Death and Decay
9th-level Necromancy
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 90 feet (30-foot radius)
Components: VSM (a dead rose)
Duration: (C) 1 minute
Death infuses the area within a 30-foot radius. Living creatures age rapidly, skin sags and flesh sloughs off bones. Structures wither and collapse, suffering the effects of decades of dilapidation within a few seconds.
When you cast the spell, or when a creature enters the affected area for the first time on a turn or ends its turn there, the creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 5d6 shadow damage and 5d6 necrotic damage, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Additional effects happen to targets that fail their Constitution saving throw by certain amounts.
- If the creature fails the Constitution saving throw by 5 or more, the creature's maximum hit points are reduced by the damage taken and their movement speed is halved. The target also ages 1d10 percent of their average lifespan. The aging effect can be reversed with a greater restoration spell, but only within 24 hours of it occurring. The other effects last until the target finishes a long rest.
- If the creature fails the Constitution saving throw by 10 or more, their Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores are also reduced by 1d6, and the result on the aging effect is multiplied by 5. The reduction to their attribute scores recovers at one point per long rest.
- If the creature fails the Constitution saving throw by 15 or more, the aging effect is multiplied by 10, and the reduction to each physical ability score is increased to 2d10. If this would cause an ability score to hit 0, you die. Aging beyond your natural lifespan also kills you.
Structures and unattended objects are not damaged by this spell, but are supernaturally aged every round they are in the spell's area as if they were in disrepair under harsh conditions for 10 years.
