CapnZapp
Legend
How do you find these spells?
Are they alright? Do you choose to memorize them?
Or are they difficult to use? Underpowered?
I get concerned when a known guide writer Treeantmonk effectively discards the spells:
Especially that last bit sounds like a fatal write-off: "If the enemy has fewer than 100hp, maybe your best bet is just to cause 100hp of damage."
Ouch.
Do you agree? Disagree?
I've had to think about possible minimal-change fixes. Adding saves goes against the schtick of these spells. Adding explicit language "you feel when foe got less than X hit points remaining" feels abstract and a bit cheesy.
How about adding:
"Even if the spell does not have any effect, it sets up a mystical resonance inside the target's body that lasts until the beginning of your next round. At that time the spell triggers a second time, before dissipating harmlessly."
The practical effect is that if you cast Power Word Kill at a foe with 101 hit points, chances are good you won't be wasting your high level slot, since if any of your allies manage to hurt the enemy so it starts your next turn below the spell's threshold, it still takes effect.
Hopefully this makes the spells a bit more popular without adding too much overhead. What do you think?
Are they alright? Do you choose to memorize them?
Or are they difficult to use? Underpowered?
I get concerned when a known guide writer Treeantmonk effectively discards the spells:
Power Word Stun: A creature targeted by this spell is automatically stunned until at least the end of its next turn with no saving throw as long as it has no more than 150 hp. The issue here is that you don’t always know how many HP your enemies have. Most primary enemies at this level will have more than 150 hp, so how much damage do you have to do before this sticks?
Power Word Kill: This spell has the exact same problem as Power Word Stun, except that now the HP limit is 100hp. I find that limitation very concerning. If the enemy has fewer than 100hp, maybe your best bet is just to cause 100hp of damage.
Especially that last bit sounds like a fatal write-off: "If the enemy has fewer than 100hp, maybe your best bet is just to cause 100hp of damage."
Ouch.
Do you agree? Disagree?
I've had to think about possible minimal-change fixes. Adding saves goes against the schtick of these spells. Adding explicit language "you feel when foe got less than X hit points remaining" feels abstract and a bit cheesy.
How about adding:
"Even if the spell does not have any effect, it sets up a mystical resonance inside the target's body that lasts until the beginning of your next round. At that time the spell triggers a second time, before dissipating harmlessly."
The practical effect is that if you cast Power Word Kill at a foe with 101 hit points, chances are good you won't be wasting your high level slot, since if any of your allies manage to hurt the enemy so it starts your next turn below the spell's threshold, it still takes effect.
Hopefully this makes the spells a bit more popular without adding too much overhead. What do you think?
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