Power word, kill

Power word, kill, formerly known as Xanad's killer. was a powerful conjuration spell that killed one tough subject or many weak ones.

Effects
When earlier versions of power word, kill were uttered, the caster could either kill a single creature with a high amount of physical resilience, or multiple creatures with much less resilience, up to a certain total.

After the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR, the spell was slightly improved, being able to instantly slay a much more robust living creature, but could only affect one at a time.

If power word, kill was cast as an area spell, it killed creatures in a 15-foot-radius (4.5 meters) sphere. It killed only creatures who had less resilience, and only up to certain total of such creatures. The spell affected creatures with the lowest resilience first, and worked up until it reached its limit.

The post-Second Sundering version of the spell could no longer kill multiple targets at once, but could still kill a single creature instantly, provided it was not extremely powerful.

Components
The spell required only a verbal component.

History
The spell was attributed to the Netherese arcanist Xanad in −683 DR and was originally called Xanad's killer.