Swamp Mummy Aura Effect

[JDLPF]

Regarding the Drowning Aura (Su) effect of a Swamp Mummy, what happens if a PC encounters one, fails their DC 15 Will save when the mummy moves within 30 ft, then moves out of the aura area on their turn? Do they regain the ability to breathe? Are they now immune if they move within 30 ft of the mummy again?

[Ascalaphus]

I looks like the description is "broken", as in bugged. GM intervention or FAQ required to clear it up.

I could see two rulings I might make:

1) The effect stops if you leave the aura. The mummy's tactics should be to surprise people and box them in so they can't easily leave.

2) Mimicking mechanics from Stinking Cloud, you shake the effect after 1d4+1 rounds spent outside. If you re-enter before that the countdown pauses/resets.

[Oxylepy]

There is no statement as to longevity in the description, which is an oversight at best. As a simple CR 4, just treat it as leaving frees them from the effect, and they cannot be affected again for 24 hours. The other option as it is written is that they cannot breathe or speak, permanently, which would make the CR muuuuch higher.

As GM, treating it as despair (1d4 rounds) would be a good idea.

[Pizza Lord]

According to how the ability is written, once they leave the aura's radius, they can breathe again and ''successful or not' can't be affected again for 24 hours.

I don't necessarily like it and would probably rule in my games that if you haven't passed, then you do need to save again. However, in this case, there is clearly a Regardless-of-Past-Success statement, as you've pointed out. So moving out of the aura, either yourself or because the mummy was chasing someone else, ends the effect and grants immunity.