Using Enervation to debuff how does it work?

[Atalius]

Hi all, was wondering how the spell Enervation works exactly if I am a witch trying to use it to debuff my enemies? How does losing negative levels work and how much would that really debuff my foes saving throws.

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/e/enervation/

[Kileanna]

1 per negative level. Stacking enervation can be pretty powerful. I've seen it's more effective on spontaneous spellcasters and when you can quicken it to stack negative levels quickly, but it's still a powerful debuff.

[John Murdock]

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.

enervation is a pretty good spell to debuff enemies who are not immune to level drain, each one will make them weaker until they die from it or they are too weak to resist you

[Atalius]

How would this work say on a cyclops let's use for example. Monsters don't have levels, I just see 10HD CR5.

[SmiloDan]

Enervation would give the Cyclops 1d4 negative levels. That's -1 to attacks, checks, CMB, CMD, saves, and skills per negative level, and -5 hit points per negative level.

Cyclops don't have any level-dependent abilities, so you don't have to worry about them.

[John Murdock]

Atalius wrote:

How would this work say on a cyclops let's use for example. Monsters don't have levels, I just see 10HD CR5.

like it say its not Class level it is taken into account but HD, so like SmiloDan say it would take all those malus

[Atalius]

Sweet gotcha! At the higher levels is there a better version of Enervate? Or could one just use Heighten Spell on it?

[RealAlchemy]

Atalius wrote:

Sweet gotcha! At the higher levels is there a better version of Enervate? Or could one just use Heighten Spell on it?

Empowered or maximized could get really ugly.

[Rathendar]

Energy Drain at 9th also.

Heighten i can only think of being useful in special situations, like bypassing Globe of invulnerability for example.

[John Murdock]

Atalius wrote:

Sweet gotcha! At the higher levels is there a better version of Enervate? Or could one just use Heighten Spell on it?

there's orb of the void a 8th level spell and like rathendar say also energy drain a 9th level spell, and the beauty of those 2 spell is that if you fail your save 24 hours later they are permanent unlike enervation which is temporary and only last for 1 hour per caster lvl (max 15H)

[Wraithlin]

Just remember, you can't stack multiple enervations on a single target as it would fall under the "same effect from multiple spells rule".

[Atalius]

I can't believe Witch's don't get Energy Drain. I mean if there is one thing a witch can do its debuff

[John Murdock]

Wraithlin wrote:

Just remember, you can't stack multiple enervations on a single target as it would fall under the "same effect from multiple spells rule".

no it stack the spell say negative level stack

[UnArcaneElection]

Atalius wrote:

I can't believe Witch's don't get Energy Drain. I mean if there is one thing a witch can do its debuff

The Plague Patron gets Energy Drain, but otherwise, yes, I agree it's strange that they don't get this.