Necromancy • Ninth-Circle Witch Magic
Suffocation, Mass
Suffocation, Mass withdraws breath from several living creatures at once. In Pathfinder 1e this ninth-level Witch and Sorcerer/Wizard spell uses the single-target Suffocation spell’s repeated Fortitude saves but lasts one round per caster level rather than three rounds. This is not an official 2024, 2014 or D&D 3.5e core spell under this name.
Suffocation, Mass at a Glance
| 5.5e / 2024 | No spell named Suffocation, Mass in SRD 5.2.1 |
|---|---|
| 5e / 2014 | No core spell by this name |
| Pathfinder 1e | Witch 9, Sorcerer/Wizard 9; 1 creature per 2 levels, prolonged duration |
| D&D 3.5e | No core SRD spell under this name |
Spell Rules by Edition
Suffocation, Mass — D&D 2024
Status: this named spell does not appear in SRD 5.2.1. The Pathfinder suffocation progression and Fortitude saving throws are not fifth-edition mechanics.
Suffocation, Mass — D&D 2014
Status: the 2014 core spell list has no spell by this exact name. Use any modern respiratory or necromantic effects on their own terms rather than importing this Pathfinder ritual.
Suffocation, Mass — Pathfinder 1e
| School | Necromancy |
|---|---|
| Level | Sorcerer/Wizard 9, Witch 9 |
| Components | V, S, M: a vial holding some of the caster’s breath |
| Casting Time | 1 standard action |
| Range | Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) |
| Targets | One living creature per two caster levels; no two farther than 30 feet apart |
| Duration | 1 round/level |
| Saving Throw | Fortitude partial |
| Spell Resistance | Yes |
Each creature makes the initial Fortitude saving throw. On success it is staggered for one round; on failure the spell extracts its breath and begins the original Suffocation progression. Affected creatures can attempt saving throws in later rounds to delay the next stage. Under the underlying spell a failed initial save leads to unconsciousness and 0 hit points on the next turn, then dying at −1 hit points, then death unless successive saves delay those steps. Merely holding one’s breath does not protect a target that failed the initial save.
Mass difference: the effect lasts one round per caster level, creating additional rounds in which the subject may be forced to attempt saves. Its multiple-target restriction must be applied as written.
Source: Pathfinder 1e Advanced Player’s Guide — Suffocation and Suffocation, Mass.
Suffocation, Mass — D&D 3.5e
Status: the published Pathfinder spell does not appear by this name in the D&D 3.5e SRD. Do not assume its Fortitude sequence and class list are an official 3.5e conversion.
What Changed Between Editions?
The legacy Witch archive links to a published Pathfinder spell, not a modern fifth-edition equivalent. Its longer duration and multiple targets make it distinct from the 5th-level Pathfinder Suffocation spell.
Using Suffocation, Mass in Play
This is a grim escalation spell for powerful necromancers. The GM should track each target separately: initial resistance, later saving throws, the progression of any victims that fail and the total number of rounds remaining. The scene is more playable when these stages remain visible to everyone affected.
Counterplay and Rulings
- Eligible creatures: living creatures must require breathing. Use the actual target limit and spacing.
- Fortitude: an initial success only staggers the subject for one round; each subsequent failure progresses the ongoing effect.
- Magic: spell resistance may negate the initial spell effect. An appropriate counterspell can prevent its casting, and anti-necromancy or dispelling works by Pathfinder’s original rules.
- Holding breath: holding one’s breath cannot override the spell’s specific extraction of air.
Preserved Original Legacy Reference
Read the original Pathfinder Witch table and copyright notice
Suffocation, Mass
This spell functions as suffocation except as noted above.
| Suffocation, Mass |
| School necromancy; Level Sorcerer, Wizard 9, Witch 9; Domain murder 9 |
| EFFECT |
| Targets one living creature/2 levels (no two of which may be more than 30 feet apart) Duration 1 round/level |
| DESCRIPTION |
| Note that the duration of this spell is much longer, forcing those suffering from the effect to make far more Fortitude saves to stave off eventual suffocation. |
Section 15: Copyright Notice – Advanced Player’s Guide
Advanced Player’s Guide. Copyright 2010, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn.
Related Magic
Mythical Context
Typhon, a monstrous force opposed by Zeus in Greek myth, is associated with terrifying winds and destructive upheaval. A spell that denies breath to an entire company can borrow that atmosphere of the air itself turning hostile. See the collected Greek accounts of Typhon.
Historical Context
Medical and magical texts from ancient Egypt included practices intended to protect the body from illness and danger. A second-century CE papyrus from Oxyrhynchus has been read as a charm against fever or for favour; it does not document causing or curing magical suffocation. See the British Museum’s Oxyrhynchus magical papyrus.
Rules Sources and Licensing
Pathfinder Advanced Player’s Guide (2010), Paizo Publishing, LLC. Pathfinder mechanics are Open Game Content under OGL v1.0a. The original source notice is preserved above; modern-edition panels are status notes only.
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