Suffocation

School necromancy; Level sorcerer/wizard 5, witch 5

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S, M (a vial containing a bit of the caster's breath)

Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)

Target one living creature

Duration 3 rounds

Saving Throw Fortitude partial; Spell Resistance yes

This spell extracts the air from the target's lungs, causing swift suffocation. The target can attempt to resist this spell's effects with a Fortitude save—if he succeeds, he is merely staggered for 1 round as he gasps for breath. If the target fails, he immediately begins to suffocate. On the target's next turn, he falls unconscious and is reduced to 0 hit points. One round later, the target drops to –1 hit points and is dying. One round after that, the target dies. Each round, the target can delay that round's effects from occurring by making a successful Fortitude save, but the spell effect continues for 3 rounds, and each time a target fails his Fortitude save, he moves one step further along the track to suffocation. This spell only affects living creatures that must breathe. It is impossible to defeat the effects of this spell by simply holding one's breath—if the victim fails the initial saving throw, the air in his lungs is extracted.

Suffocation, Mass

School necromancy; Level sorcerer/wizard 9, witch 9

Target one living creature/2 levels (no two of which may be more than 30 feet apart)

Duration 1 round/level

This spell functions as suffocation except as noted above. Note that the duration of this spell is much longer, forcing those suffering from the effect to make far more Fortitude saves to stave off eventual suffocation.