A devastating wave of sonic energy erupts in an area, disorienting senses and disrupting magical focus
Evocation
Damage type: Sound
Action: Standard
Components: V,S,M
Duration: Instantaneous
Spell Lists: Arcane,Divine,Nature,Psychic
Levels: 1,3,5,7,9,10
Range: medium
The caster generates an intense burst of sound that assails all creatures within the affected area. Targets suffer sonic damage and are temporarily impaired for one turn (3 ticks), reducing both their Perception skill and their primary spellcasting ability score (Intelligence for Wizards, Charisma for Sorcerers, etc.). For non-spellcasters, the caster may choose to affect either Wisdom or Charisma instead of a casting stat.
Sound Assault is particularly effective against creatures reliant on hearing or sensitive to sound, but may be less impactful against deaf creatures or those with innate sonic resistance. If a creature's Perception or main casting stat is reduced to 0 by Sound Assault, they become deafened and disoriented for 1 round.
The spell always reduces Perception and the main casting stat by a minimum of 1 each, but these reductions cannot lower the target's Perception skill or casting stat below 1.
Sound Assault can be countered through many methods. Using a Magical Shield successfully halves the effects. Silence spells or effects can potentially negate the spell, but Sound Assault may overpower them if its DC exceeds the Silence spell's DC by 20% or more. Hiding underwater or behind soundproof material can also counter Sound Assault up to a certain point (GM's call). Finally, magical ear protection or sonic resistance can reduce the impact, and restorative magic can shorten the duration of the debuffs. Higher level restorative spells remove the debuff completely, same level spell reduces the duration to 1 tick, and lower level reduces the duration by 50%.
At the highest levels, Sound Assault can be launched as a 360-degree attack, making it extremely potent against surrounding adversaries.
Only the strongest Sound Assault debuff may be active at a time on a creature.
| Spell Level | Damage per CL | Perception Reduction | Casting Stat Reduction | Area Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1d6 | -10% | -5% | Medium |
| 3 | 2d6 | -20% | -10% | Large |
| 5 | 4d6 | -30% | -15% | Huge |
| 7 | 8d6 | -40% | -20% | Gargantuan |
| 9 | 16d6 | -50% | -25% | Colossal+ (360 degrees optional) |
| 10 | 32d6 | -60% | -30% | Colossal+ (360 degrees optional) |