Entombment in the Dungeon

[vitruvian]

The Entombment spell puts the subject into a small space 50 feet underground (presumably 50 feet beneath subject/caster's current position), usually in a form of suspended animation.

My question - what if 50 feet below there is *already* a fairly large open space, for example the third or fourth dungeon level down? Does the spell just transport the subject 50 feet down, leaving them on that level? Does it leave them there in suspended animation? Does it still make the earthen or stone enclosure around the subject, thereby possibly blocking or collapsing corridors at that level? Or would it simply fail to work?

[Turhan's Bey Company]

I'd have the spell deposit the target in any convenient rocky place at something vaguely resembling the spell's depth. If the target has to be a few feet higher or lower and has to move a few feet to the left to actually be inside some rock, that'll be fine. The only circumstance under which I'd have it not work at all is if there's just no possible there there (frex, if the caster and target are on a small spaceship).

[vitruvian]

I'd have the spell deposit the target in any convenient rocky place at something vaguely resembling the spell's depth. If the target has to be a few feet higher or lower and has to move a few feet to the left to actually be inside some rock, that'll be fine.

That sounds fair. Of course, that allows for the possibility of an Entombed character being freed with a minimal amount of digging or chipping away at stone walls, if you knew where they went. Sense Life or Absolute Direction would probably be helpful here.

Now, what about if you cast it on yourself, leaving yourself conscious? One good casting of Earth to Air might be all you need to pop out on another dungeon level.

And then there's always the chance that my Stoneworms will find you and consider you a delicacy before you have the chance....

[vitruvian]

Secondary question - does the subject of Entombment need to be a living creature, or could it be targeted on, say, a chest of treasure and used as a quick way to bury said treasure?

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by vitruvian

The Entombment spell puts the subject into a small space 50 feet underground (presumably 50 feet beneath subject/caster's current position), usually in a form of suspended animation.

My question - what if 50 feet below there is *already* a fairly large open space, for example the third or fourth dungeon level down? Does the spell just transport the subject 50 feet down, leaving them on that level? Does it leave them there in suspended animation? Does it still make the earthen or stone enclosure around the subject, thereby possibly blocking or collapsing corridors at that level? Or would it simply fail to work?

Since he remains "Entombed" until rescued by tunneling, if 50 feet below the cave floor there's another cave, then he's "rescued" as soon as he arrives.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by vitruvian

Secondary question - does the subject of Entombment need to be a living creature, or could it be targeted on, say, a chest of treasure and used as a quick way to bury said treasure?

The Spell of Forlorn Encystment (from the Dying Earth stories) seemed to be used only on living targets, but Entombment doesn't look to have any special restrictions... As a Regular, Resisted spell, it should work on anything with a HT score, though it seems a bit frivolous to bury treasure that way.

[Harald387]

Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery

The Spell of Forlorn Encystment (from the Dying Earth stories) seemed to be used only on living targets, but Entombment doesn't look to have any special restrictions... As a Regular, Resisted spell, it should work on anything with a HT score, though it seems a bit frivolous to bury treasure that way.

Well, you get to bury it instantly (instead of wasting all that time and effort digging a 50-foot hole).

The hole doesn't leave a trace the way digging up 50 feet of dirt would.

You can *bring it back up* instantly, too, by casting the spell again.

And really, who digs *fifty feet down* looking for the buried treasure? Even if someone else knows where you put it, if they don't know exactly what you did with it, they're likely to give up before they reach it.

That's actually really darn useful, even for the rather high FP expenditure.

[Peter V. Dell'Orto]

My old gaming group used Entombment for treasure all the time. The "suspended animation" bit helped, too, because there was much less concern about spoilage or rotting or storage problems. Costs 10 FP, minus spell costs. Recovery is at most 100 minutes, usually more like 50 or 20 thanks to Recover Energy. How many FP does digging a big pit and burying your treasure cost? How much time? Concealing it is how difficult? Heck, it's a better utility spells for storing prisoners and treasure than it is an attack spell.

FWIW, with that same group I did "50 down" rigidly. So if 50' down there was a cave, whatever was entombed popped out there and fell to the floor. Mostly I did it because it seemed logical and funny, and they occasionally used it to their own benefit (like Entombing someone on a platform over and active volcano to defeat him).

[vitruvian]

Heck, it's a better utility spells for storing prisoners and treasure than it is an attack spell.

Ooh, that would be a nasty tactic on the part of a gang of kidnappers, wouldn't it? On the one hand, less worry about the kidnap victim being harmed; on the other, little likelihood of recovery if you don't take the kidnappers alive and get the information out of them.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by Harald387

That's actually really darn useful, even for the rather high FP expenditure.

Certainly not useless, but not especially useful compared to the cheaper (and more reliable) Shape Earth.

As an aside: I have ruled that the Suspended Animation spell is an additional prerequisite to account for that intrinsic effect. A variant, based on the spell as cast on oneself, with no concern as to life support, is suggested.