Power Word Pain

[mikebr99]

A new spell in Races of Dragons...
This has got to be the most broken, 1st level spell I've seen in a long time.

range: close
target: one living creature w/100hps or less
Save: none
SR: yes

...1d6 damage per round...

target hps, duration

<=50, 4d4 rnds
51-75, 2d4 rnds
76-100, 1d4 rnds


Thoughts? Comments?

I have already nixed this out from my new campaign, when the Wizard and the Sorcerer asked...

thanks...

Mike

 

[Wish]

It hasn't been a problem with the sorcerer in our campaign. Most fights don't go more than about 5 rounds, so what you have is a spell that does about 5d6 damage, really. Or 4d6 if you cast it on the second round. By the third round, it's not really worth the time.

It's only really powerful if you have some way to isolate yourself from your enemy. And really, if you can do that, you have a lot of other options as well.

 

[griff_goodbeard]

Not broken in PC's hands at all. Now if the BBEG uses it... potential TPK.

 

[NexH]

If I recall correctly, this spell is supossed to be level 3, and a level 3 "Power word" in the same book should be level 1.

 

[Question]

I would never dream of taking this even as a level 1 spell.

Okay lets assume, best case scenario, you have a target under 50 hp.

How is he going to live long enough for you to do 8+ rounds of damage with this spell?

The only way it would possibly work is in PERFECTLY setup scenarios.

E.G. PCs hit fleeing cult leader with this spell who was supposed to be a recurring BBEG. The spell lasts long enough to kill him, nixing the recurring BBEG idea.

Otherwise in nearly every standard encounter it is a complete waste of a spell slot.

 

[Scharlata]

A new spell in Races of Dragons...
This has got to be the most broken, 1st level spell I've seen in a long time.[...]

Hi!

I suppose that must be an error. I've concluded since my first reading of RotDr that PW: Pain and the 4th-level spell PW: Distract have been mixed up.

Enjoy!

 

[reanjr]

The only way it would possibly work is in PERFECTLY setup scenarios.

It hardly requires a perfect setup. Expeditious Retreat on caster. Power Word, Pain on target. Run.

 

[Ics]

My players asked me to disallow this spell in my games, just so they had the security of knowing i wouldn't use it on them.

 

[Question]

It hardly requires a perfect setup. Expeditious Retreat on caster. Power Word, Pain on target. Run.

Okay and what about the rest of the party?

 

[Goolpsy]

So you need to activate a higher lvl spell to use "power pain"... wow.. that really proved something... makes it more useless.. etc.