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Endarire
2021-04-12, 08:09 PM
Greetings, all!

Pathfinder 1e nerfed many save or die effects, like turning slay living (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/slayLiving.htm) into damage living (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/slay-living/). Phantasmal killer is still a (weak) save-or-die, and stone to flesh and plane shift are effectively save-or-dies.

Thus, what save-or-die effects exist in PF1e, especially spells?

Thankee!

Rynjin
2021-04-12, 11:37 PM
Suffocation and Power Word: Kill as well. Baleful Polymorph is still essentially a save or die. Explode Head sort of. Death Clutch. Cloudkill and Circle of Death, but limited by level.

Edit: Just remembered a funny one. The Brawler has a Knockout Punch feature, which is "save or fall unconscious". I'd say that counts. By that same token, Color Spray and Sleep are still low level save or dies, as is the Witch's Slumber Hex.

Kurald Galain
2021-04-13, 02:43 AM
Prismatic Spray, especially when used against a large group.

Psyren
2021-04-13, 10:35 AM
Edit: Just remembered a funny one. The Brawler has a Knockout Punch feature, which is "save or fall unconscious". I'd say that counts.

Along those lines, the Strangler archetype has the Sleeper Hold and Neckbreaker abilities that take this a step further.

Magelyte
2021-04-13, 04:36 PM
Parasitic soul, weird, and symbol of death are all save or dies, although symbol of death has a hit point limit and weird requires two failed saves. Psychic crush doesn’t outright kill the target but it sets their hit points to -1 on a failed save so it might count as well.

For spells that permanently incapacitate the victim on a failed save, there’s microcosm, scribe’s binding, and trap the soul. Scribe’s binding and trap the soul both have expensive components, but scribe’s binding lets you look through and edit the target’s memories and trap the soul can trap the target without a save if you can get them to pick up a trigger object.

Rynjin
2021-04-13, 04:39 PM
Ah yes, Trap the Soul. Lost the players' ship captain to that old gem when I ran Skull and Shackles.