Death Magic

A party of 6 Adventures meet an evil 1^st level wizard with a sleep spell.

Chances of a Total Party Kill:

1^st level Adventurers 2d8=84.39% TPK

2^nd level Adventurers 2d6=72.23% TPK

3^rd level Adventurers 1d6=16.67% TPK

This spell is a problem. There is no saving throw against a sleep spell. A sleep spell is death magic. A wizard that knows sleep is one of the most dangerous encounters a low level party can have. D&D modules B2 "The Keep on the Borderlands", B4 "The Lost City" and B10 "Night's Dark Terror" all have Magic Users with sleep spells.

There have been attempts to limit the deadliness of the sleep spell over the years. Menzner (1983) and The Rules Cyclopedia (1991) limit sleep spells to a 40x40 ft  area. The miniature rules for D&D in Swords & Spells (1976) restricts sleep to a 10 ft diameter.

Possible solutions:

1. Impose restrictions. Reduce the area of affect. Whether it is 40x40 ft or 10 ft, limit the range. Everyone, friend or foe, within that area is affected.

2. Create a new version of sleep that allows a saving throw. Hold person and charm person spells have saving throws. Even death spell has a saving throw. Both characters and monsters would benefit from having some chance of resisting a sleep spell and not waking up dead.