Shape spell clarifiaction

Henchman99942 · 05-28-2016, 01:23 PM

I am sorry if this was already covered in an older thread. I looked but didn't see it anywhere.

For spells like Shape Earth, can the caster stop controlling one chunk of earth and focus on another? Or once they choose a given specific volumetric quantity of earth, are they stuck moving it and ONLY it?

And presumably whatever the ruling is for shape earth it would apply to the other elemental 'Shape' spells...?

Nereidalbel · 05-28-2016, 01:42 PM

Manipulating a different chunk of material is a new casting. You can still pay the energy cost to affect a large area and only move parts of it at a time, though.

~~evileeyore~~ · 05-28-2016, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nereidalbel

Manipulating a different chunk of material is a new casting. You can still pay the energy cost to affect a large area and only move parts of it at a time, though.

The problem* with this ruling is that only one of those spells "sets an area", Shape Air. The others control an amount, not an Area. They are all Regular spells...

* Not really a problem, just pointing out an argument.

Gnome · 05-28-2016, 03:52 PM

In one campaign I GMed, the PCs found themselves stuck in the basement of a mansion, from which they wished to escape unseen (through a long series of events they ended up walking through a one-way gate that landed them there). The mud cleric PC decided to create a tunnel that would take them to the bushes outside the estate. He ended up casting Shape Earth many times in succession, which was a risky move, but with 16 skill and Luck not so risky.
I suppose I could have allowed him to create the tunnel by maintaining a single casting, but it seemed too cheap to go tunneling that way, and I think the spell is meant to target a particular mass of earth.

benz72 · 05-28-2016, 04:58 PM

Even with a fixed volume it can be used as a tool to move other things... like additional sections of earth.

~~evileeyore~~ · 05-28-2016, 02:13 PM

It's not implied either way. Personally I've allowed Mages to shift to "other targets" when using Shape Earth/Air/Fire/Water, using a concentrate maneuver to 'shift target' and then in following rounds to Shape the new 'target'.

[EDIT]
Hmmm. Upon rereading Shape Air, the target area is implied as set during casting. That might change my opinion in future campaigns. But it hasn't been an issue so far.
[/EDIT]

05-28-2016, 01:23 PM	#1
Henchman99942 Join Date: Oct 2012	Shape spell clarifiaction I am sorry if this was already covered in an older thread. I looked but didn't see it anywhere. For spells like Shape Earth, can the caster stop controlling one chunk of earth and focus on another? Or once they choose a given specific volumetric quantity of earth, are they stuck moving it and ONLY it? And presumably whatever the ruling is for shape earth it would apply to the other elemental 'Shape' spells...?

05-28-2016, 01:42 PM	#2
Nereidalbel Join Date: May 2013 Location: Ellicott City, MD	Re: Shape spell clarifiaction Manipulating a different chunk of material is a new casting. You can still pay the energy cost to affect a large area and only move parts of it at a time, though.

05-28-2016, 03:52 PM	#4
Gnome Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Cambridge, MA	Re: Shape spell clarifiaction In one campaign I GMed, the PCs found themselves stuck in the basement of a mansion, from which they wished to escape unseen (through a long series of events they ended up walking through a one-way gate that landed them there). The mud cleric PC decided to create a tunnel that would take them to the bushes outside the estate. He ended up casting Shape Earth many times in succession, which was a risky move, but with 16 skill and Luck not so risky. I suppose I could have allowed him to create the tunnel by maintaining a single casting, but it seemed too cheap to go tunneling that way, and I think the spell is meant to target a particular mass of earth.

05-28-2016, 04:58 PM	#5
benz72 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Chagrin Falls	Re: Shape spell clarifiaction Even with a fixed volume it can be used as a tool to move other things... like additional sections of earth. __________________ Benundefined Life has a funny way of making sure you decide to leave the party just a few minutes too late to avoid trouble.

05-28-2016, 02:13 PM	#6
~~evileeyore~~ Banned Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: 100 hurricane swamp	Re: Shape spell clarifiaction It's not implied either way. Personally I've allowed Mages to shift to "other targets" when using Shape Earth/Air/Fire/Water, using a concentrate maneuver to 'shift target' and then in following rounds to Shape the new 'target'. [EDIT] Hmmm. Upon rereading Shape Air, the target area is implied as set during casting. That might change my opinion in future campaigns. But it hasn't been an issue so far. [/EDIT]