Sweeping your arm about and clutching it to your chest, you draw the last breaths of fallen foes from their choking mouths and inhale them to fuel your own power.

All living creatures in the area with fewer than 0 hit points that fail their saving throws die. For every creature with at least 1 Hit Dice that die from this spell, you gain 1d8 temporary hit points (up to half of your maximum hit points) and a +2 enhancement bonus to Strength for each death caused by this spell (to a maximum increase of +4) until the spell's duration expires. You also deal bonus damage on your attacks equal to your caster level against living foes in the area. This bonus damage is not multiplied on critical hits.

Additionally, your effective caster level increases by one per death caused by this spell, to a maximum increase of half your original caster level, improving spell effects that are dependent on caster level. (This increase in effective caster level does not grant you access to more spells, and it does not increase the duration of this spell.)

Creatures that fall to —1 hit points or lower in the area after the spell is cast are likewise subject to its effect.

No creature can be affected by this spell more than once per casting, regardless of the number of times that the area of the spell passes over them.