Index of Spells by Descriptor - Death

Name
School Casting Time Source Book
Save - Res Level Comps
Dur Range Recharge
Effect
Expensive Focus
Expensive Material
XP Cost
Description
Full Description
Arrow of Bone (M)
    SPC
  Sor/Wiz 7  
    General

Creates a killer missile or thrown weapon, or deals 3d6 +1 (max +20) damage on successful save.

Avascular Mass
    SPC
  Deathbound 8, Sor/Wiz 8  
    General

Reduce foe to half hp and stun foe for 1 round by purging blood vessels, which can trap creatures in 20-ft. radius from victim.

Avasculate
    SPC
  Deathbound 7, Sor/Wiz 7  
    General

Reduce foe to half hp and stun foe for 1 round by purging blood vessels.

Black Lightning
Evocation [Electricity] [Negative] [Death] [Evil] 1 standard action seankreynolds.com
Reflex half - Yes Sor/Wiz 2 V, S, M
Instant Close General
Target: One creature

Ray that deals 1d6/2 levels (Max 10d6) damage, half of which is Electrical energy and the other half is Negative energy.

You launch crackling black lightning at the target creature, dealing 1d6 points of damage per 2 caster levels (maximum 10d6). Half the damage is electricity damage, but the rest is evil energy from the lower planes which is not affected by resistance to electricity (evil creatures, creatures native to evil planes, and creatures immune to death effects are not affected by the profane energy).

Bodak's Glare (F)
    SPC
  Arc 8, Clr 8  
    General

You slay a creature, which turns into a bodak 24 hours later.

Circle of Death (M)
Necromancy [Death] 1 standard action SRD
Fortitude negates - Yes Arc 6, Blg 6, Sor/Wiz 6, Wmg 6 V, S, M
Instant Medium General
Area: Several living creatures within a 40-ft.-radius burst
Materials: The powder of a crushed black pearl with a minimum value of 500 gp.

Kills 1d4/level HD of creatures.

A circle of death snuffs out the life force of living creatures, killing them instantly.

The spell slays 1d4 HD worth of living creatures per caster level (maximum 20d4). Creatures with the fewest HD are affected first; among creatures with equal HD, those who are closest to the bursts point of origin are affected first. No creature of 9 or more HD can be affected, and Hit Dice that are not sufficient to affect a creature are wasted.

Consumptive Field
    SPC
  Arc 4, Clr 4  
    General

Draw life from all creatures in 30-ft. radius with -1 or fewer hit points that fail save.

Greater Consumptive Field
    SPC
  Arc 7, Clr 7  
    General

Draw life from all creatures in 30-ft. radius with 9 or fewer hit points that fail save.

Death by Thorns
    Book of Vile Darkness
  Corrupt 7  
    General

Up to three creatures die in 1d4 rounds or are incapacitated, taking 4d6 damage.

Death Hail
    Frostburn
  Arc 6, Drd 6, Winter 6  
    General

Summons a storm of death hail dealing 1d2 points of Strength and Constitution damage.

Death Knell
Necromancy [Death] [Ectomancy] [Evil] 1 standard action SRD
Will negates - Yes Arc 2, Blg 2, Blk 1, Clr 2, Death 2, DrgBlw 2, Sin-G 2 V, S
Instant/10 minutes per HD of subject; see text Touch General
Target: Living creature touched

Kills dying creature; you gain 1d8 temporary hp, +2 to Str, and +1 level.

You draw forth the ebbing life force of a creature and use it to fuel your own power. Upon casting this spell, you touch a living creature that has -1 or fewer hit points. If the subject fails its saving throw, it dies, and you gain 1d8 temporary hit points and a +2 bonus to Strength. Additionally, your effective caster level goes up by +1, improving spell effects dependent on caster level. (This increase in effective caster level does not grant you access to more spells.) These effects last for 10 minutes per HD of the subject creature.

Destruction (F)
Necromancy [Death] 1 standard action SRD
Fortitude partial - Yes Arc 7, Clr 7, Death 7, Repose 7, Slime 7 V, S, F
Instant Close General
Target: One creature
Focus: A special holy (or unholy) symbol of silver marked with verses of anathema (cost 500 gp).

Kills subject and destroys remains.

This spell instantly slays the subject and consumes its remains (but not its equipment and possessions) utterly. If the target's Fortitude saving throw succeeds, it instead takes 10d6 points of damage. The only way to restore life to a character who has failed to save against this spell is to use true resurrection, a carefully worded wish spell followed by resurrection, or miracle.

Field of Ghouls
    SPC
  Hunger 7  
    General

Transform dying creatures into ghouls.

Finger of Death
Necromancy [Death] 1 standard action SRD
Fortitude partial - Yes Arc 6, Blg 6, Drd 8, Sor/Wiz 7, Wmg 7 V, S
Instant Close General
Target: One living creature

Kills one subject.

You can slay any one living creature within range. The target is entitled to a Fortitude saving throw to survive the attack. If the save is successful, the creature instead takes 3d6 points of damage +1 point per caster level (maximum +25).

The subject might die from damage even if it succeeds on its saving throw.

Ghost Storm
    Far Corners of the World
  Arc 5, Clr 5, Sor/Wiz 5  
    General

Save and become Frightened or fail and gain a temporary negative level, per round. Levels return at the rate of 1 per minute. More nastiness.

Ghoul Gauntlet
    Libris
  Hunger 5, Sor/Wiz 6  
    General

Convert victim to a ghoul under your control.

Gutwrench
    Book of Vile Darkness
  Sor/Wiz 8  
    General

Kills subject and gives you 4d6 temporary hit points and +4 Strength.

Heart Ripper
    SPC
  Asn 4, Wuj 4  
    General

Slay a creature with HD totaling up to your caster level or less. Stun him if more.

Incorporeal Nova
    SPC
  Arc 5, Clr 5, Sor/Wiz 6  
    General

Destroy incorporeal undead.

Last Judgment
    Book of Exalted Deeds
  Arc 8, Clr 8, Sor/Wiz 8, Wrath 8  
    General

Evil creatures are struck dead and sent to Lower Planes.

Mark of Death
    BoEM
  Sor/Wiz 8  
    6 hours

See Text

Necrosurgery
    Dragon 326
  Sor/Wiz 0  
    General

Grants +2 bonus to resist disease.

Opalescent Glare
    Planar Handbook
  Arc 5, Clr 5, Sor/Wiz 5  
    General

Kill evil creatures with a look, or make them very afraid.

Power Word Kill
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Death] [Mind-Affecting] 1 standard action SRD
None - Yes Beguiler 9, Darkness 9, Orc 9, Sor/Wiz 9, War 9, Wuj 9 V
Instant Close General
Target: One living creature with 100 hp or less

Kills one creature with 100 hp or less.

You utter a single word of power that instantly kills one creature of your choice, whether the creature can hear the word or not. Any creature that currently has 101 or more hit points is unaffected by power word kill.

Righteous Glare
    Book of Exalted Deeds
  Arc 7, Clr 7, Sor/Wiz 7  
    General

Your gaze attack kills evil creatures with less than 5 HD, causes fear in others.

Slay Living
Necromancy [Death] [Ectomancy] 1 standard action SRD
Fortitude partial - Yes Arc 5, Clr 5, Death 5, DrgBlw 5, Repose 5 V, S
Instant Touch General
Target: Living creature touched

Touch attack kills subject.

You can slay any one living creature. You must succeed on a melee touch attack to touch the subject, and it can avoid death with a successful Fortitude save. If it succeeds, it instead takes 3d6 points of damage +1 point per caster level.

Symbol of Death (M)
Necromancy [Death] [Ectomancy] 10 minutes SRD
Fortitude negates - Yes Arc 8, Clr 8, Sor/Wiz 8, Wuj 8 V, S, M
See text 0 ft.; see text General
Effect: One symbol
Materials: Mercury and phosphorus, plus powdered diamond and opal with a total value of at least 5,000 gp each.

Triggered rune slays nearby creatures.

This spell allows you to scribe a potent rune of power upon a surface. When triggered, a symbol of death slays one or more creatures within 60 feet of the symbol (treat as a burst) whose combined total current hit points do not exceed 150. The symbol of death affects the closest creatures first, skipping creatures with too many hit points to affect. Once triggered, the symbol becomes active and glows, lasting for 10 minutes per caster level or until it has affected 150 hit points worth of creatures, whichever comes first. Any creature that enters the area while the symbol of death is active is subject to its effect, whether or not that creature was in the area when it was triggered. A creature need save against the symbol only once as long as it remains within the area, though if it leaves the area and returns while the symbol is still active, it must save again.

Until it is triggered, the symbol of death is inactive (though visible and legible at a distance of 60 feet). To be effective, a symbol of death must always be placed in plain sight and in a prominent location. Covering or hiding the rune renders the symbol of death ineffective, unless a creature removes the covering, in which case the symbol of death works normally.

As a default, a symbol of death is triggered whenever a creature does one or more of the following, as you select: looks at the rune; reads the rune; touches the rune; passes over the rune; or passes through a portal bearing the rune. Regardless of the trigger method or methods chosen, a creature more than 60 feet from a symbol of death can't trigger it (even if it meets one or more of the triggering conditions, such as reading the rune). Once the spell is cast, a symbol of death's triggering conditions cannot be changed.

In this case, reading the rune means any attempt to study it, identify it, or fathom its meaning. Throwing a cover over a symbol of death to render it inoperative triggers it if the symbol reacts to touch. You cant use a symbol of death offensively; for instance, a touch-triggered symbol of death remains untriggered if an item bearing the symbol of death is used to touch a creature. Likewise, a symbol of death cannot be placed on a weapon and set to activate when the weapon strikes a foe.

You can also set special triggering limitations of your own. These can be as simple or elaborate as you desire. Special conditions for triggering a symbol of death can be based on a creatures name, identity, or alignment, but otherwise must be based on observable actions or qualities. Intangibles such as level, class, Hit Dice, and hit points dont qualify.

When scribing a symbol of death, you can specify a password or phrase that prevents a creature using it from triggering the effect. Anyone using the password remains immune to that particular runes effects so long as the creature remains within 60 feet of the rune. If the creature leaves the radius and returns later, it must use the password again.

You also can attune any number of creatures to the symbol of death, but doing this can extend the casting time. Attuning one or two creatures takes negligible time, and attuning a small group (as many as ten creatures) extends the casting time to 1 hour. Attuning a large group (as many as twenty-five creatures) takes 24 hours. Attuning larger groups takes proportionately longer. Any creature attuned to a symbol of death cannot trigger it and is immune to its effects, even if within its radius when triggered. You are automatically considered attuned to your own symbols of death, and thus always ignore the effects and cannot inadvertently trigger them.

Read magic allows you to identify a symbol of death with a DC 19 Spellcraft check. Of course, if the symbol of death is set to be triggered by reading it, this will trigger the symbol.

A symbol of death can be removed by a successful dispel magic targeted solely on the rune. An erase spell has no effect on a symbol of death. Destruction of the surface where a symbol of death is inscribed destroys the symbol but also triggers it.

Symbol of death can be made permanent with a permanency spell. A permanent symbol of death that is disabled or that has affected its maximum number of hit points becomes inactive for 10 minutes, then can be triggered again as normal.

Note: Magic traps such as symbol of death are hard to detect and disable. A rogue (only) can use the Search skill to find a symbol of death and Disable Device to thwart it. The DC in each case is 25 + spell level, or 33 for symbol of death.

Wail of the Banshee
Necromancy [Sonic] [Death] [Ectomancy] 1 standard action SRD
Fortitude negates - Yes Death 9, Deathbound 9, Hatred 9, Repose 9, Sor/Wiz 9, Wmg 9 V
Instant Close General
Area: One living creature/level within a 40-ft.-radius spread

Kills one creature/level.

You emit a terrible scream that kills creatures that hear it (except for yourself). Creatures closest to the point of origin are affected first.