So, I'm looking through the PDF, feeling happy in general, a bit sad, but understanding at the point of only using two classes and most damage words.
And then... one of the Effect Families is called "Power"... and that had me disliking the entire thing a bit until I got rid of it. So here's to a deep hope that this name gets changed. I can see that the cover the "power word stun/blind/kill" spells, but to be quite honest about it having a character using the Word of Power Stun from the Power family, just feels vague and unclear. I can't see why exactly these spells are grouped together in name normally (okay sure, the blind and stun effect are debilitating, but why is kill in with them?), and to me this gets so much more relevant when grouping the Words of Power in families. When one of them is called "Power" does that one have more power than the other Words of Power.
Just the numbers of times I've had to use the words Power to express this should be annoying enough on it's own. Or I'm just being too much of language student with too much of a love for specifics, details and what-nots in the field of linguistics. I suppose, that is possible, but please, I will have to wonder if the name is final, and if I'm told "no, not final", I think, I'll sleep better.
Apart from that so far liking it.
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Not that they are really... but yes the Power Words (Stun, Blind, Kill) are supposed to be more powerful... kinda... hp limit not withstanding (basically amounting to should an individual get below 100 or whatever hp, they are screwed but this system has very few ways to tell how many hp the monsters or players have left so basically useless OR "I power word blind the commoner... Ha!"), these effects are supposed to represent true power per say... the victim has no saving throw and only immunity to enchantment, compulsion (paladin), or having SR (monk and magic items) will save you... so yeah... despite that Power part they really aren't that powerful. Still... nothing like a Glabrezu using Power Word Stun on the party's Wizard (hey 1d4 rounds of stun is 1D4 ROUNDS SPELL FREE)
But hey they are SUPPOSED to be all powerful. If you really wanted it to be more powerful get rid of the school and the subschool and go with universal (it's not like they need a saving throw increase from Spell Focus)! I mean they ARE the Power Words! -_-
My personal feelings aside, the flavor of those spells/words is that they are "Powerful" and very difficult to defend against! Anyway yeah that's likely why those words are called the Power family.