So I was reviewing monsters and templates to run a Horror adventure and noticed that Aura seem too easy to negate. Example:
Fear Aura(Su)
All creatures within a 60-foot radius that see or hear a nightmare creature must succeed at a Will save or be shaken for as long as they are within the aura. Whether or not the save is successful, that creature cannot be affected again by the same nightmare creature’s fear aura for 24 hours. This is a mind-affecting fear affect
Using the above template a character or NPC (if Player has ability) just needs to step out side the aura to completely take that ability out of a fight. Now I am cool with only a save per 24 hours but it should be if you fail the will save, you are considered failed for the full 24 hours against that creature.
Or am ai reading into the rules wrong?
I think you're reading ir right.
I aggree that the area seems easy to negate but I think it can be made useful anyway.
To know that they have to step out of the area to deny the effect should require a knowledge roll, as the affected creature doesn't necesarily know how the aura works.
Also, if someone is inside the aura, it might take from 1 to 2 move actions to move outside it. It might not be a great deal for spellcasters who might even not be so close and probably passed the save. A melee character who is at nelee range would have to move 60ft. to end the shaken condition. That are some lost actions and maybe an AoO.
Many melee will rather stay at place and hit the enemy instead of getting rid of the effect, so I can see the utility of that ability even if it's easy to get rid of it.