This spell forms an aura of energy around you, damaging all those that come near you. Choose an energy type: acid, cold, electricity, or fire. Creatures adjacent to you when this spell is cast and at the start of your turn take 2d6 points of energy damage of the selected type. This aura has an additional effect, depending upon the type of energy chosen.
Acid: Creatures affected by your aura take 1 point of ongoing acid damage per round for 1 round per three caster levels, and are sickened for the duration of the ongoing acid damage.
Cold: Creatures affected by your aura are fatigued. A creature that is already fatigued suffers no additional effect.
Electricity: Creatures affected by your aura are staggered for 1 round.
Fire: Creatures affected by your aura catch on fire.
Creatures adjacent to you are allowed a Reflex save to halve the damage and negate the additional effect. The aura's additional effects do not stack if a creature takes damage from your aura multiple times. You may only have one elemental aura in effect at one time. When you cast this spell to deal acid, cold, electricity, or fire damage, it is a spell of that type.
I just want to make sure i get this right , an enemy adjustent to me that takes damage every round will throw reflex save every round for the ''aura effect'' or just once ? for example elecctricity aura will stagger every round or just once ? or it will be attempted every round until the enemy loses the save and will not be affected again ?
They make a reflex save each time they are affected by your aura.
If it is succesful, they ignore the special effect and take half damage. It they fail they get the full effect.
The electricity will stagger everytime they fail their save against the aura.
An example:
Round one, you cast elemetal aura, adjacent enemy fails the reflex save, and becomes staggered for 1 round.
Round two, the enemy makes his reflex save, so he isn't staggered.
Round three, the enemy fails again, and becomes staggered for 1 round.
They make a reflex save each time they are affected by your aura.
If it is succesful, they ignore the special effect and take half damage. It they fail they get the full effect.The electricity will stagger everytime they fail their save against the aura.
An example:
Round one, you cast elemetal aura, adjacent enemy fails the reflex save, and becomes staggered for 1 round.
Round two, the enemy makes his reflex save, so he isn't staggered.
Round three, the enemy fails again, and becomes staggered for 1 round.
Also keep in mind that this affects all adjacent creatures, including allies. Also, a 5' step by an enemy makes them completely immune to the spell except for the round it is cast.
Example:
Round one, you cast Elemental Aura, adjacent enemy makes save, so he isn't staggered (still takes half damage).
On his turn he takes his full attack on you and then takes 5' step back.
Round two, no enemy is adjacent at the start of your turn, so the spell does nothing, you step up to the enemy (casting a touch spell maybe) hoping he won't move again. On his turn, he full attacks and takes a 5' step back. Spell wasted if this continues.
I'm not saying it is a useless spell, just very hard to use against smart opponents (useless in games I play in because my GM runs most bad guys like tactical generals).
It does do a good job at preventing enemies from wanting to be next to you, or encouraging them to target other party members instead of you.
yes ok, thanks for the clarryfing answers ! i know it is hard to use it effectively but its not impossible. Inside dungeons (narrow spaces ) if you have acrobatics you can tumble behind enemies and thus not letting them escape with just a 5foot step. It is a weird spell but there are uses
It does do a good job at preventing enemies from wanting to be next to you, or encouraging them to target other party members instead of you.
It can still be situationally useful to inflict damage and conditions as well. Cast it in conjunction with an effect that entangles enemies (ideally with the anchored extra condition...In a Web for example).
Cast it in the middle of difficult terrain (or create your own difficult terrain around yourself). No more 5' steps.
Not the most powerful spell in the workd, but with proper tactics, it can be put to effective use.