Rock to Mud*

This spell turns natural, uncut or un-worked rock of any sort into an equal volume of mud; up to two 10- foot cubes per caster level may be so transformed. Magical stone is not affected by this spell. The depth of the mud created cannot exceed 10 feet. A creature unable to levitate, fly, or otherwise free itself from the mud sinks until hip- or chest-deep, reducing its speed to 5' and causing it to suffer a -2 penalty to attack rolls, saving throws, and armor class. Creatures large enough to walk on the bottom can wade through the area at a speed of 5', suffering none of the other penalties given. If rock to mud is cast upon the ceiling of a cavern or tunnel, the mud falls to the floor and spreads out in a pool to a depth of 5 feet. The falling mud and the ensuing cave-in deal 8d6 points of damage to anyone caught directly beneath the area, or half damage to those who succeed a save vs. Death Ray. Castles and large stone buildings are generally immune to the effect of the spell, since rock to mud cannot affect worked stone and doesn’t reach deep enough to undermine such a buildings’ foundation. However, small buildings or structures often rest upon foundations shallow enough to be damaged or even partially-toppled by this spell. The mud remains until a successful dispel magic or mud to rock spell restores its substance (though not necessarily its form). Evaporation turns the mud to normal dirt over a period of days. The exact time depends on exposure to the sun, wind, and normal drainage. When using the reverse, mud to rock, the spell converts the same volume of mud into relatively soft stone (such as limestone or sandstone) permanently. Any creature in the mud must save vs. Death Ray to escape before the area transforms into rock (assuming it has enough movement to do so).