Vorpal Missile

Vorpal Missile
Evocation
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

A disk-shaped missile of magical energy darts forth from your fingertip. If you succeed a ranged touch attack against your target, you deal 3d6 points of force damage. If your attack roll was a natural 20 and you confirm the critical hit, the missile severs the creature's head (if it has one) from its body. Some creatures, such as many aberrations and all oozes, have no heads. Others, such as golems and undead creatures other than vampires, are not affected by the loss of their heads. Most other creatures, however, die when their heads are cut off.

Inanimate objects are not damaged by the spell.



Vorpal Missile, Greater
Evocation
Level: Sor/Wiz 6
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Target: Up to six target creatures, no two of which can be more than 15 ft. apart

As vorpal missile except as noted. You fire three missiles, plus one for every 3 caster levels beyond 11th, to a maximum of 6 at 20th level. They can target the same or different targets.

Cool! Normally 4th level is considered too low for any sort of instant-death effect, but the existence of Phantasmal Killer does throw that off a bit, and I don't see how forcing the caster to roll a crit to get the instakill is any more powerful than forcing the target to fail two different saves to die. The 6th-level version looks a little weak for a 6th-level spell actually, even though going by the odds there's actually a semi-decent chance of getting the instakill if you have all missiles target the same victim. Compare it to Finger of Death and Circle of Death. But it's clearly too good for 5th IMO, so you probably pegged it right.

I'm just considering possibilities for revision.

If it weren't a touch attack, but rather a normal attack, it'd be too weak. I could up the damage a bit, perhaps.

This actually was an idea inspired by this post - http://www.enworld.org/showpost.php?p=2874889&postcount=75

I hesitate to nitpick a joke post, but—wait, what am I saying? I never hesitate to nitpick.

Target: One creature

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This should be "Effect: Disk of force" for consistency, and to avoid various undesirable rules interactions.

you deal 3d6 points of force damage.

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I would avoid, in most cases, damage that doesn't scale; this makes more sense for augmentable psionic powers. It is the same approach as several higher-level save-or-die spells, but these aren't automatic kills; they deal a certain amount of damage and have some special effect if that's enough to drop the opponent. Nor am I fond of the fact that there is a fixed chance of death, which ignores the target's level, and no real defense available to the PCs, who typically aren't vampires and don't have SR.

That might be the better approach: do some large amount of damage to a single target on a critical hit, and describe the resulting death as decapitation. This brings the spell more in line with others such as disintegrate, and also allows defenses such as heavy fortification.

I should note starting off that the charmingly dry description of vorpal weapons ("Most other creatures, however ...") might be my favorite bit of prose in the D&D rulebooks.

I'd say greater vorpal missile actually pretty good for a sixth-level spell, especially if you target all the missiles at the same target. In fact, maybe it's too good: it's probably better than polar ray -- it does almost as much damage (although it's staggered over three levels), but that damage is force damage, rather than cold damage, and once you get about four missiles, the instant kill effect gets really significant (with around a 20-30% chance of at least one natural 20), and the spell's effect can be divided among multiple targets and has better range, to boot. I'd take an empowered greater vorpal missile over polar ray any day.

I'd say it's a terrific spell for casters to use against opponents whom they wouldn't otherwise be effective against -- especially once you get multiple missiles, the spell becomes wonderful against opponents with good saving throws and energy resistances.

Accordingly, I'm tempted to suggest that the spell require an enhanced normal attack (like mage's sword) rather than a touch attack -- that is, require the caster to make a normal ranged attack with an attack bonus equal to his caster level + his key ability modifier. (Alternatively -- and this might be even more appealing -- you could let the caster make a ranged attack at his normal bonus, with a large additional bonus that scales with caster level, and have the spell deal slashing damage rather than force damage.) Consider something like this:

Flying Guillotine
Evocation
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

A silvery blade of magical energy whirls out from your outstretched palm. Make a ranged attack against your target, adding a +2 enhancement bonus and an insight bonus equal to half your caster level to your attack roll. If you successfully hit your target, you deal 3d6 points of slashing damage that is treated as a magic weapon for purposes of bypassing damage reduction. If your attack roll was a natural 20 and you confirm the critical hit, the missile severs the creature's head (if it has one) from its body. Some creatures, such as many aberrations and all oozes, have no heads. Others, such as golems and undead creatures other than vampires, are not affected by the loss of their heads. Most other creatures, however, die when their heads are cut off.

Inanimate objects are not damaged by the spell.

And then:

Guillotine Swarm
Evocation
Level: Sor/Wiz 6
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Target: Up to six target creatures, no two of which can be more than 15 ft. apart

As flying guillotine, except as noted. You fire three blades, plus one for every 3 caster levels beyond 11th, to a maximum of 6 at 20th level. They can target the same or different targets. The blades also bypass damage reduction as though they were adamantine weapons, although they still do not deal damage to objects.

comrade raoul said:

Flying Guillotine

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The spell is pretty cool, but the name kicks ass.

This is great stuff and I'll probably use it in my game at some point, but I'll probably raise the spell level and number of damage dice. Mostly because after checking on Vorpal sword it showed Circle of Death, a 6th level spell as being of the enchantment need to create the vorpal effect.

Lorehead said:

That might be the better approach: do some large amount of damage to a single target on a critical hit, and describe the resulting death as decapitation. This brings the spell more in line with others such as disintegrate, and also allows defenses such as heavy fortification.

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mmm i like thi idea, how about something like -on a confirmed crit add 2d4/caster level. this will be a huge amout of damage and should the target die the form of death is decapitation.
oh and keep the flying guiliotine name
Z