More Power Word spells for 5e PEACH

[Ninja_Prawn]

I really like the idea of the Power Word family of spells - verbal-only spells with no save allowed strikes me as being the ultimate embodiment of "telling the laws of physics to sit down and shut up". Of course, that makes them hard to balance, and I'm not surprised that when I looked up similar spells from previous editions, all I found was people complaining about how broken they were.

I thought I'd have a go at re-writing them for 5e. My main aim here is to make sure they're at the right spell levels; if you have any thoughts, please share them!

Power Word: Annihilate UPDATED!
9^th-level transmutation

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V
Duration: Instantaneous

You utter a word of extreme and terrible power that can completely destroy one creature, object or creation of magical force you can see within range. If the creature or object you choose has 150 hit points or fewer, it dies or is destroyed. Otherwise, the spell has no effect.
When killed by this spell, a creature and everything it is wearing and carrying, except magic items, are reduced to a pile of fine grey dust. The creature can be restored to life only by means of a True Resurrection or a Wish spell.
This spell automatically disintegrates a Huge or smaller nonmagical object or a creation of magical force. If the target is a Gargantuan or larger object or creation of force, this spell disintegrates a 15-foot-cube portion of it. Magic items are unaffected by this spell.
Regardless of whether this spell has any effect on the target, the amount of energy required to cast it is immense, and very harmful to the caster. When you cast this spell, you take 10d6 psychic damage, which cannot be avoided or resisted in any way.


Power Word: Blind
7^th-level enchantment

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V
Duration: Instantaneous

You speak a word of power that can overwhelm the mind of one creature you can see within range, leaving it blind. If the target has 150 hit points or fewer, it is blinded. Otherwise, the spell has no effect.
The blinded target must make a Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns. On a successful save, this effect ends.


Power Word: Deafen
7^th-level enchantment

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V
Duration: Instantaneous

You speak a word of power that can overwhelm the mind of one creature you can see within range, leaving it deafened. If the target has 150 hit points or fewer, it is deafened. Otherwise, the spell has no effect.
The deafened target must make a Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns. On a successful save, this effect ends.


Power Word: Distract
5^th-level enchantment

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V
Duration: Instantaneous

You speak a word of power that can overwhelm the mind of one creature you can see within range, leaving it distracted. If the target has 200 hit points or fewer, all attacks against the creature have advantage. Otherwise, the spell has no effect.
The distracted target must make a Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns. On a successful save, this effect ends.


Power Word: Fatigue
5^th-level enchantment

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V
Duration: Instantaneous

You speak a word of power that overwhelms the body of one creature you can see within range, leaving it tired and fatigued. The target gains one level of exhaustion.


Power Word: Pain
7^th-level enchantment

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V
Duration: Instantaneous

You speak a word of awful power that can overwhelm the mind of one creature you can see within range, leaving it in intense pain. If the target has 150 hit points or fewer, it is incapacitated. Otherwise, the spell has no effect.
The incapacitated target must make a Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns. On a successful save, this effect ends.


Power Word: Scan NEW!
5^th-level divination

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V
Duration: Instantaneous

You speak a secret word of power that reveals to you details about one creature you can see within range. Choose one of the following pieces of information: armour class, current hit points, damage immunities, damage resistances, damage vulnerabilities, enchantments. The DM must share with you the requested information (enchantments reveals any spells that are currently affecting the target creature, such as Bless or Haste).
If you cast the spell two or more times before finishing your next long rest, there is a cumulative 25 percent chance for each casting after the first that you get an incorrect reading (the DM must still answer the question, but does not have to tell the truth). The DM makes this roll in secret.


Power Word: Sicken
6^th-level enchantment

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V
Duration: Instantaneous

You speak a word of disgusting power that can overwhelm the mind of one creature you can see within range, leaving it sickened. If the target has 150 hit points or fewer, it is poisoned. Otherwise, the spell has no effect.
The sickened target must make a Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns. On a successful save, this effect ends.


Power Word: Silence
7^th-level enchantment

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V
Duration: Instantaneous

You speak a word of power that can overwhelm the mind of one creature you can see within range, leaving it silenced. If the target has 150 hit points or fewer, it is unable to speak or perform the verbal components of spells. Otherwise, the spell has no effect.
The silenced target must make a Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns. On a successful save, this effect ends.

[Pyon]

Looks good! But can I suggest "Power Word: Dance"?

[Ninja_Prawn]

Looks good! But can I suggest "Power Word: Dance"?

To be honest, I'm not sure how that would differ from Otto's Irresistible Dance, except maybe it could specify that instead of "comic" dancing, it makes the target dance an elegant waltz...

[JNAProductions]

What about Power Word: Scan to determine a target's HP?

[Amnoriath]

Power Word Annihilate is way too powerful. Even if you would roll all 6's in the damage to yourself it has 40 more hit points in damage in your favor over Power Word Kill. Instead it should just do a flat 100 points of force damage which bypasses resistance acting like Disintegrate except it can target magical items or larger volumes of objects.

[Ninja_Prawn]

Power Word Annihilate is way too powerful. Even if you would roll all 6's in the damage to yourself it has 40 more hit points in damage in your favor over Power Word Kill. Instead it should just do a flat 100 points of force damage which bypasses resistance acting like Disintegrate except it can target magical items or larger volumes of objects.

Yeah, you're probably right. Let's see... Disintegrate IX averages 105.5 damage, and since I want to keep the 35 points of 'recoil damage', that adds up to 140. I'm thinking it's probably okay to round up to 150 due to the fact that you have to sacrifice another of your spells learned slots for it, and because when a player reads 10d6, they'll see that as 60 and overestimate the risk.

Targeting magical items might be a bridge too far though...

What about Power Word: Scan to determine a target's HP?

That... actually might be a good idea. It's a bit meta, but if a DM doesn't like it, they can always not use it.

[Pyon]

To be honest, I'm not sure how that would differ from Otto's Irresistible Dance, except maybe it could specify that instead of "comic" dancing, it makes the target dance an elegant waltz...

Power Word: Elegant Waltz
9th-level enchantment

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V
Duration: Instantaneous

You speak a word of power that can overwhelm the mind of one creature you can see within range, leaving it blind. If the target has 200 hit points or fewer, it starts dancing beautifully. Otherwise, the spell has no effect.
The creature cannot stop dancing until it gets a standing ovation.

Sorry for trolling C:

[Amnoriath]

Yeah, you're probably right. Let's see... Disintegrate IX averages 105.5 damage, and since I want to keep the 35 points of 'recoil damage', that adds up to 140. I'm thinking it's probably okay to round up to 150 due to the fact that you have to sacrifice another of your spells learned slots for it, and because when a player reads 10d6, they'll see that as 60 and overestimate the risk.

Targeting magical items might be a bridge too far though...

It is actually about 106.5, but you are still missing the point. It is very unlikely that they will roll damage that will exceed the advantage of this over Power Word Kill on top of its far better versatility.

[Ninja_Prawn]

It is actually about 115.5, but you are still missing the point. It is very unlikely that they will roll damage that will exceed the advantage of this over Power Word Kill on top of its far better versatility.

Is it? 19d6+40=106.5. So I was 1 point out.

Would you rather I took out the object destruction? That's not integral to the spell. I'm pretty sure a PW:K with a higher HP limit but a big chunk of recoil damage is fair. PC hit points are a lot more valuable than monster hit points, after all, and most of the things you're encountering at 17^th level have more than 150 HP.

[Amnoriath]

Is it? 19d6+40=106.5. So I was 1 point out.

Would you rather I took out the object destruction? That's not integral to the spell. I'm pretty sure a PW:K with a higher HP limit but a big chunk of recoil damage is fair. PC hit points are a lot more valuable than monster hit points, after all, and most of the things you're encountering at 17^th level have more than 150 HP.

1. Actually I think that is the more important part. The major issue with this spell is you are hinging on the damage cost to yourself while making everything else a better version of Power Word Kill and for the most part Disintegrate.
2. Yes and no, in 5e pretty much any enemy except maybe an integral BBEG is considered done with when they reach 0. The party though as long as they death saving throws can expend hit die after a short rest. I am not saying it isn't a cost but there is a 2:1 effective hit die ratio of player vs. your typical enemy.
3. Yes, but Power Word Kill only kills things at 100 hit points and still leaves a body otherwise not harmed by the spell.
4. I think there is really only two ways to make this spell balanced and worth it. Either one does flat damage like I described while retaining all of its properties or it only works on non-living entities. Both of them wouldn't have a damage cost to yourself

[Ninja_Prawn]

4. I think there is really only two ways to make this spell balanced and worth it. Either one does flat damage like I described while retaining all of its properties or it only works on non-living entities. Both of them wouldn't have a damage cost to yourself

Does anyone else agree with this? Because the ability to target creatures and recoil damage are both integral to the spell. If it can't be balanced with those things, I may as well delete it.

[JNAProductions]

I don't agree with it. I think it's pretty good as-is.

I'm not the best judge of spells, though, so take my words with a grain of salt.

[L Space]

Hackmaster had quite a few additional Power Word spells, granted several of them were more humorous than they were useful, but they were still fun. Couple of my personal favorites were Power Word: Moon (as in they were compelled to wave their bare bottoms at another target) and Power Word: Somersault, which was always fun to use on enemies crossing bridges or making balance checks .

[Dracomortis]

Both power word: blind and power word: deafen are incredibly weak for their level. Blindness/deafness does basically the same thing for only a 2nd-level spell slot; the only advantage the two Power Word spells have is that they (theoretically) last indefinitely, but since they still allow for a new save every round they're not likely to last longer than the 1 minute of blindness/deafness.

[Ninja_Prawn]

Both power word: blind and power word: deafen are incredibly weak for their level. Blindness/deafness does basically the same thing for only a 2nd-level spell slot; the only advantage the two Power Word spells have is that they (theoretically) last indefinitely, but since they still allow for a new save every round they're not likely to last longer than the 1 minute of blindness/deafness.

I wondered if that might be the case, but then no one else complained...

The main advantage, as I see it, is not the duration, but the fact that you get no save at all for the first round. Cast spell, BOOM, you're blind. In most situations, it's only the first two or three rounds that matter anyway, so the 'save ends' is less bad than it looks.

Just curious: do you consider the PHB version of Power Word: Stun underpowered for its level? That was my benchmark for most of this homebrew.

[McNinja]

Power Word Annihilate is way too powerful. Even if you would roll all 6's in the damage to yourself it has 40 more hit points in damage in your favor over Power Word Kill. Instead it should just do a flat 100 points of force damage which bypasses resistance acting like Disintegrate except it can target magical items or larger volumes of objects.

Sorry, but this is absurd. It is a 9th level spell. It should be ending encounters. The current power word kill is too weak, this would be a good replacement or upgrade.

Forget Disintegrate, how much damage does Meteor Swarm do again? Like 140 on average? In a HUGE radius? 150 on a single target is fine.

[Dracomortis]

I wondered if that might be the case, but then no one else complained...

The main advantage, as I see it, is not the duration, but the fact that you get no save at all for the first round. Cast spell, BOOM, you're blind. In most situations, it's only the first two or three rounds that matter anyway, so the 'save ends' is less bad than it looks.

Just curious: do you consider the PHB version of Power Word: Stun underpowered for its level? That was my benchmark for most of this homebrew.

I missed the fact that they don't allow an initial saving throw. That helps a little, but I would still argue they're underpowered. I consider power word: stun decent because the stunned condition is so powerful at any level of play, and there aren't a lot of ways for players to reliably inflict it. The problem with the blinded/deafened conditions is that you can often achieve the same penalties with much lower-level spell slots, some of which effectively allow no save as well:

Silence (2nd-level) deafens everyone inside the area with no save (although they can move out to end the condition). If you're trying to suppress some loud noise you're about to make (breaking a door, running across broken glass, etc.), using silence on yourself/the object is significantly better than deafening the nearby listener, because they won't notice a sudden lack of sound.

Darkness (also 2nd-level) effectively blinds with no save, and you can cast it on a target's armor or clothing to ensure they can't easily get out of the area. It can screw over your party members too, which sucks, but that's the drawback to area spells.

Power word deafen and power word blind have some advantages over those spells, but I don't think they warrant a spell slot 5 levels higher. I would suggest combining them into a single spell that lets you pick which condition to inflict (like blindness/deafness), and then drop it down a couple of levels (maybe a 5th-level spell?).

[JNAProductions]

Minor nitpick-Darkvision does not let you see through magical darkness. You need Truesight for that, or Devil's Sight.

[Amnoriath]

Sorry, but this is absurd. It is a 9th level spell. It should be ending encounters. The current power word kill is too weak, this would be a good replacement or upgrade.

Forget Disintegrate, how much damage does Meteor Swarm do again? Like 140 on average? In a HUGE radius? 150 on a single target is fine.

1. You are commenting on a comment in which was critiquing a different version of the spell.
2. Not on what you are implying with how Power Word spells typically work. Save DC's are very low in the high levels and while the spells still can make a difference they aren't typically going to end encounters. If they do it is not in the automatic way Power Word spells work. This is quite intentional in the context of Bounded Accuracy to ensure more team play even with high level spells on the table.
3. Meteor Swarm? In the context of the way these spells work? You have not only diminished the largest advantages of the spell but you have also played up some of its most glaring weaknesses. Not only are they common damage types it is an AoE which means Evasion gets half again. Plus not to mention it is numbered damage, not death or be reduced to nothing.

[Dracomortis]

Minor nitpick-Darkvision does not let you see through magical darkness. You need Truesight for that, or Devil's Sight.

Oops, you're right. I misread "A creature with darkvision can't see through this darkness" as "A creature without darkvision can't see through this darkness", which made sense to me because that's effectively how the spell in older editions worked. Edited above post.