DESCRIPTION
You sheathe yourself within a churning column of pure elemental water up to 30 feet high that fills your space. You gain a swim speed equal to your land speed and can see, hear, and breathe normally within the seamantle, but attacks against you are treated as if you were under the surface of the water. You gain improved cover (+8 cover bonus to AC, +4 bonus on Reflex saves) against foes that do not have freedom of movement effects. The cover granted by the seamantle does not enable you to make Stealth checks or prevent attacks of opportunity. Magical attacks against you are unaffected unless they require attack rolls or state that they do not function underwater (such as cloudkill).The seamantle blocks line of effect for any fire spell or supernatural fire effect, but enemies can attempt to use fire spells within the seamantle; this requires a caster level check (DC 20 + spell level), and if successful the fire spell takes as a bubble of steam contained within the seamantle rather than its usual effect.
The seamantle allows you to make a slam attack by forming a pseudopod of water, inflicting damage appropriate for your size. This slam attack has a reach of 30 feet. In addition, as a standard action, you can attempt to extinguish fires by touch.
You automatically extinguish up to a 10-foot cube of normal fire. Against magical fire effects, your touch acts as dispel magic; this also applies to any non-instantaneous fire affect that comes into contact with you (such as flame blade, flaming sphere, or incendiary cloud). Even if you fail to extinguish a fire, you are not harmed by it. A flaming or flaming burst weapon that strikes you has its power suppressed for 1d4 rounds if the wielder fails a Fortitude save.
My questions are about the bolded sections of text.
First, seamantle grants you improved cover from your enemies, but to they gain cover against melee attacks and reflex spells you make?
Second, what does the spell mean by "ememies can attempt to use fire spells within the seamantle"? Does that mean they have to physically enter the column of water in order to cast fire spells at you, or do the fire spells just have to target inside the column.
For example, scorching rays obviously would not pass through the barrier of the seamantle, but would a fireball targeting the inside of the seamantle as it's point of origin work?
Could a caster cast the scorching ray if they are inside the seamantle?
My interpretation is that you get cover from enemies not them from you, and casters have to physically be within the seawall to try to cast fire spells at the user of the seamantle. I just want to make sure I'm thinking of it the right way.
Your interpretation is correct and here's my explanation:
1) No, you can see, hear, and breathe normally. So you can see out just fine, but anyone looking in has a hell of a time.
2) If you are in the mantle and I'm outside of it, I am physically incapable of firing scorching rays at you. It just isn't possible as I don't have line of effect. Like trying to cast a spell through a glass window. If they are somehow within the sea mantle with you, then they can fire the scorching rays (which hit you as steam) but not at anyone outside of the mantle.
A fireball cannot target the inside the sea mantle because there is no line of effect. A fireball from within the sea mantle does not extend outside the mantle. Basically, the edge of the sea mantle column is an anti-fire-spell barrier.
Thanks, that's what I was leaning towards but wasn't 100%.