New Spell [PEACH, d20 Modern, easily converted]

[Dhavaer]

Snuff
Necromancy [Death]
Level: Arcane 4; Components: S, XP; Casting Time: Attack action; Range: Touch; Target: One humanoid, monstrous humanoid, giant or animal with 6 HD or less; Duration: Instantaneous; Saving Throw: Will Negates; Spell Resistance: Yes

You ease your target into death with the sacrifice of a little of your own essence. The somatic components of this spell are simple, and arcane spell failure is reduced by 10%.
XP: 50xp per hit die of the target. If the target is willing, there is no XP cost, and the HD limit is negated.

[Rei_Jin]

I'd say that is probably balanced for D&D, but I don't know enough about modern to say yes or no.

I'm curious about the wording though, you state that they must have less than 4 hit die. Does that mean in total, at the time of casting, racial hit die, what?

Anywho, let's compare it to other spells for balance.

Cloudkill is the lowest level insta-death spell at level 5, has no XP cost, and affects different hit die differently. However, it is an area affect.

Circle of Death is a level 6 insta-death spell, that has no XP cost but does cost you 500gp in the form of a crushed black pearl. It also is not target specific, but kills the creatures nearest to you and is dependant on dice rolls from you and the other creature's hitdice.

Finger of Death is a level 7 insta-death spell, no XP or material cost, and targets one creature, forcing it to make a save or die.

So, if we use the examples as a guide, IF your spell can insta-kill anything with 4HD or less that fails its will save and is unwilling, at a cost to the caster of 50xp per hitdie regardless of whether the spell suceeds or not, then it is most likely balanced.

I like it though, it has a nice flavor.

[Dhavaer]

4HD total. I suppose it might be possible to use negative levels to alter it, I haven't read the wording of negative levels for a while.
And spells balanced in D&D are most likely balanced in Modern.
Except Fly, for some reason.

[Rei_Jin]

If you have it worded so that it works for creature with less than xx hitpoints total, they then make a will save or die, it would work.

Just make the xx low, something like 25+Caster Level.

At level 7 (when you would get the spell in D&D) anything with less than 32 hitpoints then has to make a will save or die. Your casters aren't too likely to fail (and they're the ones likely to have a low hitpoint total) and if your meatshield has that few hitpoints, he's not a very good meatshield, is he?

I'd call it Power Word : Snuff, to fit it in with the other power word spells. They work off a number of hit points as well.

[Dhavaer]

I don't see it as being much easier to use on a wounded person than a healthy one, so I prefer using HD than hit points.
You get the spell at 7th level in Modern, by the way.

And a Power Word without a verbal component would be an interesting spell...

[Cubey]

Actually there is already an instant death spell on 4th level - Phantasmal Killer.

Let's compare:

Snuff - requires will saving throw, costs XP, works on creatures only with 4HD or less. Range: touch. Does it require a touch attack?

PK (interesting abbrevation) - requires will and fortitude saving throws, on rare occasions can be turned against you. Range: medium.

I'd say it's balanced.

And a Power Word without a verbal component would be an interesting spell...

It's just one word! ONE WORD! *gets shot for bad puns*

[Dhavaer]

It does require a touch attack. I might put in that the somatic component is simple enough that you can make a bluff or sleight of hand check to mask what you're doing.
Any comments or suggestions on this?

[idksocrates]

all powerwords are at least 7th level. There shouldn't be a "less powerful" power word, especially since "Power word: KIll" already exists.

Anyway, the hit dice limit may actually be kinda low. 4 HD will only really kill creatures that already aren't particularly threatening to you in first place.

Meh, if all you want to do is not have to waste much resources on small fries, its still pretty good. What might be a good idea is to add +1 to max hitdice for every 3 additional caster level. (I believe that maxes out to 8HD at 19 or 20).

Do Bards get this spell?

[Dhavaer]

There aren't any bards to get it. And it would cap at 6HD, at CL 15.
I started thinking it was rather low too. Maybe I'll increase it to 6HD.

[Rei_Jin]

Heck, have it work on creatures up to half your caster level rounded down. At level 7 it starts at 3, and if the max caster level is 15 that maxes it at 7 hit die of slaying.

Nice, simple, and ramps up with you in level.

[Cubey]

I think it's supposed to be a non-battle spell. Something to

ease your target into death

Think euthanasia. Also, the sleight of hand suggestion makes it a good silent killer spell against wimpy targets, if you can get close to them. Like a killer shot - only it's instant, so it may cause problems for the assassin if it's on public.

[Dhavaer]

But an autopsy will find nothing more than a stopped heart, or so I imagine. Suspicious, maybe, but far from incriminating.
What do you think someone killed by death magic would look like?

[Rei_Jin]

In this case, their heart just stopped for no appearant raisin (hehe, go Futurama)

Going by DM's discretion, they may have a mark where they were touched by the spell, something like a small black cross or the like...

[Cubey]

True. So it's even more handy - also I doubt many politicians or whomever the party wants assassinated have more than 4HD. Of course I could be wrong, I am no expert at Modern D20.

[Dhavaer]

Average person has about 2-4 hit dice. An important politician will probably have 6-10.
I think I will increase it to 6HD. Make it equal to the mid-level NPCs.