Alter River
TransmutationTransmutation spells change the properties of some creature, thing, or condition.
[ WaterSpells that manipulate water or conjure creatures from water-dominant planes or with the water subtype should have the water descriptor.]
PFS Legal
Available to
- Casting Time
- 1 standard actionMost spells take 1 standard action; others list 1 round, 1 minute, or more, or use a swift or immediate action.Full rule on Archives of Nethys ↗
- Components
- S, V, M (silt from a dry riverbed)V (Verbal): A spoken incantation; you must be able to speak in a strong voice. A silence effect or a gag spoils it, and being deafened risks failure.S (Somatic): A precise movement of the hand; you must have at least one hand free to perform it.M (Material): One or more physical substances consumed by the casting. Cost is negligible — covered by your spell component pouch — unless a gp value is listed.Full rule on Archives of Nethys ↗
- Range
- medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)How far the spell reaches. Close = 25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels; Medium = 100 ft + 10 ft/level; Long = 400 ft + 40 ft/level. Personal = yourself; Touch = a creature or object you touch.Full rule on Archives of Nethys ↗
- Target
- area of river up to 5 ft. wide/2 levels and 10 ft. long/levelHow the spell is aimed: a Target (specific creatures or objects), an Effect it creates (e.g. a wall or a summoned creature), or an Area shape (burst, cone, line, and so on). Some areas are shapeable. "Target or Area" means the spell uses either, at your choice.Full rule on Archives of Nethys ↗
- Duration
- 1 minute/level (D)How long it lasts. Instantaneous resolves at once; Concentration lasts while you keep focusing; Permanent lasts until dispelled. A trailing "(D)" means you can dismiss it as a standard action.Full rule on Archives of Nethys ↗
- Saving Throw
- noneIf a save is allowed, the target rolls Fortitude, Reflex, or Will: the result negates, gives partial, half, or no effect. "harmless" lets a willing target decline. Save DC = 10 + spell level + your casting ability modifier.Full rule on Archives of Nethys ↗
- Spell Resistance
- noWhether a creature's spell resistance can block the spell (Yes/No). For "harmless" spells a willing creature may lower its SR to be affected.Full rule on Archives of Nethys ↗
You alter the flow of water in a natural freshwater channel such as a river, stream, or waterfall. The first version of this spell alters the speed of a river’s flow. The second diverts the course of the targeted river.
Alter Current: The river’s current increases or decreases in speed by up to 1 mile per hour per 2 caster levels you possess. A typical placid river travels at a rate of up to 2 mph (no effect on local movement); a swift river travels 2–4 mph, moving creatures and objects 10 to 40 feet downstream per round; and an area of river rapids travels 7–10 mph, moving creatures and objects 60 to 90 feet downstream per round. Altering the speed of the current alters the difficulty of swimming in the water accordingly.
Divert River: The river diverts its course in a direction of your choosing. The river flows in the general direction indicated, but otherwise conforms to the shape of the local terrain. This spell cannot cause a river to flow uphill, though the river surges over its natural banks and inundates terrain lower than its average depth. Creatures in the path of the redirected river are in danger of being swept away; if directed properly, this spell causes a flood. See Aquatic Terrain on page 432 of the Core Rulebook for more details.
Alter river can be made permanent with a permanency spell. Clever application of spells such as move earth can be combined with this spell to likewise make the river’s new course permanent.
Alter Current: The river’s current increases or decreases in speed by up to 1 mile per hour per 2 caster levels you possess. A typical placid river travels at a rate of up to 2 mph (no effect on local movement); a swift river travels 2–4 mph, moving creatures and objects 10 to 40 feet downstream per round; and an area of river rapids travels 7–10 mph, moving creatures and objects 60 to 90 feet downstream per round. Altering the speed of the current alters the difficulty of swimming in the water accordingly.
Divert River: The river diverts its course in a direction of your choosing. The river flows in the general direction indicated, but otherwise conforms to the shape of the local terrain. This spell cannot cause a river to flow uphill, though the river surges over its natural banks and inundates terrain lower than its average depth. Creatures in the path of the redirected river are in danger of being swept away; if directed properly, this spell causes a flood. See Aquatic Terrain on page 432 of the Core Rulebook for more details.
Alter river can be made permanent with a permanency spell. Clever application of spells such as move earth can be combined with this spell to likewise make the river’s new course permanent.