limp lash
School necromancy; Level sorcerer/wizard 2, witch 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a dead wasp)
Range 20 ft.
Target 1 creature
Duration special (see below)
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance yes
You create a dark whip-shaped field of energy that wraps around
an enemy’s neck, leaving everything except his head paralyzed until
you let go of the whip or it is destroyed. You must make a ranged
touch attack with this spell. If you strike your target, he takes a 1d6
penalty to his Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution each round.
This penalty cannot reduce any attribute to less than 1, and once
any of these attributes reaches 1 the target collapses and his body,
except his head, becomes paralyzed. While paralyzed in this way,
the target retains full use of his senses, including the ability to
feel pain, and can speak (including casting spells with only verbal
components). The whip has a maximum length of 20 feet, 15 hit
points, and a hardness of 5. The spell ends immediately if you let
go of the whip or it is destroyed. When the spell ends, all penalties
the target took from this spell also end.
Does the target get paralysed as soon as the spell hits or after the stats are reduced to 1. To me it reads kinda wierd. The first line says they are paralysed then it goes on to say that the fall down paralysed after stats are 1.
Anyway , need some clarification.
Only after one of his attributes hits 1. But yes, the mini-description of the spell at the beginning is confusing.
Only after one of his attributes hits 1. But yes, the mini-description of the spell at the beginning is confusing.
Thats what I figured. Not a bad spell anyway. No save. Reduces stats repeativly over rounds.
No body thinks of sundering a spell as a viable option so it seems even better.
I'll try to sunder the caster's arm XD
As he is entitled to not "let go" the whip, it seems that it could be disarmed or maybe a bull-rush to get the caster out of the spell range. It's not a great spell but it's funny.
Does the caster need to make an attack each round, or just maintain (ie, not let go) the contact round after round? Could this be used in a Glyph of Warding?
Does the caster need to make an attack each round, or just maintain (ie, not let go) the contact round after round? Could this be used in a Glyph of Warding?
Maintain, he just needs to hold it.
1d6 of to all three physical abilities seems awfully steep for a 2nd level spell.
1d6 of to all three physical abilities seems awfully steep for a 2nd level spell.
Remember, it's very short range (20') and it doesn't immediately incapacitate the target. Also, the penalties only last for the duration of the spell.
Caster hits you with the spell, reducing your Con by 6 points (max). Someone hits you, reducing you to unconscious. If the caster doesn't maintain the spell, you immediately get your 6 Con back, making you conscious again.
The spell is only good for single target fights, or a fight where it's worthwhile for the caster to maintain the spell to take out one opponent.
Technically, the spell doesn't prevent the target from just moving away and breaking the spell either, as long as they aren't paralyzed yet.
The spell's description implies that it can only be broken by breaking the lash or causing the caster to drop it.
So moving away becomes an opposed Strength check?
Man, this spell sounds great, if only the wording was clearer regarding existing rules.
- My understanding is that the enemy cannot move beyond the 20 ft. reach, as it says twice that the spell ends if you let go of the whip or it is destroyed. Too bad that they do not say whether the enemy can just move away to break the effect, as most spells end when you exceed their range..
- I thought penalties of the same source do not stack. So does the 1d6 penalty per round never go higher than 6?
If the enemy can only end the spell by disarming you or sundering the whip (which according to Core Rulebook p. 174 requires a non-bludgeoning weapon), this is an excellent spell, especially since it allows no save. Sure, it takes about 4 rounds to paralyse an enemy (2-3 if maximized), but each round, he loses 1-3 to attack, damage, AC, 2-6 to CMD and 1-3x HD in HP.
Fight someone with only bludgeoning weapons, and all you have to do is prevent being disarmed - which is often easy with a meatshield in a narrow corridor or if you can make AoOs against disarm maneuvers.
So moving away becomes an opposed Strength check?
I would think so. An opposed stregth check to determine if you can move away, of courseI would also allow the spellcaster to move along with you (most would probably rather move with you than let you just walk out of range). Not sure how I'd run it exactly.
In any event, you could also attempt a disarm against the enemy spellcaster, which is likely to work if you're a full BAB class.
Or you could sunder the whip. If you can do 20 points of damage in a single hit you're out. A 6th level fighter 22 str with a greatsword and power attack will deal 22 points of damage on average (assuming the great sword is the weapon he chose for weapon training). Even without it he deal'll 21, at thats at level 4 as long as he can pickup a +2 strength item.
So sure it can be an annoyance, it will work well against a single target (possibly) but the whip doesn't really stand a chance of staying in place for more than a round unless the rest of the team can can make it undesireable to sunder it, etc.
James Jacobs has clarified this spell here in the Golarion FAQ.
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James Jacobs has clarified this spell here in the Golarion FAQ.
Thanks, I hadn't noticed the addition of the Golarion FAQ section.
James Jacobs has clarified this spell here in the Golarion FAQ.
Great, that helps a lot.
Now to another open question aboit the spell: Can you affect undead and constructs with it? They are immune to ability damage + drain, as well as paralysis, but not to ability penalties, it seems. So can you use the spell to reduce them to Str+Dex 1, even though that does not paralyze them?
James Jacobs has clarified this spell here in the Golarion FAQ.
Oh cool! Thanks for the info Sean.
James Jacobs has clarified this spell here in the Golarion FAQ.Great, that helps a lot.
Now to another open question aboit the spell: Can you affect undead and constructs with it? They are immune to ability damage + drain, as well as paralysis, but not to ability penalties, it seems. So can you use the spell to reduce them to Str+Dex 1, even though that does not paralyze them?
I would say they wouldn't be paralyzed, but would collapse under their own weight, unable to move as long as their Str was 1, and MIGHT (depending on the size of the creature) be able to drag themselves, seeing as with a Str 1, to drag or push is a maximum of 50lbs.