Grasping Depths

School necromancy (haunted) [emotion, fear, mind-affecting]; Level cleric 5, inquisitor 6, shaman 6, spiritualist 5, witch 6

CASTING

Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M/DF (a vial of sea water)

EFFECT

Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area one 5-ft. cube/level (S)
Duration see text
Saving Throw Will partial; see text; Spell Resistance yes

DESCRIPTION

You call upon the restless souls of those who died at sea. This spell can be cast only on an area of deep water. When a creature enters the area, the haunt manifests, automatically grabbing the creature and dragging it under the water on initiative count 10. Each round, the haunt deals 1d6 points of nonlethal damage as it drags its victim down 10 feet; a successful DC 15 Swim check reduces the descent to 5 feet and negates the nonlethal damage.

Each round in the haunt’s clutches reduces the duration the victim can hold her breath by 2 rounds. A victim can make a single move or standard action each round while in the haunt’s grasp if she succeeds at a Will save; on a failed save, she can only struggle helplessly against the haunt.

A victim cannot use her actions to swim toward the surface while the haunt is active. If the haunt reaches the bottom of its body of water, it pounds its victim against the bottom, dealing 2d6 points of nonlethal damage per round to the victim and reducing the duration the victim can hold her breath by an additional round.

This continues until either the haunt is neutralized (in which case the victim must still swim to the surface) or the victim drowns.

The haunt can grab and attempt to drown multiple creatures in its area on its initiative count. The magic holding the haunt together is unstable and deteriorates while the haunt is active.

Each round at the end of its turn, the haunt automatically loses 1d6 hit points per creature it is currently affecting. Furthermore, the spell’s haunt-like manifestation is active throughout the spell’s duration, rendering it vulnerable to effects that damage haunts. When the haunt reaches 0 hit points, the spell ends.

HAUNT STATISTICS

Notice Perception DC 30 (to detect the smell of brine); hp 5 hp/level; Trigger proximity; Reset none

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Pathfinder Player Companion: Haunted Heroes Handbook © 2016, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Alexander Augunas, Thurston Hillman, Isabelle Lee, Stephen Rowe, and Christopher Wasko.

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