# What was WoTC thinking!?!?!?!  Power Word Pain



## Boss (Sep 26, 2006)

This may have been discussed before, and if so, I apologize.  One of my friends was telling me about the penultimate spell for Sorcerers and Wizards, Power Word: Pain from Races of the Dragon.  This spell is ridiculous!  If I were to throw this at my players, they would not stand a chance.

It is a 1st level spell with no save.  If you have less than 100 HP then you are affected.  It does 1d6 points per round for a number of rounds depending on your max hit points.  At 50 hit points and less, the effect lasts for 4d4 rounds.  Thats 4d4 rounds at 1d6 points of damage each round without a save!!

Has anyone seen an errata on this, please tell me there is one.  If not, it is definitely getting house ruled in my game.


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## Cedric (Sep 26, 2006)

I don't have access to that book, for the sake of this discussion, could you post pertinent details about the spell?


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## diaglo (Sep 26, 2006)

Cedric said:
			
		

> I don't have access to that book, for the sake of this discussion, could you post pertinent details about the spell?




i don't have it with me currently either.

but if it is lvl 1 as the OP states that is messed up.

all the other power word spells run from lvl 7 to 9.


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## Artoomis (Sep 26, 2006)

Boss said:
			
		

> ...It is a 1st level spell with no save.  If you have less than 100 HP then you are affected.  It does 1d6 points per round for a number of rounds depending on your max hit points.  At 50 hit points and less, the effect lasts for 4d4 rounds.  Thats 4d4 rounds at 1d6 points of damage each round without a save!!
> 
> Has anyone seen an errata on this, please tell me there is one.  If not, it is definitely getting house ruled in my game.




The thing to compare it to is Magic Missle.

It looks to me like this is WAY more powerful at low levels.

MM maxes out at 5d4+5.  Average 16.5  
4d4 rounds of d6 = average 10 rounds of 3.5 each round or 35 points of damage (average).

That definately seesm out of whack.

Are we missing something from the spell description?


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## Ambrus (Sep 26, 2006)

I noticed the spell and, although I don't have the book with me, the OP is correct about the details IIRC. The only balancing factor is that it requires a fair bit of time to deal all that damage while magic missile deals all its damage up front. Still, if you're able to last long enough for it to play through then victory for low level casters is almost certain. :\


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## HeapThaumaturgist (Sep 26, 2006)

IIRC, that spell IS errata'd.  They switched the levels on it and Shadow Word ... Nausea or something?  A 4th level spell.

Look through there for a 4th level spell you'd never think of casting.  That one should have been 1st level.  SWP is supposed to be 4th level ... where it goes from being totally broken to totally forgettable.

--fje


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## Infiniti2000 (Sep 26, 2006)

As you might imagine, this spell has been discussed before.

Rules

I was performing a search of the RPG forum where I think Mike Mearls responded, but the server crapped out on me.


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## Aaron L (Sep 26, 2006)

Not to be a jerk or anything, but penultimate means next to best (actually, next to last).  Like 2nd place.


Sorry,  but too many people use that word incorrectly. And now you can correct someone you hear use it wrong.  Together, we can all make the world a grammatically safe place for you and me.


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## Boss (Sep 26, 2006)

Aaron L said:
			
		

> Not to be a jerk or anything, but penultimate means next to best (actually, next to last).  Like 2nd place.
> 
> 
> Sorry,  but too many people use that word incorrectly. And now you can correct someone you hear use it wrong.  Together, we can all make the world a grammatically safe place for you and me.




JER... heh.  Not a problem, and now my group has yet another reason to hate me besides throwing them to the wolves (or Warforged Titans as just happened in my campaign)... I get to correct them on their grammar!  Thanks ya'll!!!!!!!   

(what can I say, I'm from Texas)


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## Artoomis (Sep 26, 2006)

Aaron L said:
			
		

> Not to be a jerk or anything, but penultimate means next to best (actually, next to last).  Like 2nd place.
> 
> 
> Sorry,  but too many people use that word incorrectly. And now you can correct someone you hear use it wrong.  Together, we can all make the world a grammatically safe place for you and me.




Well, what do you know.  Second from the last.

I learned something today.

Thanks.


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## Drowbane (Sep 26, 2006)

Boss said:
			
		

> This may have been discussed before, and if so, I apologize.  One of my friends was telling me about the penultimate spell for Sorcerers and Wizards, Power Word: Pain from Races of the Dragon.  This spell is ridiculous!  If I were to throw this at my players, they would not stand a chance.
> 
> It is a 1st level spell with no save.  If you have less than 100 HP then you are affected.  It does 1d6 points per round for a number of rounds depending on your max hit points.  At 50 hit points and less, the effect lasts for 4d4 rounds.  Thats 4d4 rounds at 1d6 points of damage each round without a save!!
> 
> Has anyone seen an errata on this, please tell me there is one.  If not, it is definitely getting house ruled in my game.




favored spell of (DM run) Kobold Sorcerers everywhere!


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## Hypersmurf (Sep 26, 2006)

Artoomis said:
			
		

> Well, what do you know.  Second from the last.
> 
> I learned something today.




Then 'antepenultimate' should _blow your mind_, man!

-Hyp.


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## Venator (Sep 26, 2006)

The thing about it is that its a terrible spell in combat.

Damage / round spells are pretty terrible in D&D.  PC's would almost never slot this, and would be wasting an action to cast it in almost every case.

Its a decent mook spell when you are specifically trying to drain party resources, but its far from over powered or broken.


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## KarinsDad (Sep 26, 2006)

Hypersmurf said:
			
		

> Then 'antepenultimate' should _blow your mind_, man!




Especially in a two man race.


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## el-remmen (Sep 26, 2006)

Here is a version we came up with over on the Aquerra wiki: http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Spell+-+Power+Word+Torment

Special thanks to Ciaran.


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## Nail (Sep 26, 2006)

deleted


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## Plane Sailing (Sep 26, 2006)

I remember a huge debate debunking this spell... which must have been lost in the Great Board Meltdown of '06...

I remember what the consensus was at the time, but I can't prove it


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## Infiniti2000 (Sep 26, 2006)

Plane Sailing said:
			
		

> I remember a huge debate debunking this spell... which must have been lost in the Great Board Meltdown of '06...



 That's probably why I couldn't find it.



			
				Plane Sailing said:
			
		

> I remember what the consensus was at the time, but I can't prove it



 Post it and I'll concur.


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## Moon-Lancer (Sep 27, 2006)

yeah, this spell had bugged me and mad my opinion of wotc drop pritty low. Glad they fixed it. Now i dont know what to think of them.


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## Thanee (Sep 27, 2006)

Artoomis said:
			
		

> I learned something today.




Don't you know Monty Python? The penultimate supper! 

(it's from a sketch about Michelangelo commissioned to paint the last supper, from Live at the Hollywood Bowl (great show, BTW, MP at their best ) and Flying Circus, supposedly).

That's where I learned about that word, anyways... 

Bye
Thanee


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## Cheiromancer (Sep 27, 2006)

Has it actually received errata, or is that just everyone's assumption?


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## mikebr99 (Sep 27, 2006)

Power Word - Pain is supposed to be 4th level and Power Word - Distract is supposed to be 1st. 

Mike


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## Iku Rex (Sep 27, 2006)

Cheiromancer said:
			
		

> Has it actually received errata, ...



No.

See for yourself: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/er/20040125a


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## Cheiromancer (Sep 27, 2006)

Iku Rex said:
			
		

> No.
> 
> See for yourself: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/er/20040125a




I had looked at that, and the FAQ, but I couldn't find anything about Races of the Dragon.  I was wondering if I was looking in the wrong places, or if there was some Sage Advice article that addressed it or something.


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## helium3 (Sep 28, 2006)

It's pretty clear from that list that WoTC is either placing their errata somewhere else, or they're a wee bit behind.


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## Haffrung Helleyes (Sep 28, 2006)

I was the one who started the original Power Word: Pain thread way back then.

It's never been erratta'ed, and the idea that it was a mistake was only an idea propogated by people on these boards, never an official statement by WoTC.

Ken


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