What are the limits of Enervation?

[Grenouillebleue]

The more I see this spell, the more I wonder what his drawbacks are. One of my players used it in a lvl 11 oneshot I did sunday and it seems borderline overpowered to me.

It's a ranged touch attack (pretty easy to hit on most opponents, especially the big, hulking ones) with no saves. If you're an elf, or you invested in the Spell Penetration Feat Tax, you will have a good chance to beat the SR (no worse than any other spell, anyway).

As a DM, I wonder how I can counter this. Enervation or, even worse, maximized or empowered or quickened ones, seemed to be the end-all be-all of every boss I threw at them. Losing 1d4 levels, let alone 4 or even 6 WITHOUT SAVE turns the biggest dragon into a harmless kitten.

So maybe I read it wrong, maybe I didn't apply the loss of hit dice correctly, but I thought my Red Dragon would be a worthy opponent, when he actually was a cakewalk once properly enervated.

[Caius]

These are the effects of a negative level.

For each negative level a creature has, it takes a cumulative –1 penalty on all ability checks, attack rolls, combat maneuver checks, Combat Maneuver Defense, saving throws, and skill checks. In addition, the creature reduces its current and total hit points by 5 for each negative level it possesses. The creature is also treated as one level lower for the purpose of level-dependent variables (such as spellcasting) for each negative level possessed. Spellcasters do not lose any prepared spells or slots as a result of negative levels. If a creature's negative levels equal or exceed its total Hit Dice, it dies.

If you took away hit dice that was definitely a big problem.

[Alski]

Yes it is overpowered but your best hope is to either ban it(worst option), get your players to self regulate(best option) or give creatures the deathward buff/Undead template/immune negative energy.

In a campaign i currently play in one person has spell perfectioned it but he self regulates its use so it just doesnt just screw up the BBEG.

[Morain]

I think the spell is fine as is. It's good yes, but it should be.

[TheSideKick]

globe of invulrnerability, greater will stop that noise. spell immunity also would stop that. enervation is one of those spells that are awesome when it works, but useless when it dosent.

i mean disentergration ray is wose imo. you take the extra trait feat once you can cast it to have the -1 level and toss on quickened and spell perfection on it. its game over at the point.

[stringburka]

If you're putting them up against a single BBEG, they'll mostly always win unless the monster can kill AT LEAST one PC per turn. Action economy and all that. Also, remember that dragons aren't melee monsters, treat them like beefy casters.

There's been a ruling (that I don't like) that casters can still cast their highest-level spells even if they drop in level. So a dragon that casts like 13th level sorcerer and gains 4 negative levels can still cast it's 6th and 5th level spells, just with a CL of 9.