Ability Damage increasing?

[MammonAzrael]

I'm thinking of making a Swordsage that focuses on ability damage. Are there any feats/items/etc that can boost the amount of damage he'll deal? Thanks!

[SilentNight]

Try enchanting your weapens to do ray of enfeeblement. Since it's a first level spell it'll be pretty cheap. You also might look into negative levels which are oh so efficient for killing.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

Try enchanting your weapens to do ray of enfeeblement. Since it's a first level spell it'll be pretty cheap.

And not really possible either.

You also might look into negative levels which are oh so efficient for killing.

Soulbreaker will bestow a negative level on a critical hit.

Enervating will bestow a temporary negative level.

Souldrinking works like Enervating with added benefits.


Ability damage is harder to get by from items, but Venomous applies poison a few times a day.

[Reinboom]

You could try doing a few exalted feats, with their afflictions.

[Douglas]

Wounding weapons deal constitution damage with each hit for +2 cost.

[nargbop]

Spell-storing sword. Shivering Touch from Frostburn for 3d6 DEX damage. Crippling, crippling hit.

[TheOOB]

Wounding weapons deal constitution damage with each hit for +2 cost.

A pair of wounding weapons and TWF can be downright scary, especially with some tiger claw moves.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

Wounding weapons deal constitution damage with each hit for +2 cost.

Thank you, I knew I was forgetting something very basic and important, but it just would not come to me.

[ZeroNumerous]

Rogue 10/Swordsage X would give you Crippling Strike.

Savvy Rogue, TWFing, and good ole Raging/Dancing Mongoose gives 2 Strength damage a pop, regardless of the circumstances.

Use a pair of Spell-Storing weapons and get a caster to put a Ray of Enfeeblement in them.

Drop practically anything to Strength 0 with just one flurry of stabs.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

Use a pair of Spell-Storing weapons and get a caster to put a Ray of Enfeeblement in them.

Except that RoE is not a valid spell for Spell Storing and cannot drop the target below 1.

[ZeroNumerous]

Except that RoE is not a valid spell for Spell Storing and cannot drop the target below 1.

A spell storing weapon allows a spellcaster to store a single targeted spell of up to 3rd level in the weapon. (The spell must have a casting time of 1 standard action.) Any time the weapon strikes a creature and the creature takes damage from it, the weapon can immediately cast the spell on that creature as a free action if the wielder desires. (This special ability is an exception to the general rule that casting a spell from an item takes at least as long as casting that spell normally.) Once the spell has been cast from the weapon, a spellcaster can cast any other targeted spell of up to 3rd level into it. The weapon magically imparts to the wielder the name of the spell currently stored within it. A randomly rolled spell storing weapon has a 50% chance to have a spell stored in it already.

Sorry, but no. Spell-storing makes no mention of a limitation on the type of spells it can store. You could store a Deep Slumber in each sword if you felt like it.

Ray of Enfeeblement is low enough to be stored. Crippling Strike does the last 1 point of Strength damage. Alternatively, you could store a Ray of Exhaustion but that requires two-castings to ensure you hit them with Exhaustion.

[MammonAzrael]

Thanks for the suggestions!

As for the Spell Storing suggestion, can you use a Wand of Shivering Touch to fill the weapon? Is there a cheaper/better way?

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

Sorry, but no. Spell-storing makes no mention of a limitation on the type of spells it can store. You could store a Deep Slumber in each sword if you felt like it.

Sorry, but there most certainly is a limitation.

... store a single targeted spell...

Target or Targets: Some spells have a target or targets. You cast these spells on creatures or objects, as defined by the spell itself. You must be able to see or touch the target, and you must specifically choose that target. You do not have to select your target until you finish casting the spell.

Only targetted spells are allowed, so your rays, other effect spells and area spells are not viable options.

Thanks for the suggestions!

As for the Spell Storing suggestion, can you use a Wand of Shivering Touch to fill the weapon? Is there a cheaper/better way?

Wands can be used and depending on how often it is used an eternal wand might be a little cheaper.

[Person_Man]

Psychic Assassin 5: 2 points of Int damage every time you Sneak Attack an enemy. Psychic Rogue 10 works as well for the same purpose.

Maiming Strike from Exemplars of Evil lets you trade Sneak attack for Cha damage on a a 2d6 for 1 basis. I find that Int or Cha damage is superior to Str/Dex/Con damage, since many monsters have piss poor mental stats.

Touch of Golden Ice from from Book of Exalted Deeds. Every time you hit an enemy with an unarmed or natural attack, it must Save or take 1d4 Dex damage. The Save DC sucks though.

If you pick up Necropolitan, Skullclan Hunter, Warforged, or some other method to become immune to ability damage/level drain, you can use a Life-Drinker. You can also use a Ring of X-Ray Vision all day, which is just fun.

Spider Bite from Races of Faerun gives you a poisonous bite that deals 1d4 Str damage when you Grapple an enemy.

Rattlesnake Strike from Sandstorm let's you burn Stunning Fist uses to deal 1d3 points of Con damage. Great for a Shadow Sun Ninja.

Also, I would cation you against investing too much in dealing ability damage. Tons of enemies are immune to it. So a few feats and/or class levels would be fine, but don't put all your eggs into one basket.