Power Word Pain

A
Control

Power Word Pain is a Control spell. Control spells restrict enemy options through debuffs or denial effects.

See all Control spells →
spell that wracks one creature with crippling pain, slowing its movement and undermining its attacks, checks, saves, and spellcasting.

2024 Rules

Level & School
7th-level enchantment
Casting Time
Action
Range
60 feet
Components
V
Duration
1 minute
Classes
Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Source
Arcana Unleashed

You speak a word of power that causes waves of intense pain to assail one creature you can see within range. If the target has 100 Hit Points or fewer, it takes 6d8 Force damage and has the Charmed condition for the duration. Otherwise, it takes 6d8 Force damage only.

While the target is Charmed, its Speed can be no more than 10 feet, and it has Disadvantage on D20 Tests except Constitution saving throws. In addition, when the target tries to cast a spell, it must first succeed on a Constitution saving throw, or the spell dissipates with no effect, and the action, Bonus Action, or Reaction used to cast it is wasted. If that spell was cast with a spell slot, the slot isn't expended.

At the end of each of its turns, the Charmed target makes a Constitution saving throw, ending the spell on itself on a successful save.

2014 Rules

Level & School
7th-level enchantment
Casting Time
Action
Range
60 feet
Components
V
Duration
Instantaneous
Classes
Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Source
Xanathar's Guide to Everything

You speak a word of power that causes waves of intense pain to assail one creature you can see within range. If the target has 100 hit points or fewer, it is subject to crippling pain. Otherwise, the spell has no effect on it. A target is also unaffected if it is immune to being charmed.

While the target is affected by crippling pain, any speed it has can be no higher than 10 feet. The target also has disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws, other than Constitution saving throws. Finally, if the target tries to cast a spell, it must first succeed on a Constitution saving throw, or the casting fails and the spell is wasted.

A target suffering this pain can make a Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns. On a successful save, the pain ends.

Power Word Pain 5.5e 2024 vs. 5e 2014 edition differences

The 2024 version lasts 1 minute and deals 6d8 Force damage to the target regardless of Hit Points. Targets with 100 Hit Points or fewer are Charmed, imposing the pain effects; successful Constitution saves end the spell. Failed spellcasting no longer expends a slot. Now also available to Bards.

How popular is Power Word Pain in 5e?

Power Word Pain is the #18 most popular level 7 spell (of 34) and the #10 most picked level 7 Sorcerer spell (of 16).

Among level 7 spells, Power Word Pain ranks just below Resurrection and just above Transfix in popularity.

Read about how this popularity data is calculated and see Power Word Pain visualized with all 5e spells.

Spells similar to Power Word Pain