Phantasmal Killer

[Nihm]

Rather than instant death, I think this spell would be improved and made more interesting by being not immediately lethal.
 
It is rather bland and feels rather cheap as it is, and probably one of the most disliked spells to die to.
 
Rather than just die, the target could be under a fear effect taking increased amounts of magical damage similar to the drowning system.  They'll still die if alone, but allies can cancel the spell's effects with clarity and offer healing.
 
The damage ought to be pretty steep, and perhaps the reaper animation can be persistent on the target until it dies or is removed.
 
Another idea is to simply change it to a high level summon with trueseeing that has no collision, cannot die, and will focus unerringly on the target of the spell for a certain duration if the saves are failed.
 
Mind spell protection would still block, or at least reduce the effects of both of those.
 
I think changing this spell whichever way would be a good thing.

[lovethesuit]

Not all spells need to be equal.

[Kinslayer988]

Indeed not all spells are equal, as most people claim but people, this is speaking on making certain spells flavorful.
Give it a good look over before the claims some spells are better than others. I myself am irritable when it comes to DC vs Death. Indeed phantasmal killer is a 1 hit KO, can be blocked by PfA and lastly is not interesting.

Truly I want to see spells become more interesting in style rather than a common ice storm, haste, hold person.

[TheImpossibleDream]

If spells were more complex and "interesting" than they already are then even fewer players on the server would be able to mechanically grasp a caster class.

I would not call for more complexity in a class that so few people know how to play effectively.

[BrittanyPanthas]

No thanks. Most of the problems with the spell are caused solely by neutral aligned spellcasters with GSF Illusion. In almost every other circumstance the spell is incredibly well balanced.

[9lives]

I actually quite like the idea of changing it to a summon, possibly brief but powerful.

All the people with GSF: Illusion that we generally see are different flavours of Neutral, mostly TN.

[TakenByVisions]

I like the ideas myself. Some sort of summon with max speed that locks onto the target and has high AB if they fail a save. Duration could be something like 1 round / 2 levels, increased to 1 round / level with GSF illusion or something. :)

[Ebok]

So long as its much much more powerful then a regular summon. I think it's cool too actually, and I just got done playing a NE GSF Illusion wizard. But it also would need to be made immune to the Control Companion tool, it would need to do enough damage that it feels like a death spell worthy of a double save still, and it would need to last a awhile.

Typically, Its easier if you just not use the spell to end people. On subdual ist just an ungraded and horrifying cool Hold person anyway.

[Incorrigible]

Both sound like really cool flavorful ideas! I think I favor the first one more though- fear effect with increasing magic damage. Like maybe 10% first round, then 20%, then 40%, then death. A more dramatic way to be scared to death! *grins impishly*

[AClockworkMelon]

Please don't make it a summon.

Thanks.

[Egon the Monkey]

The lamest spell? Seriously? I can think of worse. Slay Living can only be blocked by Deathward and a touch attack's not hard to make. Drown is a deathspell in all but name, knocking off 90% of the target's Hitpoints in one blow and being unblockable by anything. An Umberlant can have it at L9 and it's Transmutation, a great GSF to have for a Cleric. Compared to those, a spell that is blocked by Mind Immunity or being a Paladin and uses two saves, one of which is Fear is hardly that OP. Most classes have either good Will or good Fort anyway.

I dislike deathspells generally as one hit wonders but they do have a place. Slamming a target with Confusion, Evards, or Extended Hold Person will kill them just as dead when you blast them in the next couple of rounds but the advantage of PhK is it's a fire and forget weapon, a chance to hit something that you don't have the time to stand about battling.  If you could heal someone, it'd just turn into Super Combust, easy to counter by heal spam unless it dealt a lot more than their HP over time. Or it'd be a copy of Infestation of Maggots, but with the weakness of being a Mind spell. If you're damaging them like Drowning, then it strips invis on you as you're escaping. If it's a summon, it'll transition with you and leave the enemy.

So, here's what I suggest, a change to the death system itself, because PhK is the weakest example of a death effect there is. Full Damage Death effects shouldn't kill a PC outright, but instead drop them -6 HP, mortally wounded. On Subdual, it would leave them at +4 HP. This would mean a hit and run attack would leave the victim easily finished with a Magic Missile or melee attack, but allies *could* save them in the next 3 rounds if they were fast. It would make deathspells in DM encounters less of a bolt from the blue and more of an unexpected threat to respond to.

[Drakill Tannan]

Two saves, one being fortitude, means it's likely the spell won't kill if cast once, rather you need to call it 2 or 3 times. Cast Evard's 3 times, or ice storm 3 times and (Without any GSF) you'll kill the PCs too.

It's fine. Leave it please.

[derfo]

As fun as rolling poorly then instantly dying is, I think some of the ideas by Nihm would be pretty cool.

[Keeper of the White Wyrm]

this is an amazing idea. PhK has a "Reaper Summon" could potentially make it an actual illusion worthy of the name instead of a death spell.

[Ideal]

Full Damage Death effects shouldn't kill a PC outright, but instead drop them -6 HP, mortally wounded. On Subdual, it would leave them at +4 HP. This would mean a hit and run attack would leave the victim easily finished with a Magic Missile or melee attack, but allies *could* save them in the next 3 rounds if they were fast. It would make deathspells in DM encounters less of a bolt from the blue and more of an unexpected threat to respond to.

This right here seems pretty cool, if only for the dramatic potential. It might be hard to balance between 'time enough for some last emotes' and 'trivial for a buddy to come stabilize you' though.