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Finger Of Death

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Finger Of Death
  • Level: 7
  • School: Necromancy
  • Class: Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
  • Casting Time: Action
  • Range: 60 feet
  • Components: V, S
  • Duration: Instantaneous

You unleash negative energy toward a creature you can see within range. The target makes a Constitution saving throw, taking 7d8+30 Necrotic damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one.

A Humanoid killed by this spell rises at the start of your next turn as a Zombie (see "Monsters") that follows your verbal orders.

Tactical Usage​

Necrotic Devastation: Finger of Death provides massive single-target damage with undead creation potential. This 7th-level necromancy spell excels at eliminating priority targets and creating undead minions.

Optimal Timing: Deploy against key enemies, when single-target elimination is crucial, or when undead creation provides tactical advantage.

Resource Management: Uses a 7th-level spell slot - available from character level 13+. Instantaneous effect with potential permanent undead creation.

Target Selection: Single creature within 60 feet. Constitution save for half damage, potential zombie creation on death.

Spell Combinations​

Synergistic Spells:

  • Damage Enhancement: Combine with vulnerability effects to maximize necrotic damage
  • Control Magic: Layer with hold spells to guarantee hits against high-Constitution targets
  • Necromancy Magic: Pair with animate dead for comprehensive undead army building

Class Feature Interactions:

  • Spell Save DC: Higher spellcasting ability improves success against target saves
  • Necromancy Focus: Wizards specializing in necromancy gain enhanced death magic effectiveness
  • Undead Mastery: Features that enhance undead control complement zombie creation

Multi-Caster Coordination: Multiple necromancers can eliminate different targets and build undead armies.

Material Component Details​

Component Acquisition: No material components required - pure necromantic death magic.

Component Handling: Simple V, S casting represents channeling death energy directly.

Roleplay Opportunities: Different death manifestations reflect necromantic traditions or death deity connections.

Economic Considerations: No costs make this economically viable for high-level elimination and undead creation.

Creator Notes​

Encounter Balancing: Massive damage (7d8+30) and undead creation dramatically affect encounter balance.

NPC Usage: High-level necromancers, liches, or death clerics might use this for elimination and army building.

Environmental Considerations: 60-foot range allows tactical positioning. Zombie creation provides permanent minions.

Campaign Integration: Ultimate necromantic magic for high-level encounters requiring elimination and undead themes.

Environmental Interactions​

Terrain Effects: 60-foot range allows tactical positioning across most encounter areas.

Weather Influence: Unaffected by weather conditions, providing reliable death magic regardless of environment.

Structural Interactions: Line of sight required for targeting. Zombie creation works in any environment.

Elemental Interactions: Necrotic damage bypasses most resistances and affects most creature types.

Common Rulings & Clarifications​

Timing Questions: Action casting time with instantaneous effect. Zombie creation immediate if target dies.

Target Limitations: Single creature within 60 feet. Constitution save for half damage.

Duration Interactions: Instantaneous damage. Zombie creation permanent until destroyed.

Mechanical Interactions: 7d8+30 base damage. Target killed by spell rises as zombie under your control.

Alternative Applications​

Non-Combat Uses: Intimidation displays, undead army building, demonstrating ultimate necromantic power, or death magic research.

Social Encounters: Ultimate intimidation through death magic, demonstrating necromantic authority, or supernatural negotiations.

Exploration Applications: Creating undead scouts, eliminating powerful guardians, or building exploration assistance.

Utility Functions: Undead creation, ultimate intimidation, necromantic demonstration, or death magic mastery.

Same School: Other necromancy spells like inflict wounds (1st level touch damage), harm (6th level necrotic damage), circle of death (6th level area necromancy).

Similar Effects: disintegrate (6th level massive damage), harm (6th level necrotic damage), power word kill (9th level instant death).

Progression Options: Early necromancy spells, finger of death (7th level ultimate necromancy), power word kill (9th level instant death).

Complementary Magic: animate dead (undead creation), hold person (guarantee targeting), counterspell (prevent enemy responses).

Scaling Analysis​

Level Progression: Ultimate necromantic damage for highest-level play (13+) where elimination and undead creation are valuable.

Upcast Benefits: Additional 1d8 damage per slot level above 7th increases elimination potential.

Campaign Phases: Most valuable in high-level campaigns where powerful enemies require ultimate necromantic solutions.

Comparative Value: Exceptional damage magic that justifies 7th-level slot for elimination plus undead creation.

Narrative Flavor​

Casting Description: Dark energy gathers at your fingertip as you point at the target, channeling pure death magic through necromantic force.

Effect Manifestation: A beam of crackling negative energy strikes the target as life force drains away, potentially leaving an undead husk.

Personal Style: Necromancers channel calculated death magic, while death clerics manifest divine necromantic authority through deathly power.

World Integration: Represents ultimate necromantic magic available only to death specialists, often associated with necromantic mastery, undead armies, or death magic traditions.