The Devastation Orb of Water is a smooth, fist-sized sphere of deep cerulean crystal, as clear as glass and as heavy as stone, its interior swirling with slow, tide-like currents that never fully settle. Veins of pale cyan light pulse beneath its surface in steady, heartbeat-like rhythms, brightening whenever it is disturbed. Suspended within the orb are ghostly shapes, coiling waves, twisting river paths, and the fleeting silhouettes of drowning figures, appearing and vanishing as though trapped beneath an unseen surface. The air around it is perpetually damp and cool, beads of moisture forming on nearby stone and metal, while the faint sound of distant surf and rushing water whispers from it when held close. When active, the orb’s glow intensifies and thin streams of water begin to leak from its surface, flowing upward and outward against gravity, as though the sphere itself is trying to unmake the boundary between land and sea.

Once activated, the orb begins a five-round process culminating in detonation.  The ritual requires an action to activate, which expends its charge, then another action each round by its user to advance the process, and the user must maintain concentration on the ritual to continue it.  After each successful round, the environmental effects produced by the orb get more severe and take effect on initiative count 1, losing ties.  Each round's effects are in addition to all previous effects.  All effects produced by the orb have a range of one mile centered on the orb, unless otherwise specified.  If concentration is broken, the ritual is paused for that round.  The user must then make a successful DC15 Arcana check using a bonus action on their next turn to resume the ritual; otherwise, the ritual must be restarted from the beginning, and the current environmental effects of the Orb subside in 1d6 hours.

Round 1: Activation

The orb flares to life. A dull blue glow blooms within it, like moonlight trapped beneath deep water. The air grows cool and heavy, pressing against your lungs. A light rain begins to fall; not enough to soak, but enough that you notice it immediately, each drop striking the ground with an unnatural weight. The surface of any nearby water sources begins to ripple violently, as though something beneath the surface has begun to stir.

The air turns heavy and cold. Dark clouds coil overhead as if drawn to the orb.

• Rain begins immediately.

• Open flames sputter and shrink.

• Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on hearing within 100 feet of the orb are made at disadvantage.

• A distant rumble echoes from any nearby water sources.

Round 2: Gathering Waters

The rain intensifies, drumming against armor and cloaks as the orb’s glow deepens to a churning, storm-dark blue. Wind gusts inward toward the ritual, dragging mist and spray along with it. Water begins to creep across the ground in thin, snaking streams, flowing uphill and against gravity toward the orb. The river swells visibly, its banks groaning as the current accelerates. You feel it now, this is no spell meant to inconvenience. This is something meant to drown.

Rain intensifies into a steady, relentless downpour. The ground darkens and softens beneath your feet.

• The rain begins to fall heavier.

• Low ground becomes slick mud and is considered difficult terrain.

• Small streams and puddles form rapidly.

• Ranged weapon attacks are at disadvantage.

Round 3: Crushing Pressure

The downpour becomes torrential. Sheets of rain slash sideways through the air, and visibility begins to blur as the world turns gray and churning. The sound of rushing water grows deafening, drowning out shouted words. The ground beneath your feet turns slick and unstable as pooled water surges in sudden, violent pulses. The orb throbs with power, each pulse sending a wave of pressure through your body, as if you’re standing beneath hundreds of feet of water. The cultist does not waver.

The water answers the orb’s call. The river rises, churning faster, louder, angrier.

• The rain becomes a torrential downpour.; visibility is reduced to 60 feet.

• All water sources rise 3 feet.

• Flooded areas form; moving through them is considered swimming.

• All Concentration checks within 100 feet of the orb are made at disadvantage.

Round 4: The Breaking Point

The storm reaches a terrifying pitch. Water surges in violent currents, knocking loose stones, debris, and anything not anchored in place. The river overflows its banks, spilling outward in frothing waves as nearby terrain begins to disappear beneath the flood. The orb screams—not with sound, but with force—its glow blinding, its surface fracturing with veins of brilliant blue light. You instinctively know: whatever is holding this back is about to fail.

The world begins to fail. Water surges over its banks, dragging debris, branches, and shattered earth with it.

• The rain becomes cataclysmic.; visibility is reduced to 30 feet.

• Water levels rise another 5 feet.

• The water is swirling and moving:

  • Any movement requires a successful DC15 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to fight the current.

  • Creatures knocked prone are pushed 10 feet away from the Orb.

• Loud rushing water makes verbal communication unable to be heard from more than 20 feet away.

Round 5: Detonation - The Deadly Wave

The chant ends.  The orb collapses inward for a single, impossible heartbeat—then explodes outward in a catastrophic surge of elemental force. A towering wall of water erupts from the epicenter, moving with terrifying speed and purpose, smashing through obstacles and wrapping around the terrain as though the flood itself is alive. The roar is overwhelming, a crushing tidal wave unleashed all at once. In moments, the battlefield is erased beneath churning, unstoppable water as the devastation is fully realized.

The orb pulses once—then shatters reality with the roar of a living sea.

Detonation Effects

• Catastrophic flooding surges outward.

• Water levels spike another 10 feet in moments.

• Structures collapse; bridges tear free.

• Entire low-lying regions are submerged.

• Any creatures within 100 feet of the orb when it detonates must succeed on a DC18 strength saving throw or take 10d10 force damage and be swept 4d4 x 100 feet away in a straight line from the orb, wrapping around corners and obstacles. On a success, they take no damage as they ride the current and are swept half the distance instead.