Is the Nightmare spell completely stupid?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

An evil NPC used this spell on the party last game session and we
figured out all you need is a Lesser Restoration spell to completely
counteract it. Is this true? If so, it looks like one of the most
stupid 5th level spells out there.

- Ron ^*^

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

Werebat wrote:
> An evil NPC used this spell on the party last game session and we
> figured out all you need is a Lesser Restoration spell to completely
> counteract it. Is this true? If so, it looks like one of the most
> stupid 5th level spells out there.

If you rule that the ability to regain arcane spells is restored
by Lesser Restoration too, then Nightmare is indeed stoopid.

I wouldn't rule it this way. IMO the unability to regain spells
is an independent feature of Nightmare (I think, Greater
Restoration would do the trick).

LL

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

Werebat wrote:
> An evil NPC used this spell on the party last game session and we
> figured out all you need is a Lesser Restoration spell to completely
> counteract it. Is this true? If so, it looks like one of the most
> stupid 5th level spells out there.

As others have pointed out it still ruins arcane
preparation and does damage.

But the key to the usefulness of nightmare is in
the range line, UNLIMITED!

I can hit the entire party while they can't hit back
(baring the amazing luck of hitting someone with
dispel evil while I am casting, since I have roughly
8 hours to hit in and need only 10 minutes to cast the
odds of that are a whopping 2% assuming that the party
routinely casts dispel evil on all of it's members
every night at some time while they are asleep... And
even then nothing all that bad happens to me unless
I am attacked immediately afterward.

If my minions (or someone else) attacks prior to the
cleric regaining spells they get to fight fatigued
opponents. If I hit your arcanists often enough they
can NEVER regain spells or slots baring fleeing the
dimension. What a tool for a group of wizards. ("Don't
annoy the guild; that would be very bad.")

The attack is relatively feeble (but it might well
kill a child or pet if used as a terror weapon), but
name another one I can use from the comfort of my
heavily warded against scrying and dimensional travel
sanctum on a distant continent that will still do
anything to your character. The key is that it is an
attack that can be made at extreme range and ignores
most normal defenses against magical attack (things
that stop scrying or dimensional travel shouldn't
stop this).

DougL

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

Werebat wrote:
> An evil NPC used this spell on the party last game session and we
> figured out all you need is a Lesser Restoration spell to completely
> counteract it. Is this true? If so, it looks like one of the most
> stupid 5th level spells out there.
>
> - Ron ^*^
>

Lesser Restoration wouldn't remove the 1d10 hit points of damage
suffered, nor would it allow the caster to memorize spells (as that
isn't an attribute of fatigue). You'd need Dispel Evil and a successful
Spellcraft check to negate it.

Or you could just be an elf, since they're immune to it, as is any
creature that doesn't need to sleep.

 

[Joseph]

Archived from groups: rec.games.frp.dnd (More info?)

Lorenz.Lang@gmx.de wrote in news:1127331564.984461.14000
@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com:

>
> Werebat wrote:
>> An evil NPC used this spell on the party last game session and we
>> figured out all you need is a Lesser Restoration spell to completely
>> counteract it. Is this true? If so, it looks like one of the most
>> stupid 5th level spells out there.
>
> If you rule that the ability to regain arcane spells is restored
> by Lesser Restoration too, then Nightmare is indeed stoopid.
>
> I wouldn't rule it this way. IMO the unability to regain spells
> is an independent feature of Nightmare (I think, Greater
> Restoration would do the trick)

At the very least, Nightmare wrecks the specific restful sleep, targeted
by the spell, needed by an arcanist to ready his spells. So even after a
Lesser Restoration the arcanist will need more rest, also the 1d10
damage is unaffected. I think it is useful enough as an evil arcane
spell; rival arcanists may not have access to that specific divine magic
-- giving the caster of Nightmare an edge in short-term attacks.



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