Whispering Evil (Su): At 8th level, as a standard action, you can whisper a hypnotizing litany of empty promises. Each enemy within a 30-foot emanation that can hear you must succeed on a Will saving throw or become fascinated for as long as you continue the litany. You can use this power a number of rounds per day equal to your cleric level, but these rounds do not need to be consecutive. This is a mind-affecting effect.
Now, it is worded as an emanation and not as an aura centered on yourself, like other cleric domain powers. Maybe treating it as an aura would be simpler. That would mean, if I am not mistaken (I cannot find the relevant reference):
-Centered on yourself
-Free action to maintain and dismiss
-Enemies that enter the aura have to save, enemies that exit from it are no longer concerned by itOher possible interpretations:
-Emanation is centered on the original point (where you activated the ability)
-Other actions needed in order to maintain the ability?
-Range: enemies are fascinated as long as they can hear you, even if they go further than 30 feet
I am not previously familiar with this power, but based on what you posted I believe that: it is centered on yourself; it takes a standard action each and every round; and it affects enemies currently within the area but not those outside it, regardless of where they started. So, not quite an aura by the definition you gave (I'm not familiar with that either) in that it's not a free action to maintain.
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Judging by the (common) use of this ability in real life on Earth(*), it takes all of each round; however, on Earth, it is not limited to a number of rounds per day equal to the level of the user. Presumably, in Pathfinder Paizo decided to limit the rounds per day for balance reasons, but in partial exchange, they reduced the duty cycle to a standard action per round.
(*)Whispering Evil is sort of a misnomer, since it is very often not kept to a whisper, and not limited to 30' range.
Side questions. Now let's look at the wording of the fascinated condition
Fascinated:
A fascinated creature is entranced by a supernatural or spell effect. The creature stands or sits quietly, taking no actions other than to pay attention to the fascinating effect, for as long as the effect lasts. It takes a –4 penalty on skill checks made as reactions, such as Perception checks. Any potential threat, such as a hostile creature approaching, allows the fascinated creature a new saving throw against the fascinating effect. Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a ranged weapon at the fascinated creature, automatically breaks the effect. A fascinated creature’s ally may shake it free of the spell as a standard action.It seems reasonable that all the bolded text applies to this ability.
This is definitely the case.
So, fascinated enemies are less likely to hear your litany, thus reinforcing the aura/emanation interpretation about range.
I think the idea is your whispers are magically carried to their ears. That is, they don't need to make Perception checks to be/stay affected.
And if I am reading it right this ability is very tricky to use in combat, also because you count as an hostile creature as far as I can see, so you risk breaking the spell if you approach.
It's really meant to be used before / instead of combat, not in combat. And outside combat you aren't automatically considered hostile just because you're whispering [empty] promises in their ears. Friends promise things, right?
Finally, am I understanding right that the first two activities described in italics ("drawing a weapon, casting a spell") do break the spell in any case, as opposed to "aiming a ranged weapon", that breaks it only if targeted "at the fascinated creature"? This would mean you could have problems defending yourself from other creatures if you try to maintain the effect, not to speak of your allies' actions...
Well, they're given as examples of "potential threats," so you have to take that into account. For instance, if you stood with your back to the fascinated person and your face to a troll and drew your sword, I would rule that the drawing wasn't considered a threat by the fascinated person. That's a GM call though, and the GM should definitely stomp on attempts to abuse it. But yes, overall a fascinate effect is pretty fragile.
P.S. Your English looks fine to me. :-)
Thank you very much for your replies!
So, it looks like it could be a standard action to maintain - definitely not of much use in combat. In this case, however, you are in fact reusing the ability every round, and this raises the questions of new saving throws. Those already affected shouldn't benefit from a new one, as they are "fascinated for as long as you continue the litany". But then every creature entering the area, as well as those that made their save previously but remain in the area, should make a saving throw?
Those entering the area definitely need to make saves. As to whether those who saved already need to re-save... if you're spending a standard action every round, I guess they should.
^Yeah, since Paizo limited the duration for balance reasons, they also removed the increasing Save DC with prolonged exposure.