School enfeebling; Level druid 3
CASTING
Casting Time 1 standard action
EFFECT
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area one 20-ft. square/level
Duration 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw Reflex partial; Spell Resistance yes
DESCRIPTION
Any ground-covering vegetation in the spell’s area becomes very hard and sharply pointed without changing its appearance. In areas of bare earth, roots and rootlets act in the same way. Typically, spike growth can be cast in any outdoor setting except open water, ice, heavy snow, sandy desert, or bare stone. Any creature moving on foot into or through the spell’s area takes 1d4 points of piercing damage for each 5 feet of movement through the spiked area. Any creature that takes damage from this spell must also succeed on a Reflex save or suffer injuries to its feet and legs that slow its land speed by half. This speed penalty lasts for 24 hours or until the injured creature receives a cure spell (which also restores lost hit points). Another character can remove the penalty by taking 10 minutes to dress the injuries and succeeding on a Heal check against the spell’s save DC.
Note: Magic traps are hard to detect. A thief/engineer (and any class with trapfinding) can use the Perception skill to find a spike growth. The DC is 28 for spike growth. Spike growth can’t be disabled with the Disable Device skill.