Doomtide

This spell creates a black, creeping mist filling a maximum area of eight 10-foot by 10-foot cubes. It forms directly in front of the caster, who can choose to make it stationary or direct it to move away at a rate of 3 yards per round; once this choice is made, it cannot be altered. A doomtide is destroyed by a successful dispel magic spell, a magical gust of wind, or any magic that affects vapors; it is unaffected by natural winds (even if extremely violent).

A doomtide has no effect on the caster and (if the caster desires) one other being who touches the caster during the casting – all others who enter it see hundreds of long, slender black tentacles coiling and reaching for them.

These menaces are illusory, but the mists do have some real effects: All missile and other aimed attacks (including spells) are at -4 on attack rolls due to the visual confusion, all creatures within suffer a -4 initiative penalty, and beings of less than 7th level or 7 Hit Dice must make a saving throw vs. spell for each round in which they are in contact with a doomtide or do nothing for that round (seemingly dazed and unaware of their surroundings). To the caster and the other lone protected being, the doomtide appears as a faint coloration in the air, and it offers no obstacle to vision.

The material components of a doomtide spell are a pinch of soot from any fire, a piece of eel skin (or an eel, which can be alive or dead, whole or partial), and a piece of string, thread, or cord (anything flexible and organic serves) tied into at least three knots.