Transmute Earth

Effect

Expending 6 mana points: When this spell is cast, all natural, undressed earth or stone in the spell’s area is softened. Wet earth becomes thick mud, dry earth becomes loose sand or dirt, and stone becomes soft clay that is easily molded or chopped. You affect a 10-footsquare area to a depth of 1 to 4 feet, depending on the toughness or resilience of the ground at that spot (DM’s option). Magical, enchanted, dressed, or worked stone cannot be affected. Earth or stone creatures are not affected. A creature in mud must succeed on a Reflex save or be caught for 1d2 rounds and unable to move, attack, or cast spells. A creature that succeeds on its save can move through the mud at half speed, and it can’t run or charge.
Loose dirt is not as troublesome as mud, but all creatures in the area can move at only half their normal speed and can’t run or charge over the surface. Stone softened into clay does not hinder movement, but it does allow characters to cut, shape, or excavate areas they may not have been able to affect before. For example, a party of adventurers trying to break out of a cavern might use this spell to soften a wall. While soften earth and stone does not affect dressed or worked stone, cavern ceilings or vertical surfaces such as cliff faces can be affected. Usually, this causes a moderate collapse or landslide as the loosened material peels away from the face of the wall or roof and falls.
A moderate amount of structural damage can be dealt to a manufactured structure (such as a wall or a tower) by softening the ground beneath it, causing it to settle. However, most well-built structures will only be damaged by this spell, not destroyed.
Expending 22 mana points: You decide when casting if you wish to change mud into stone, or stone into mud. Mud to Stone: This spell transforms normal mud or quicksand of any depth into soft stone (sandstone or a similar mineral) permanently. Any creature in the mud is allowed a Reflex save to escape before the area is hardened to stone.
Stone to Mud: This spell turns natural, uncut or unworked rock of any sort into an equal volume of mud. If the spell is cast upon a boulder, for example, the boulder collapses into mud. Magical stone is not affected by the spell. The depth of the mud created cannot exceed 10 feet. A creature unable to levitate, fly, or otherwise free itself from the mud sinks until hip- or chest-deep, reducing its speed to 5 feet and causing a –2 penalty on attack rolls and AC. Brush thrown atop the mud can support creatures able to climb on top of it. Creatures large enough to walk on the bottom can wade through the area at a speed of 5 feet. If transmute rock to mud is cast upon the ceiling of a cavern or tunnel, the mud falls to the floor and spreads out in a pool at a depth of 5 feet. For example, a 10th-level caster could convert twenty 10-foot cubes into mud. Pooling on the floor, this mud would cover an area of forty 10-foot squares to a depth of 5 feet. The falling mud and the ensuing cave-in deal 8d6 points of bludgeoning damage to anyone caught directly beneath the area, or half damage to those who succeed on Reflex saves.
Castles and large stone buildings are generally immune to the effect of the spell, since transmute rock to mud can’t affect worked stone and doesn’t reach deep enough to undermine such buildings’ foundations. However, small buildings or structures often rest upon foundations shallow enough to be damaged or even partially toppled by this spell. The mud remains until a successful dispel magic or transmute mud to rock spell restores its substance—but not necessarily its form. Evaporation turns the mud to normal dirt over a period of days. The exact time depends on exposure to the sun, wind, and normal drainage.
Arcane Material Component: Sand, lime, Clay, and water.

Gestures & Ritual

Verbal, Somatic, Focus

Related Discipline

Arcane, Nature

Related School

Transmutation

Related Element

Earth

Effect Duration

Instantaneous

Effect Casting Time

1 Action

Range

Close (25ft + 5ft/ 2 mana ranks)

Level

6 or 22 Mana