D&D 5E Let's talk power words!

[SkidAce]

The Kolegara were a sect of mysterious assassins that were rumored to be prevalent in the days before the Wensharian Empire. They followed a mysterious deity of fate and vengeance, and would often be hiored to right wrongs, or at least punish individuals for their crimes.

Not only were they greatly feared for their lethal combat skills, they were also feared for a mystical ability of some of them to kill any single foe or target, merely by sacrificing the power of their soul into a killing word. They would die, but so would their foe.

Their prowess grew in the tales and legends, until the mere threat of their retribution and vengeance kept their enemies in check, and none would knowingly cross them or those under their protection.

Legends say an opposing deity of random slaughter began in turn to hunt them from the shadows, with its minions encased in obscurity. Soon the order of the Kolegara was either destroyed or driven into hiding, and nothing but legends survive to this day.

Against the wall of the abandoned temple you see various sigils and glyphs. All are faded and meaningless, except one. A faint purple glow emanates from an intricate design of a dagger, surrounded by fainter letters. (Arcana/Religion DC 17, wrods of fate and vengeance)

 

[CapnZapp]

Necro for research.

The spell is useless for player characters.

It shines when an Archmage, say, uses it on level-appropriate heroes. Since the Archmage is CR 12 these heroes can quite reasonably be expected to be level 8-12: they will each die instantly to the spell.

That's how you use PWK. It is perhaps the clearest example of a spell in the PHB least useful for the heroes and most useful against them.

This is because heroes pack some of the most power per hit point - few creatures in the multiverse are as dangerous for their hp as player characters. The spell PWK is best when used at exactly this kind of creature.

 

[MechaPilot]

I don't mind telling them when their foe is under the HP limit.

I don't tell them, but if a player asks I'll let the character make an Intelligence check to try to figure it out.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

The spell is useless for player characters.

False.

 

[CapnZapp]

False.

Let me quote/paraphrase Treeantmonk: if, at high level, you need to cause 100 points of damage, maybe dish out a 100 points of damage?

Meaning when the players can cast this spell, it should be a cantrip. Not a spell competing with Wish.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

Let me quote/paraphrase Treeantmonk: if, at high level, you need to cause 100 points of damage, maybe dish out a 100 points of damage?

Meaning when the players can cast this spell, it should be a cantrip. Not a spell competing with Wish.

Treantmonk saying something isn't actually any more valuable or accurate than you or I saying something.

Also... I must be missing a rule somewhere if "I'm 17th level or higher" + "I cast a cantrip" = anything close to dealing 100 damage (or the actual effect of the spell in question, which is actually superior to dealing damage because damage always has a type and resistance and immunity to damage of particular types are things that exist).

And lastly, the spell not being close competition for potency with wish - a deliberately overly-potent spell when talking about anything but its effect which is less potent, but more variable, than power word kill - is not synonymous with the spell being "useless."

There are more tiers than just God and Garbage.

 

[CapnZapp]

There are more tiers than just God and Garbage.

Sorry, as a level 17 character's tool, against the monsters a level 17 character faces, PWK is utter sh***.

(The spell is not sh*** if viewed in isolation. Perhaps that's what you're saying.

As a magic item effect the characters can use five or ten levels earlier, it's good. As a spell used AGAINST the characters, it's outright excellent, as I mentioned earlier)

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

Perhaps that's what you're saying.

Nope. What I'm saying is this: You are wrong about the spell being "useless" or "utter sh***" for player characters - full stop.

 

[Gadget]

Seeing as the spell is a 9th level spell and cannot even deal with some CR5 creatures (as posted earlier in the thread), and it only gets worse as the CR increases, I would have to call it very niche, at the least. I don't have any statistics, but is revealing the foes current Hit Points supposed to be the standard way to play? I've not see it done that way much, though my experience is anecdotal. I get wanting tamp down the whole LFQW issue, you don't want it to be an "I Win Button" for the player, but not even handling something 10+ CR lower than the party level? You only ever get one of these a day.

 

[Syntallah]

Seeing as the spell is a 9th level spell and cannot even deal with some CR5 creatures (as posted earlier in the thread), and it only gets worse as the CR increases, I would have to call it very niche, at the least. I don't have any statistics, but is revealing the foes current Hit Points supposed to be the standard way to play? I've not see it done that way much, though my experience is anecdotal. I get wanting tamp down the whole LFQW issue, you don't want it to be an "I Win Button" for the player, but not even handling something 10+ CR lower than the party level? You only ever get one of these a day.

I do not reveal a foe's current hit points. I announce that a creature is Wounded (at or below 50% health), and Badly Wounded (at or below 25% health). An individual trained in Medicine might be able to pin point a little closer depending on his knowledge base, and the creature in question (e.g. same race, no problem; gelatinous cube, who knows?!?)