Level
9th
Casting Time
1 Action
Range/Area
60 ft
Components
V
Duration
Instantaneous
School
Enchantment
Attack/Save
None
Damage/Effect
Control (...)
You utter a word of power that can compel one creature you can see within range to die instantly. If the creature you choose has 100 hit points or fewer, it dies. Otherwise, the spell has no effect.
I think it means remaining. like if you have 22 hp left it would kill you and the same if you were at full hp but it was under 100, is that correct
Ok so for some people struggling to see how useful this spell can be. Lets say we have a party with two or preferably three full casters, each with access to level 9 spells. Your DM throws the "big bad evil guy" (BBEG) at you to sum up the campaign. First caster uses True Polymorph and attempts to transform the BBEG into a known weak creature with less than 100 maximum HP. Lets say for whatever reason, the spell fails. Second caster now uses the Wish spell to force a reroll, this time forcing disadvantage on the save as per the description points under the Wish spell, more than likely this will result in the BBEG turning into something weak. Conventionally this isn't a big deal since dropping the BBEG's new form to 0HP will just return it to its true form... HOWEVER! We can now bypass this with the third caster, casting Power Word Kill. Do not travel pass go, do not collect $200, the BBEG is sent directly to death. If all goes swell, and the BBEG fails it's first save, this whole situation can be reduced down to two castings, all done in under a single round of combat.
You can probably scrounge the source up, but to explain the power of this spell, lets use the example the creators gave us for killing the Tarrusk. They said to polymorph it into a slug, then power word kill it, which would kill it instantly and make it dead. Hp does not hit 0, it simply dies. Hp is a measurement of the bodies ability to keep fighting and working. Power word kill does lower your HP, it simply kills you. The slug does not turn back as hp hasnt been reduced.
Yea..... does not work like that. When you are polymorphed you gain that creatures HP as temp hit points it does not replace the creatures actual hit points, which is why damage rolls over to your actual HP should it excessed the new forms amount. So the spell would ignore the temp HP granted by the new form and check it’s actual remaining amount of HP, which if it was over 100 power word kill does nothing. So yea this plan does not work at all.
I mean it is a great spell to get someone hiding behind temp hit point like some casters (Druids come to mind)
0 HP is "mostly dead" this is "all dead".
This is not true. As stated under the Druid's Wild Shape ability, "When you transform, you assume the beast’s hit points and Hit Dice." Not Temporary Hit Points, you assume the beast's values. They become yours. Wild Shape also states "You automatically revert if you... die", meaning that it is possible to outright die in Wild Shape
Polymorph also has similar wording: "The target assumes the hit points of its new form" - "The transformation lasts for the duration, or until the target drops to 0 hit points or dies"
It's also incorrect to call the Hit Points of either Wild Shape or Polymorph "Temporary Hit Points", as a creature can still gain Temp Hit Points while under either effect.
This has been confirmed by Jeremy Crawford in Sage Advice as well: https://www.sageadvice.eu/2016/05/02/if-a-druid-wildshapes-into-a-wolf-and-is-targeted-with-power-word-kill-dead-or-alive/
Long story short, this spell does not do damage. It takes a snap shot of your current hit points. If that number is 100 or less, you die. No damage is done. You are simply affected with one condition: Death
the way its worded implies that its a "roll a new PC" situation
use this spell to begone thot succubi and incubi
Motorhead:" Die you bastard!"
Me" The warlock shouts die and you feel your form collapse and fail you, roll a new character."
my players hate that encounter
i'm inclined to say roll a new PC? admittedly i would probably bend it depending on what kinda game i was running.
"Roll a new PC" might be too harsh a phrase, because the dead PC is still eligible for Revivify, Raise Dead, Reincarnate, Resurrection, True Resurrection, etc.
But yes, this spell bypasses the unconscious condition, skips past death saving throws, and goes straight to dead. Although of course, part of becoming dead is that the target will also become unconscious....
And yes, this spell's criteria count the target's current hit points, not max hit points.
Roll a new PC
my pc was killed by with because one of the other player was pissed
roll new PC
death by pootis
How is this an enchantment spell?
I would say it is because you are mentally compelling something to die. I see it as mind controlling their organs to stop or something like that.
Kill as in roll new pc. It's a nasty spell.
Nasty spell. Had a DM toss this little gem at my lvl 8 Party during our BGDIA campaign. We were in Avernus and ended up attacking a Death Knight lord without realizing it was the contact we were supposed to meet for a quest (isn't hell fun). The lord became annoyed and killed our glass cannon sorlock with it but on the next turn I cast Revivify and brought the PC back to life. Our wizard then cast Rope Trick and we were able to get out of the situation and get in a short rest before we returned to the fight to start groveling. Also, if our wizard had been in range to see the casting he could have cast Counterspell to possibly prevent it from happening (DC19 INT Ability check).
So nasty spell, yes, but it doesn't mean you have to roll a new PC 100% of the time. In the end, it cost our party a 300gp diamond is all.
"What was that?"
DM: "Death."
"What kind?"
DM: "Instant."
"There was no sound or anything, he just died!"
DM: "Its terrifying, I know. Terrifying thing to watch happen."