Mulch

This spell must be used with extreme care by priests of Silvanus for its reckless use could undo much of the growth and revitalization of sylvan lands that their god stands for. It causes wood (such as a tree, shrub, door, or cottage wall) or once-living organic material (such as leather straps or rope) to rot away instantly. Carefully applied, this can make plate mail fall off a foe, free a bound captive, and so on. When used with less care, it can destroy clothing in a trace, cause weapons to fall off friendly warriors in all directions, and devastate gardens or stands of trees. The spell must affect a minimum of 90 cubic feet if the caster's level so allows; the spell's area of effect above this is increased at the caster's discretion, but limited by his or her experience level.

This spell instantly kills yellow musk creepers, violet fungi, and various harmful molds, but intelligent plant life receives a saving throw vs. spell at +5 to avoid death. Plant beings (such as shambling mounds and vegepygmies) successfully saving against a mulch spell suffer 5d4 points of damage instead.

Nonvegetable intelligent beings are affected by this spell in a curious way: Its touch causes much internal moisture to retreat from the skin and fat layers of the body to deeper body cavities for a short period. This does no damage and has no adverse effects save to cause an affected being's voice to grow rough and quavery and to cause the being's skin to become very wrinkled (because it hangs more loosely). This effect of the spell would temporarily ruin a good singing voice, and for Id4+1 rounds, it tends to cause affected beings to appear very old. This side-effect of the spell has been used by priests to aid in disguise attempts, fake devastating diseases, or simulate magical aging.