duration:Instantaneous
Saving Throw:None
Spell Resistance:Yes

You weave disruptive magic into a sphere of white light above your clenched fist, and then spread you fingers releasing a line of silent radiance at the target.

This ray seeks to damage the magical connection motivating an artificial being to action. You must succeed on a ranged touch attack to strike a target. The subject struck by the ray takes 1d8 +1 points of charisma damage.
Material Component: A chip from a broken ceramic vessel.

Spoiler: Compare

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1st: Ray of Enfeeblement
2nd: Ray of Stupidity; 1d4+1 int damage, Mind-Affecting
4th: Ray of Deanimation; 15d6 Damage, no SR, Constructs only.

Any input is more than welcome, thank you for your time,

[Leewei]

I was thinking that undead were immune to stat damage, but a quick online search proved me wrong. Interesting that the spell is typed as Abjuration, and is not Mind-Affecting. I'd suggest Necromancy instead, given how the spell is described. Another possibility would be for the spell to target a living creature, have a 10 minutes/level duration, and trigger on the first undead creature to touch the targeted creature (possibly with a Will save for half damage).

I like the concept. I can see it making certain types of powerful undead far easier to deal with, but undead are cheesy, anyway.

Metamagic-wise, Empower Spell would boost the Cha damage from roughly 5.5 to 8.25, comparing nicely to Maximize Spell's 9. It'd take 2-3 castings (and successful touch attacks, which can be tricky against some undead) to remove an undead opponent from play. This seems pretty much in line with other level 3 (boosted to 5) spells.

[Orderic]

I quite like this. Although it would seem fitting to have an undead creature that has been reduced to zero charisma be destroyed, perhaps with a will save to resist that. Although... maybe with a greater version of the spell.

Anyway, this would be a good spell to use against powerful zombies and skeletons. Might be a nasty surprise against other, non-mindless undead. 3rd level seems about right, although it does have a very narrow use... not something I would take as a sorcerer, but as a wizard I might put it in my spellbook.

[Job]

I was thinking that undead were immune to stat damage, but a quick online search proved me wrong. Interesting that the spell is typed as Abjuration, and is not Mind-Affecting. I'd suggest Necromancy instead, given how the spell is described.

You've hit the crux of the problem. Undead are in principle vulnerable to mental ability damage but in practice most effects available to PCs to deal that damage are also mind-affecting. Which Undead are immune to. So we have this oddity which almost seems an oversight by the designers.

Also the entire issue concerning how one affects a mental ability score without it being 'mind-affecting'. There is feats like maiming strike which 'disfigures' the target but that's on a sneak attack; which undead are also immune to.

I had to conclude that if it was possible it would affect the magic binding the spirit to the body which would seem to place the spell in Venn-diagram between Abjuration and Necromancy; I could go either way.

[Job]

I quite like this. Although it would seem fitting to have an undead creature that has been reduced to zero charisma be destroyed, perhaps with a will save to resist that.

Thanks,

I would agree, by rules as typically understood the undead goes catatonic at 0 charisma like other creatures, but given that charisma replaces con for undead in several categories I could defiantly see it dissipating the creature. More-so with incorporeal undead.

[Leewei]

Destroying incorporeal undead reduced to 0 Charisma looks quite reasonable, especially given the difficulty of hitting them with the spell. Rendering corporeal undead helpless doesn't seem bad. Oddly enough, vampires would be messed with by this spell. Being unable to return to their coffin makes them a fair bit easier to kill -- which I actually like.

The one drawback I see with this spell is more general to 3.x game balance. The PCs casting it are already likely overpowered relative to non-casters. For that reason, may I suggest making it into a buff spell? This is very typical for Abjuration school. Make the spell affect a single weapon, making it capable of disrupting the link between the undead being and the animating force. Such attacks may now ignore undead creatures' immunity to precision damage. Furthermore, one point per die of damage from these weapons is Charisma rather than Hit Point damage. Make the buff very short-duration (1 minute/level).

[Orderic]

I had to conclude that if it was possible it would affect the magic binding the spirit to the body which would seem to place the spell in Venn-diagram between Abjuration and Necromancy; I could go either way.

You could make it a double-school spell. There are not enough of those around.