Groan (cantrip)

Groan is a cantrip that generates an array of sounds that give the impression of some sort of misery, echoing the plight of someone in their final moments or an unseen figure that's wounded or dying of some sort of malady. The listener experiences a sense of foreboding, for the groans are so intense as to be disconcerting.

Groan

Range	20 ft.
Duration	1 round
Area of Effect	animals within a 30 ft. circle; or up to 1 creature
Casting Time	2 action points
Saving Throw	negates
Level	cantrip

Though unable to articulate clear speech, the cantrip allows the voice to produce a muffled sound much like a name that's repetitively called out. Those who fail a saving throw against magic are inclined to investigate — and when doing so are subject to a -1 penalty against their initiative rolls.

The cantrip can be used as a signal, alerting others to the presence of something unsettling or to an impending danger, acting as a crude form of alarm. It could also enhance the environment in haunted settings or worry unwanted interlopers.

Effect on Animals

Animals with an intelligence of 1 to 4 are compelled to shift 2-5 combat hexes away from the sound, even if engaged in combat. This is instinctive reaction, driven by a primal instinct, demonstrated by the animal's nervousness and uncertain movement. None will attack during the cantrip's brief duration, nor for the round thereafter.

See Haunting Sound Cantrips