Power Word Kill Spell — 2024, 2014, PF1e & 3.5e
Power Word Kill is a 9th-level killing word. In 2024, a target above the instant-death threshold still takes enormous psychic damage; 2014 and the legacy d20 versions simply fail against creatures with too many Hit Points.
At a Glance
| 2024 | Bard 9, Sorcerer 9, Warlock 9, Wizard 9; 100 HP or fewer dies, otherwise 12d12 Psychic |
|---|---|
| 2014 | Bard 9, Sorcerer 9, Warlock 9, Wizard 9; 100 HP or fewer dies, otherwise no effect |
| Pathfinder 1e | Sorcerer/Wizard 9; living creature with 100 HP or fewer; Spell Resistance applies |
| D&D 3.5e | Sorcerer/Wizard 9, War 9; living creature with 100 HP or fewer |
Choose Your Edition
Power Word Kill — 5.5e / 2024
| Level | 9th |
|---|---|
| School | Enchantment |
| Casting Time | Action |
| Range | 60 feet |
| Components | V |
| Duration | Instantaneous |
| Classes | Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard |
Choose one creature you can see within range. If it has 100 Hit Points or fewer, it dies.
If it has more than 100 Hit Points, it instead takes 12d12 Psychic damage.
There is no saving throw. The 2024 spell therefore always does something to a valid visible creature in range, even when the instant-death threshold is missed.
Power Word Kill — 5e / 2014
| Level | 9th |
|---|---|
| School | Enchantment |
| Casting Time | 1 action |
| Range | 60 feet |
| Components | V |
| Duration | Instantaneous |
| Classes | Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard |
Choose one creature you can see within range. If it has 100 Hit Points or fewer, it dies instantly.
If it has 101 Hit Points or more, the spell has no effect.
That all-or-nothing threshold is the major tactical difference from the 2024 version.
Power Word Kill — Pathfinder 1e
| School | Enchantment (Compulsion) [Death, Mind-Affecting] |
|---|---|
| Level | Sorcerer/Wizard 9 |
| Casting Time | 1 standard action |
| Components | V |
| Range | Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) |
| Target | One living creature with 100 HP or fewer |
| Duration | Instantaneous |
| Saving Throw | None |
| Spell Resistance | Yes |
A living creature with 100 Hit Points or fewer dies if the spell overcomes its Spell Resistance. A creature at 101 Hit Points or more is outside the spell’s valid target threshold.
The target does not need to hear the word.
Power Word Kill — D&D 3.5e
| School | Enchantment (Compulsion) [Death, Mind-Affecting] |
|---|---|
| Level | Sorcerer/Wizard 9, War 9 |
| Casting Time | 1 standard action |
| Components | V |
| Range | Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) |
| Target | One living creature with 100 HP or fewer |
| Duration | Instantaneous |
| Saving Throw | None |
| Spell Resistance | Yes |
The 3.5e spell uses the same classic threshold model as PF1e: a living creature at 100 Hit Points or fewer dies if Spell Resistance does not stop the effect; a creature at 101 or more is unaffected.
The class-list difference is important: D&D 3.5e also grants the spell through the War 9 domain slot.
What Changed?
- 2024: missing the 100-HP death threshold no longer wastes the spell; the target takes 12d12 Psychic damage instead.
- 2014: the spell is all-or-nothing: 100 HP or fewer dies, 101 or more means no effect.
- PF1e / 3.5e: the spell targets living creatures, uses close range, allows Spell Resistance and has no saving throw.
- D&D 3.5e: adds War 9 access; PF1e core does not.
Using Power Word Kill
Know the threshold before committing the slot. In 2014 and the legacy d20 versions, a target above 100 Hit Points turns the spell into a complete loss. In 2024, the fallback psychic damage makes imperfect information less punishing.
Current Hit Points matter. The threshold checks the creature’s present Hit Points, not its normal maximum.
Legacy Spell Resistance matters. PF1e and 3.5e can stop the spell without a saving throw if the target’s Spell Resistance succeeds.
Related Magic
- Power Word Stun — the 8th-level control counterpart.
- Power Word Blind — a legacy lower-level power word.
- Finger of Death — high-level necromantic killing magic with different defenses.
- Bard Spells — fifth-edition Bard access.
- Sorcerer and Wizard Spells — modern and legacy arcane access.
Sources and Licensing
- D&D 2024 Basic Rules — Power Word Kill. SRD 5.2 material is available under CC BY 4.0.
- D&D 2014 Basic Rules — Power Word Kill. SRD 5.1 material is available under CC BY 4.0.
- Pathfinder 1e Core Rulebook — Power Word Kill. Open Game Content under OGL v1.0a.
- D&D 3.5 SRD — Power Word Kill. Open Game Content under OGL v1.0a.
Keep this reference growing
If this page helped with your reading or game, you can support its upkeep or explore the curated books.
Explore the Bookshop — epics, classics and stories behind imagined worlds.