Pain Magic • Pathfinder Witch Spell
Mass Pain Strike
Mass Pain Strike spreads the debilitating effect of Pain Strike across a group of living creatures. It is a Pathfinder 1e Witch and Sorcerer/Wizard spell; other editions do not gain it automatically.
Mass Pain Strike at a Glance
| 5.5e / 2024 | No spell by this name in SRD 5.2.1 |
|---|---|
| 5e / 2014 | No core spell by this name |
| Pathfinder 1e | Sorcerer/Wizard 5, Witch 5 |
| D&D 3.5e | No core spell by this name |
Spell Rules by Edition
5.5e / 2024
Status: no spell by this name in SRD 5.2.1. Use the current Witch spell list and modern condition rules instead.
5e / 2014
Status: no core spell by this name.
Pathfinder 1e
| School | Evocation [evil, pain] |
|---|---|
| Level | Sorcerer/Wizard 5, Witch 5 |
| Casting Time | 1 standard action |
| Components | V, S |
| Range | Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) |
| Targets | One living creature/level, no two more than 30 ft. apart |
| Duration | 1 round/level (D) |
| Saving Throw | Fortitude negates |
| Spell Resistance | Yes |
Each target suffers the effect of Pain Strike: 1d6 nonlethal damage each round, the sickened condition, and a +4 circumstance bonus on Intimidate checks made by the caster against affected creatures.
D&D 3.5e
Status: no core 3.5e spell by this name.
What Changed?
Mass Pain Strike is a Pathfinder-era spell rather than a universal Witch spell. Fifth edition uses different damage, fear and condition systems, so the Pathfinder mechanics are not imported forward.
Using Mass Pain Strike in Play
The mass version trades single-target focus for action economy. It works best against clustered living enemies that are likely to remain alive for several rounds, allowing the repeated nonlethal damage and sickened condition to matter.
Counters and Limits
- Only living creatures are valid targets.
- A successful Fortitude save negates the effect for that target.
- Spell Resistance applies.
- The 30-foot spacing limit means a widely dispersed group cannot all be caught in one casting.
Related Magic and Tactics
Pain Strike is the single-target Pathfinder spell on which the mass effect is based. Dispel Magic can end ongoing enchantments under the chosen rules, while targets that resist the original casting avoid the effect.
For an adventuring Witch, this spell punishes tightly grouped living opponents. A defender can spread out before combat, use spell resistance where available or rely on the listed Fortitude saving throw. The effect deals nonlethal damage; do not convert it into an instant-death attack or a fifth-edition condition.
Mythical Context
Lyssa, the Greek spirit of fury and frenzy, shows how violent inward suffering can be imagined as a hostile supernatural force. A spell afflicting several opponents at once suggests the terrifying moment when panic moves through an entire gathering. See the collected classical accounts of Lyssa.
Historical Context
A Roman-period Egyptian magical papyrus includes spells for visions, love and a rite explicitly described as causing madness. This demonstrates that harmful enchantments were imagined and written down, not that practitioners could impose a shared combat condition at will. See the British Museum’s London Magical Papyrus.
Rules Sources and Licensing
Pathfinder source: Advanced Player’s Guide. Fifth-edition and D&D 3.5e panels are status notes only.
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