# Enough Ray Spells?



## rushlight (May 2, 2004)

So, are there enough ray spells to base a sorcerer around?  I was thinking of doing this in an upcoming campaign.  I only found a handful in the core book, and levels 5 and 7 don't have any that I could find.

Are there any good supplement books that might increase this some?  Perhaps provide some variety?  Any help would be appreciated!


----------



## hong (May 2, 2004)

2nd level: scorching ray
4th level: empowered scorching ray
5th level: maximised scorching ray
7th level: empowered, maximised scorching ray


----------



## Zappo (May 2, 2004)

You've got excellent low-level damage dealing in scorching ray, then excellent high-level damage dealing in polar ray. You lack a bit of mid-level punch (disintegration isn't guaranteed damage), though you can make up for it with metamagic if you're willing to up the casting time to one round. Overall, I think that the PHB doesn't have enough rays to make a good ray specialist, but more sources could help.


----------



## Crothian (May 2, 2004)

THere was a Dragon MAg that had a lot of cool ray spells and some feats for them.


----------



## rushlight (May 2, 2004)

Okay, here's another question:

All ray spells are ranged touch attacks.  Would you consider all spells which are ranged touch attacks to be ray spells?  Specifically, as it applies to Weapon Focus: Ray.

That might make up a bit...


----------



## Gez (May 2, 2004)

Well, there's three kind of rolled attack spells: touch attack, energy missile, and ray.

Ray spells are all spells whose Effect: entry is a ray.

Any other ranged touch attack spell who don't have Effect: Ray but something else (for example, Target: Something) instead is an Energy Missile spell.

At least, that's what you get from _Tome & Blood_.


----------



## Nifft (May 2, 2004)

Let's not forget the Archmage and his Arcane Fire option -- that turns any spell into a Ray attack.

 -- N


----------



## Anti-Sean (May 2, 2004)

Crothian said:
			
		

> THere was a Dragon MAg that had a lot of cool ray spells and some feats for them.




"Rays of Light" in Dragon Annual #5. I've got house guests at the moment, so I'm not able to take a close look at the article. This was shortly after 3.0 was released, so some tweaking may be necessary for 3.5.


----------



## milotha (May 2, 2004)

If you are specifically interested in just spells withe the word ray in their name then:

Check out the Tome and Blood- 1st Negative Energy Ray.

However, I might recommend that you expand out to consider all spells that deliver ranged touch based attacks, and have your Sorcerer specialize in these.  There are several of these in the Core books and Tome and Blood as several Orb spells that function in this manner.


----------



## ashbinator (Dec 7, 2009)

If you are trying to go for a ray build, then Seeking Ray (from the PHBII) is a must-have. It's a second-level ray spell (4d6 electricity) that ignores all cover and concealment but total, and allows for you to ignore the -4 penalty for shooting into melee.

The part that makes this spell essential, though is that once a target has been hit with seeking ray, then the caster gets a +4 to attack when using ray spells against the marked target for 1rd/caster level.


----------



## Crothian (Dec 7, 2009)

I'm not sure PHB2 was out during the orginal discussion!


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Dec 7, 2009)

Welcome to the boards, ashbinator!

You might want to check the date of the last post before you post in a thread, lest you risk merciless joshing.

But since the thread has popped up...lets not forget the feat Reach Spell, which transforms touch spells into rays.


----------



## StreamOfTheSky (Dec 7, 2009)

And of course, there's the Scorching Ray build now, using Arcane Thesis + tons of metamagic feats to do massive damage and ignore fire resistance.


----------



## Rechan (Dec 7, 2009)

Scorching Ray really is the Sorcerer's bazooka. 

I imagine the Spell Compendium has some more rays in 'dere.


----------



## StreamOfTheSky (Dec 7, 2009)

A lot.  From the broken (Ray of Stupidty) to the auto-shutdown of the build (Ray Deflection, not in itself a ray spell) and everything in between.  In particular, Ray of Dizziness is fun.


----------



## Dannyalcatraz (Dec 8, 2009)

I'm bookmarking this to take notes for my PC, Ray Orbisson (who specializes in Ray & Orb spells, 'natch).


----------



## yesnomu (Dec 8, 2009)

Ray of Enfeeblement, Ray of Dizzziness, Enervation, Split Ray Chain Spell Empowered Maximized Arcane Thesis'd Enervation. 

Direct damage is for classes that can't do better things.


----------



## Destil (Dec 9, 2009)

Can't believe no one mentioned _disintegrate_.


----------



## Ainamacar (Dec 9, 2009)

Well, since I love a good ray as much as anyone, I made a pretty close to exhaustive list some time ago.  Well, after the original date of the thread, but still. 

Actually, one of my players made a ray wielding sorcerer, that happened to be the grandmother of the party's bard, built with all relevant age effects.   At least, up until an interesting encounter with the Deck of Many Things that netted her several wishes.  Good times.

Anything without a source after it is PHB or Spell Compendium, I'm pretty sure.  And I didn't check Dragon or Dungeon, just WotC books.  Unless otherwise noted, these are only Sor/Wiz spells.  Asterisked spells aren't rays, but they behave similarly (either a ranged attack or ranged touch attack)

0:
Acid Splash*
Disrupt Undead
Electric Jolt
Ray of Frost

1:
Chill of the Grave[Deathbound]
Ice Dagger*
Iron Scarf* (Wu Jen only)
Orb of <Element>, Lesser*
Produce Flame[Druid]
Ray of Enfeeblement
Targeting Ray
Ray of Clumsiness
Ray of Flame
Targeting Ray[Bard,Sor/Wiz]

2:
Acid Arrow*
Blast of Force
Blinding Spittle[Druid]*
Cloud of Knives[Cleric,Sor/Wiz]* (PHB II)
Distracting Ray[Bard,Sor/Wiz]
Entangling Scarf* (Wu Jen only)
Fire Shuriken[Assassin, Wu Jen]*
Ice Knife[Assassin,Sor/Wiz,Warmage,Wu Jen]*
Produce Flame[Fire]
Rainbow Beam
Rain of Needles* (Wu Jen only)
Ray of Ice
Ray of Sickness
Ray of Stupidity
Ray of the Python[Bard] (PHB II)
Ray of Weakness
Saltray[Druid]
Scorching Ray
Seeking Ray (PHB II)
Slashing Darkness[Cleric]
Splinterbolt[Druid]*
Stingray[Bard,Sor/Wiz]

3:
Blast of Force[Force]
Disrupt Undead, Greater
Ghoul Gesture[Hunger]
Hailstones*
Icelance[Druid,Sor/Wiz]*
Magnetism* (Wu Jen only)
Melf's Unicorn Arrow* (PHB II)
Ray of Dizziness[Bard,Sor/Wiz]
Ray of Exhaustion
Ray of the Python (PHB II)
Rust Ray
Searing Light[Cleric,Sun]
Slashing Darkness[Cleric] (Champions of Ruin)

4:
Dimensional Anchor[Cleric,Sor/Wiz]
Defenestrating Sphere*
Enervation
Languor[Druid]
Orb of <Element>*
Poison Needles* (Wu Jen only)
Ray of Deanimation

5:
Bolts of Bedevilment[Bard,Madness]
Darkbolt[Darkness5]
Fire Breath* (Wu Jen only)
Lucent Lance
Moonbow*
Prismatic Ray
Viscid Glob

6:
Bolt of Glory[Cleric,Glory]
Disintegrate
Freeze[Druid]
Lucent Lance[Cleric]
Ray of Entropy
Ray of Light[Bard,Sor/Wiz]
Spirit Needle*

7:
Antimagic Ray
Avasculate
Decapitating Scarf*
Disintegrate[Destruction]
Energy Ebb[Cleric, Sor/Wiz]
Prismatic Eye*
Stun Ray

8:
Avascular Mass
Blackfire
Polar Ray

9:
Energy Drain
Meteor Swarm*
Sphere of Ultimate Destruction*


----------



## StreamOfTheSky (Dec 9, 2009)

Ainamacar said:


> Well, since I love a good ray as much as anyone, I made a pretty close to exhaustive list some time ago.  Well, after the original date of the thread, but still.




Great list!  I found this old thread, not sure if it's much help: http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-3rd-edition-rules/259279-how-do-ray-builds-work.html


----------

