My favorite D&D spell — Phantasmal Killer
For a little Monday fun, what's your favorite spell/weapon/tool in an RPG? Doesn't have to be D&D, but since that's the only one I played, mine comes from there.
My favorite character was Anya (strangely enough, I didn't start Buffy until after naming her), a half-elf/half-human battle sorceress. If you're not familiar with the class, a battle sorcerer/ess is a variant of sorcerer who knows fewer spells than a regular sorcerer but has much better battle skills.
The spell was:
Phantasmal Killer(PH p260)
<Ill(phantasm)[fear][mind], VS, 1StdAct, Mediumrange,
WillDisbelief, SR applies>
– The targeted creature sees its worst fear
(though no one else sees anything). If the
target fails its Will save, it must then make a
Fortitude save. If it fails, the target dies. If
successful, the target takes still 3d6 damage.
Isn't it awesome? Just casting the spell means that the target takes a minimum 3d6 of damage. And unless it makes both a Will & a Fortitude save, it dies. It's a kick-ass 4th level spell. My DM used to read it as “The evil wizard looks next to him, screams in terror, and dies of a heart attack.”
I didn't prepare it every time, but it was a lot of fun to cast on the right target.
What's your favorite spell or super-cool weapon/tool?