For obvious reasons, published spells for the Pathfinder Roleplaying game tend to focus on things that are at least modestly likely to be desired results for spellcasters using them at primary or secondary spell slots. That does mean there’s an entire class of spells – effects that for both balance and cosmology reasons require spell slots so high to create brad but minor results that most spellcasters wouldn’t ever either learning or casting – that haven’t ever been explored. I think of these as “big magic,” things that are obviously powerful but that a typical adventuring spellcaster never needs.

What level spell does it take to do one point of damage to everyone within a mile? Ten miles/ 100 miles?

Yet one of the things I have learned is that there are many ways creative players will find to use spells that as a designer or GM, I wouldn’t have thought of. So, sometimes I play with potential big magic, mostly as a thought experiment.

Here are two examples of big magic, built off iconic low-level spells.

Magic Volley

School evocation (force); Level Wizard 6

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S

Range long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)

Area/Targets every creature within a radius of 100 ft. +10 ft./level

Duration instantaneous

Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance yes

You fire one magic missile at every creature within the spell’s area.

Succor All Wounds

School conjuration (healing); Level Cleric 6

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S

Range long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)

Area/Targets every living creature within a radius of 100 ft. +10 ft./level

Duration instantaneous

Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes (harmless)

You heal every living creature in the area of 1d8+5 hit points.

Patreon Exclusive

I included one other example, a 6th level bardic spell conference, as exclusive content over at my blog. Check it out!