Mold Earth is my favorite utility spells. It can see use in combat, in some circumstances. FWIW, we define "loose earth" as any soil that could be moved by a wooden shovel. The semi-calcified hard pan of the western US does not qualify, nor does soil that has been turned into quasi-brick from the massive stone castle sitting on top of it, nor the kinds of dense clays that can snap a shovel handle.
Things I have used Mold Earth for that seem to be in the letter and spirit of RAW:
Hide corpses - bury a corpse in one round. Also works for McGuffins, small carts, and other things you want to keep enemies from running off with.
Instant cover - make a 5ft x 5ft x 5ft dirt pile plus a hole of similar size with one action.
Trap people in buildings - a 5x5x5 cube of dirt weighs around 12,500lbs, or 6 tons. Ain't no door opening with 6 tons of dirt on the other side. Even if it opens inward, they have to climb/crawl over the pile.
Signal - you can make up to two 5x5 symbol on a rock face that lasts up to an hour that you can cancel at will at any range
Trap charmed/stunned/paralyzed foes - have 6 tons of dirt bury them chest deep. They can get out...in several hours
Make a campsite - never underestimate the value of a) having a smooth, flat spot to sleep and b) having it raised several inches above the "puddle" level
Extinguish fires - 6 tons of dirt is good at putting out fires less than 5ft high. Can also just bury a camp fire.
Collapsing structures - most buildings don't like 5+ft holes opening up under walls or next to their foundations.
Power trebuchets - build a mound of dirt. Have up to 6 tons of it roll off the mound onto the trebuchet's counter-weight platform. Point and laugh. While the trebuchet is being reloaded with a dead cow or whatever, move the dirt back to the top of the pile.
Sneak under a wall - seems self evident but always seems to surprise people when I use it to bypass Walls of Fire/Force/Prismatic and Blade Barriers
There is also a high "social utility" to Mold Earth. Each casting is many hours of grueling, back-breaking labor.
The classic "dirt wagon track, full of ruts"? With some emphatic hand motions, you can smooth out the biggest ruts and pot holes.
Every farmer has a ditch or pond they need to dig out. An hour of hand waving is more than a half mile of ditch repair or making a pond 50ft across another 5ft deeper (assuming a lot of time is moving dirt away from pond)
While it can't till the plow-resistant soils, it can turn earth very deeply. In an hour you can till about a third of an acre to a depth of 5ft which does a lot to promote long term plant growth.
Prepare a building site - again, never underestimate the value of building on smooth, flat soil that is a few inches above the puddle level. Or dig out foundations in less time than if you had a back hoe.
Control Flames might seem a bit limiting and situational - but when you are in a party that likes to set things on fire, and a DM that has no trouble reminding the players of the unintended consequences of their actions - the situation of being able to quickly snuff out flame comes up a lot.
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If your boyfriend asks you to join his game, he really likes you ... and also, he needs a healer.
If you don’t know where I am, I’m either sleeping or roleplaying. If I’m doing neither of those things, except the worst. (Do not actually expect the worst) If you need to talk then PM me. Head Acolyte of The Tree Cult.
Mold Earth is my favorite utility spells. It can see use in combat, in some circumstances. FWIW, we define "loose earth" as any soil that could be moved by a wooden shovel. The semi-calcified hard pan of the western US does not qualify, nor does soil that has been turned into quasi-brick from the massive stone castle sitting on top of it, nor the kinds of dense clays that can snap a shovel handle.
Things I have used Mold Earth for that seem to be in the letter and spirit of RAW:
Hide corpses - bury a corpse in one round. Also works for McGuffins, small carts, and other things you want to keep enemies from running off with.
Instant cover - make a 5ft x 5ft x 5ft dirt pile plus a hole of similar size with one action.
Trap people in buildings - a 5x5x5 cube of dirt weighs around 12,500lbs, or 6 tons. Ain't no door opening with 6 tons of dirt on the other side. Even if it opens inward, they have to climb/crawl over the pile.
Signal - you can make up to two 5x5 symbol on a rock face that lasts up to an hour that you can cancel at will at any range
Trap charmed/stunned/paralyzed foes - have 6 tons of dirt bury them chest deep. They can get out...in several hours
Make a campsite - never underestimate the value of a) having a smooth, flat spot to sleep and b) having it raised several inches above the "puddle" level
Extinguish fires - 6 tons of dirt is good at putting out fires less than 5ft high. Can also just bury a camp fire.
Collapsing structures - most buildings don't like 5+ft holes opening up under walls or next to their foundations.
Power trebuchets - build a mound of dirt. Have up to 6 tons of it roll off the mound onto the trebuchet's counter-weight platform. Point and laugh. While the trebuchet is being reloaded with a dead cow or whatever, move the dirt back to the top of the pile.
Sneak under a wall - seems self evident but always seems to surprise people when I use it to bypass Walls of Fire/Force/Prismatic and Blade Barriers
There is also a high "social utility" to Mold Earth. Each casting is many hours of grueling, back-breaking labor.
The classic "dirt wagon track, full of ruts"? With some emphatic hand motions, you can smooth out the biggest ruts and pot holes.
Every farmer has a ditch or pond they need to dig out. An hour of hand waving is more than a half mile of ditch repair or making a pond 50ft across another 5ft deeper (assuming a lot of time is moving dirt away from pond)
While it can't till the plow-resistant soils, it can turn earth very deeply. In an hour you can till about a third of an acre to a depth of 5ft which does a lot to promote long term plant growth.
Prepare a building site - again, never underestimate the value of building on smooth, flat soil that is a few inches above the puddle level. Or dig out foundations in less time than if you had a back hoe.
You kind of lost me as soon as you defined "loose earth" so narrowly. But to each their own.
If you don’t know where I am, I’m either sleeping or roleplaying. If I’m doing neither of those things, except the worst. (Do not actually expect the worst) If you need to talk then PM me. Head Acolyte of The Tree Cult.
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Mold Earth is my favorite utility spells. It can see use in combat, in some circumstances. FWIW, we define "loose earth" as any soil that could be moved by a wooden shovel. The semi-calcified hard pan of the western US does not qualify, nor does soil that has been turned into quasi-brick from the massive stone castle sitting on top of it, nor the kinds of dense clays that can snap a shovel handle.
Things I have used Mold Earth for that seem to be in the letter and spirit of RAW:
There is also a high "social utility" to Mold Earth. Each casting is many hours of grueling, back-breaking labor.
Control Flames might seem a bit limiting and situational - but when you are in a party that likes to set things on fire, and a DM that has no trouble reminding the players of the unintended consequences of their actions - the situation of being able to quickly snuff out flame comes up a lot.
If your boyfriend asks you to join his game, he really likes you ... and also, he needs a healer.
Shillelagh is SO useful now. It used to be bad, but now, it's way better.
Roll for Initiative: [roll]1d20+7[/roll]
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I chose Shillelagh because it lets you say “Behold my magical buffed twig.”
Lightning flashes, it creates ash. The ash forms a human.
If you don’t know where I am, I’m either sleeping or roleplaying. If I’m doing neither of those things, except the worst. (Do not actually expect the worst) If you need to talk then PM me. Head Acolyte of The Tree Cult.
I used to a play a Druid who couldn't pronounce "Shillelagh" properly and referred to the spell as "Big Stick Energy".
pronouns: he/she/they
You kind of lost me as soon as you defined "loose earth" so narrowly. But to each their own.
Thorn whip is just so fun
Behold, my magically buffed twig is better.
Lightning flashes, it creates ash. The ash forms a human.
If you don’t know where I am, I’m either sleeping or roleplaying. If I’m doing neither of those things, except the worst. (Do not actually expect the worst) If you need to talk then PM me. Head Acolyte of The Tree Cult.