How many negative levels can you inflict with one spell?


Advice


The capstone of the oracle's apocalypse mystery adds 1d4 to the amount of negative levels you can inflict on a target on top of adding an unblockable Bestow Curse. With that applied to Energy Drain, you can inflict 3d4 negative levels on a single targets plus the effects of Bestow Curse.

Since Energy Drain is a 9th level spell, however, you can't add any metamagic feats to it outside of metamagic rods. A Greater Maximize rod can ensure you get 12 negative levels on an enemy, but there's also a Greater Empower rod that can possibly get you higher than 12.

Then again, there also spells like Scourge of the Horsemen, which only does 1d4 negative levels, but also inflicts a bug-ton of acid damage (1d6 per level, capping out at 20d6)...


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Don't forget to factor in a critical hit. The wording of the Apocalypse mystery makes it sound like it isn't multiplied, but there's still the possibility of inflicting 4d4+1d4 (maximum of 20) negative levels. Throw on the Empower rod, and you're dealing up to 30(!) negative levels, enough to 1-shot almost anything in the bestiary with just 1 lucky 20, a 9th-level spell, and expensive greater rods being used.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

If you have access to 3rd party materials you can pick up a familiar and improved familiar for a small negative energy elemental. If your in his aura your negative energy spells and abilities are maximized. Grab a greater Empower rod to empower it.


Take Magical Knack and Spell Perfection with Enervation as well as Maximize Spell, Empower Spell and Quicken Spell.

Prepare normal Enervation and Empowered Enervation
Begin round holding an Maximize Rod. Cast Quickened (Spell Perfection) Empowered (prepared) Maximized (rod) Enervation as a swift action for (4+((1d4)/2))+1d4 negative levels (7.75 on average)

As a standard action cast Empowered (Spell Perfection) Maximized (rod) Enervation for another 7.75 negative levels for a total of 15.5 negative levels using a 4th and 6th level spell and 2 charges from a medium rod. At 20th level you should have the resources to pull this off many times a day.


Gallant Armor wrote:

Take Magical Knack and Spell Perfection with Enervation as well as Maximize Spell, Empower Spell and Quicken Spell.

Prepare normal Enervation and Empowered Enervation
Begin round holding an Maximize Rod. Cast Quickened (Spell Perfection) Empowered (prepared) Maximized (rod) Enervation as a swift action for (4+((1d4)/2))+1d4 negative levels (7.75 on average)

As a standard action cast Empowered (Spell Perfection) Maximized (rod) Enervation for another 7.75 negative levels for a total of 15.5 negative levels using a 4th and 6th level spell and 2 charges from a medium rod. At 20th level you should have the resources to pull this off many times a day.

I don't understand the numbers. Wouldn't you just deal 4+1d4 (6.5 on average) negative levels? 4 from Maximize and then 1d4 from Empowered with Spell Perfection?

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / Advice / How many negative levels can you inflict with one spell? All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.