Save or DIE spells level by level.

[Voadam]

level 1 color spray, sleep
level 2 web, goul's touch, tasha's uncontrollable hideous laughter
level 3 slow (iffy) hold person
level 4 phantasmal killer, polymorph other
level 5 feeblemind

level 1 command
level 2 hold person

 

[Al]

What about the clerical Command spells? If you shout "Freeze!", isn't that effectively the same as a Hold person? easier to save against, and with a short duration, but still, helpless is helpless.

-Tacky

This one caught me out as well. According to the FAQ, the best you can do with Command is to render them either stunned or prone. Personally, I think that this nerfs the spell (especially compared with Color Spray and Sleep), but then the FAQ is the FAQ.

 

[Cedric]

Yes, but then there is greater command. Where they are prone for numbers of rounds per level.

And I would allow a coup de gras on that.

Cedric

 

[andargor]

And I would allow a coup de gras on that.

<Rant Mode>
Egads, that means "hit of fat". It's spelled coup de grâce.
</Rant Mode>

Andargor

 

[00durrin]

when was power word kill errata'd?
it now kills anyone with 165hp or less?

 

[Darklone]

level 2 web, goul's touch, tasha's uncontrollable hideous laughter
level 3 slow (iffy) hold person
level 4 phantasmal killer, polymorph other
level 5 feeblemind

level 1 command
level 2 hold person

Web? Tashas Laughter? Slow? All these incapacitate you, but you're not helpless.

I was wondering that most here didn't mention Colour spray...

 

[ashockney]

when was power word kill errata'd?
it now kills anyone with 165hp or less?

Sorry 00durrin, that was my fault. I will go edit that out of my post. I copied and pasted over from my own list. That is errata for my campaign based on what I felt the approrpriate level should be. The list, for me, comes from developing a rules subsystem for insta-kill spells (including Harm). I had an FR Archmage with Greater Spell Focus running around my campaign laying waste to everything, so I had to put some limits down. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[Numion]

What about the clerical Command spells? If you shout "Freeze!", isn't that effectively the same as a Hold person? easier to save against, and with a short duration, but still, helpless is helpless.

One could always argue if this would work in a fantasy setting. Command "freeze" came to widespread use in the 20th century. Before that did people know how to freeze, except in cold weather?

 

[LazarusLong42]

Did y'all forget meteor swarm?

Sure, it's an area effect, but if someone's standing in the straight line between you and the origin point, it's 24d6 damage (ave. 84, max 144) with no save.

Not as cool as a targeted power word, kill, but at Epic levels it could be maximized and empowered...

 

[Dr. Zoom]

Yes, but then there is greater command. Where they are prone for numbers of rounds per level.

And I would allow a coup de gras on that.

Cedric

You would allow a CDG on a prone target?