Divine Magic • Core Spell Reference

Control Water

Gustave Courbet (1819-1877) Title: Die Woge Date 1870

Choose your edition before using the spell. Its level, casting procedure, targets, effects, and limits follow the rules in the selected panel.

Control Water at a Glance

5.5e (2024)	Level 4
5e (2014)	Level 4
Pathfinder 1e	Level 4
D&D 3.5e	Level 4
Browse	Cleric spells • Cleric class

Spell Rules

5.5e (2024)5e (2014)Pathfinder 1eD&D 3.5e

Control Water — 5.5e (2024)

Cleric spell level 4. Edition source.

Spell	Level 4 Transmutation (Cleric, Druid, Wizard)
Casting Time	Action
Range	300 feet
Components	V, S, M (a mixture of water and dust)
Duration	Concentration, up to 10 minutes

Until the spell ends, you control any water inside an area you choose that is a Cube up to 100 feet on a side, using one of the following effects. As a Magic action on your later turns, you can repeat the same effect or choose a different one.

Flood. You cause the water level of all standing water in the area to rise by as much as 20 feet. If you choose an area in a large body of water, you instead create a 20-foot tall wave that travels from one side of the area to the other and then crashes. Any Huge or smaller vehicles in the wave’s path are carried with it to the other side. Any Huge or smaller vehicles struck by the wave have a 25 percent chance of capsizing. The water level remains elevated until the spell ends or you choose a different effect. If this effect produced a wave, the wave repeats on the start of your next turn while the flood effect lasts.

Part Water. You part water in the area and create a trench. The trench extends across the spell’s area, and the separated water forms a wall to either side. The trench remains until the spell ends or you choose a different effect. The water then slowly fills in the trench over the course of the next round until the normal water level is restored.

Redirect Flow. You cause flowing water in the area to move in a direction you choose, even if the water has to flow over obstacles, up walls, or in other unlikely directions. The water in the area moves as you direct it, but once it moves beyond the spell’s area, it resumes its flow based on the terrain. The water continues to move in the direction you chose until the spell ends or you choose a different effect.

Whirlpool. You cause a whirlpool to form in the center of the area, which must be at least 50 feet square and 25 feet deep. The whirlpool lasts until you choose a different effect or the spell ends. The whirlpool is 5 feet wide at the base, up to 50 feet wide at the top, and 25 feet tall. Any creature in the water and within 25 feet of the whirlpool is pulled 10 feet toward it. When a creature enters the whirlpool for the first time on a turn or ends its turn there, it makes a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 2d8 Bludgeoning damage. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage. A creature can swim away from the whirlpool only if it first takes an action to pull away and succeeds on a Strength (Athletics) check against your spell save DC.

Control Water — 5e (2014)

Cleric spell level 4. Edition source.

Spell	4th-level transmutation
Casting Time	1 action
Range	300 feet
Components	V, S, M (a drop of water and a pinch of dust)
Duration	Concentration, up to 10 minutes

Until the spell ends, you control any freestanding water inside an area you choose that is a cube up to 100 feet on a side. You can choose from any of the following effects when you cast this spell. As an action on your turn, you can repeat the same effect or choose a different one.

Flood. You cause the water level of all standing water in the area to rise by as much as 20 feet. If the area includes a shore, the flooding water spills over onto dry land. If you choose an area in a large body of water, you instead create a 20-foot tall wave that travels from one side of the area to the other and then crashes down. Any Huge or smaller vehicles in the wave’s path are carried with it to the other side. Any Huge or smaller vehicles struck by the wave have a 25 percent chance of capsizing. The water level remains elevated until the spell ends or you choose a different effect. If this effect produced a wave, the wave repeats on the start of your next turn while the flood effect lasts.

Part Water. You cause water in the area to move apart and create a trench. The trench extends across the spell’s area, and the separated water forms a wall to either side. The trench remains until the spell ends or you choose a different effect. The water then slowly fills in the trench over the course of the next round until the normal water level is restored.

Redirect Flow. You cause flowing water in the area to move in a direction you choose, even if the water has to flow over obstacles, up walls, or in other unlikely directions. The water in the area moves as you direct it, but once it moves beyond the spell’s area, it resumes its flow based on the terrain conditions. The water continues to move in the direction you chose until the spell ends or you choose a different effect.

Whirlpool. This effect requires a body of water at least 50 feet square and 25 feet deep. You cause a whirlpool to form in the center of the area. The whirlpool forms a vortex that is 5 feet wide at the base, up to 50 feet wide at the top, and 25 feet tall. Any creature or object in the water and within 25 feet of the vortex is pulled 10 feet toward it. A creature can swim away from the vortex by making a Strength (Athletics) check against your spell save DC. When a creature enters the vortex for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 2d8 bludgeoning damage and is caught in the vortex until the spell ends. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage, and isn’t caught in the vortex. A creature caught in the vortex can use its action to try to swim away from the vortex as described above, but has disadvantage on the Strength (Athletics) check to do so. The first time each turn that an object enters the vortex, the object takes 2d8 bludgeoning damage; this damage occurs each round it remains in the vortex.

Control Water — Pathfinder 1e

Cleric spell level 4. Edition source.

School	transmutation [water]
Level	cleric 4, druid 4, sorcerer/wizard 6
Casting Time	1 standard action
Components	V, S, M/DF (a pinch of dust for lower water or a drop of water for raise water )
Range	long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area	water in a volume of 10 ft./level by 10 ft./level by 2 ft./level (S)
Duration	10 min./level (D)
Saving Throw	none; see text
Spell Resistance	no

This spell has two different applications, both of which control water in different ways. The first version of this spell causes water in the area to swiftly evaporate or to sink into the ground below, lowering the water’s depth. The second version causes the water to surge and rise, increasing its overall depth and possibly flooding nearby areas.

Lower Water: This causes water or similar liquid to reduce its depth by as much as 2 feet per caster level (to a minimum depth of 1 inch). The water is lowered within a squarish depression whose sides are up to caster level × 10 feet long. In extremely large and deep bodies of water, such as a deep ocean, the spell creates a whirlpool that sweeps ships and similar craft downward, putting them at risk and rendering them unable to leave by normal movement for the duration of the spell. When cast on water elementals and other water-based creatures, this spell acts as a slow spell (Will negates). The spell has no effect on other creatures.

Raise Water: This causes water or similar liquid to rise in height, just as the lower water version causes it to lower. Boats raised in this way slide down the sides of the hump that the spell creates. If the area affected by the spell includes riverbanks, a beach, or other land nearby, the water can spill over onto dry land.

With either version of this spell, you may reduce one horizontal dimension by half and double the other horizontal dimension to change the overall area of effect.

Control Water — D&D 3.5e

Cleric spell level 4. Edition source.

School	Transmutation [Water]
Level	Clr 4, Drd 4, Sor/Wiz 6, Water 4
Components	V, S, M/DF
Casting Time	1 standard action
Range	Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area	Water in a volume of 10 ft./level by 10 ft./level by 2 ft./level (S)
Duration	10 min./level (D)
Saving Throw	None; see text
Spell Resistance	No

Depending on the version you choose, the control water spell raises or lowers water.

Lower Water: This causes water or similar liquid to reduce its depth by as much as 2 feet per caster level (to a minimum depth of 1 inch). The water is lowered within a squarish depression whose sides are up to caster level x 10 feet long. In extremely large and deep bodies of water, such as a deep ocean, the spell creates a whirlpool that sweeps ships and similar craft downward, putting them at risk and rendering them unable to leave by normal movement for the duration of the spell. When cast on water elementals and other water-based creatures, this spell acts as a slow spell (Will negates). The spell has no effect on other creatures.

Raise Water: This causes water or similar liquid to rise in height, just as the lower water version causes it to lower. Boats raised in this way slide down the sides of the hump that the spell creates. If the area affected by the spell includes riverbanks, a beach, or other land nearby, the water can spill over onto dry land.

With either version, you may reduce one horizontal dimension by half and double the other horizontal dimension.

Arcane Material Component: A drop of water (for raise water) or a pinch of dust (for lower water).

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