Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Thayne
IMHO the comparisons to Shape Air and Shape Fire don't make any sense (the purpose of those spells is fundamentally different), and Shape Water is clearly underpowered (you can move water faster with a bucket).
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You can't move 170 lb of water in a second with a bucket. Being able to do things fast is independently useful.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Thayne
A more useful comparison is probably vs. shovels. Going by the digging rules in Campaigns, a mage with Shape Earth-14 can do the work of around 5 strong (ST 12) men with shovels and picks.
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You're comparing the ability to move soil in an
hour with the ability to move it in seconds, and while you're at it move it a considerable distance and build other structures. Also, you assume that mages have to use personal fatigue. If you set 'team of men led by a mage in ceremonial casting' and 'team of men with picks and shovels' to equal value, each team of two workers (one pick, one shovel) accomplishes 40 cf per hour (1.5 cubic yards), and can provide 12 fp per hour, so if we ignore the extra utility of everything else shape spells can do, it argues for 8 fatigue per hex or 0.3 per cubic foot. Toss in utility and speed and 1 fp per cubic foot seems entirely competitive.
If you just want what workers can do, well, Dancing Object on a pick and shovel would cost you 8 fp for an hour (4 fp per extra hour) and lets you move 90 cf per hour, but that's way less convenient than being able to shape it.