I'm trying to find out if this works. An Open Hand monk with access to the Mold Earth cantrip, creates a hole behind his enemy. Then does a Stunning Strike. Then uses Flurry of Blows to knock the enemy backwards into the hole. The enemy remains stunned until the end of the monk's next turn. The monk uses the next turn to Mold Earth again, causing it to move along the ground into the hole, insta-burying the enemy (like being trapped in an hourglass as it fills with sand, but instantly). Does this work? I can't find a reason why it wouldn't work.
As for the enemy who finally becomes unstunned, the only references I could find to being buried were in Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan and Dragons of Icespire Peak. In the Hidden Shrine, it suggests being able to escape with a DC 15 strength (Athletics) check and would take 1 minute, in which case the enemy would have suffocated by then.
the rubble engulfs the digger completely, and the trapped character can’t breathe until dug out. Struggling out on one’s own requires a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check, and doing so takes 1 minute.
In Icespire Peak, it says that they would be Restrained, which eliminates all movement speed, so they can't dig themselves out.
A buried creature is blinded and restrained, has total cover against attacks, and begins to suffocate when it runs out of breath (see “Suffocation” in the rulebook). Only a creature that is not trapped in the tunnel can clear away the collapse, using an action to open up the 5-foot-deep section of tunnel closest to it. A creature in that space is no longer buried.
So, does this work and is there a way out? Thanks in advance for helping. I have a player multiclassing monk/druid.
Stunning strike doesn't cause them to lose their breath or ability to breathe (someone with the stunned condition "can speak only falteringly"), and holding your breath doesn't require an action or a reaction, so I feel like most reasonable DMs would allow the enemy to hold their breath when the dirt gets moved over them. "A creature can hold its breath for a number of minutes equal to 1 + its Constitution modifier (minimum of 30 seconds)." So depending on their Con, they might be able to hold out long enough. Also, I'm seeing a number of other spells, andcreatures who only take a Strength check of varying DC as an action to escape, with no 1 minute of digging time. Considering this is a cantrip and only 5 feet of loosely packed earth, taking a full minute to escape seems a bit much. You could try also using the mold earth feature of turning the loose earth into difficult terrain, that might up the DC on any check. So if they have a low CON they'd have at least 4 rounds (1st round being the one where they're still stunned) to make Strength checks as actions, and gives you 4 rounds to get away if that's what you want to do.
So maybe not deadly, but I can't see an issue with the attack-bury combo.
That is really helpful! Thank you. According to those links, if an ancient blue dragon knocks some of the ceiling down onto someone, it requires only a DC 10 strength check to get out. But if a Zaratan knocks a structure onto you, it takes a DC 20 strength (Athletics) check to get out. But with two friends on the outside helping you it's an instant success. I think I'll split the difference on the DC 15 athletics check and add the advantage if someone helps, and insta-success if two people help.
That is really helpful! Thank you. According to those links, if an ancient blue dragon knocks some of the ceiling down onto someone, it requires only a DC 10 strength check to get out. But if a Zaratan knocks a structure onto you, it takes a DC 20 strength (Athletics) check to get out. But with two friends on the outside helping you it's an instant success. I think I'll split the difference on the DC 15 athletics check and add the advantage if someone helps, and insta-success if two people help.
Bear in mind you can't assume the rules from one thing being on you translate to rules for something else being on you. Mold Earth only works on "dirt or stone" that is also "loose earth", so it's more restricted than getting a standard burrow speed to work. Also, all three creatures fail to move you - they knock you down and drop rocks of some sort on you. Your question involved a target who wasn't prone but was buried, which means standing up is useless and movement is necessary in order to unbury.
The answer relevant to this forum is that we have no RAW in general for being buried, but because Mold Earth definitionally only works on loose earth, you may be interested in the RAW for escaping quicksand:
A creature in quicksand is always sunk in 2 or more feet of it.
As long as the creature isn’t completely submerged in quicksand, it can escape by using its action and succeeding on a Strength check. The DC is 10 plus the number of feet the creature has sunk into the quicksand (so the DC is 12+).
"Escape" is not defined, so it's up to the DM where the creature ends up after escaping.
A creature that is completely submerged in quicksand can’t breathe and has no rules for escaping unless it has a burrow speed.
A creature can pull another creature within its reach out of a quicksand pit by using its action and succeeding on a Strength check. The DC is 5 plus the number of feet the target creature has sunk into the quicksand (so 7+).
For both of the Strength checks above, the standard Help rules would apply in case you have enough creatures for someone to help the creature making the check.
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I'm trying to find out if this works. An Open Hand monk with access to the Mold Earth cantrip, creates a hole behind his enemy. Then does a Stunning Strike. Then uses Flurry of Blows to knock the enemy backwards into the hole. The enemy remains stunned until the end of the monk's next turn. The monk uses the next turn to Mold Earth again, causing it to move along the ground into the hole, insta-burying the enemy (like being trapped in an hourglass as it fills with sand, but instantly). Does this work? I can't find a reason why it wouldn't work.
As for the enemy who finally becomes unstunned, the only references I could find to being buried were in Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan and Dragons of Icespire Peak. In the Hidden Shrine, it suggests being able to escape with a DC 15 strength (Athletics) check and would take 1 minute, in which case the enemy would have suffocated by then.
In Icespire Peak, it says that they would be Restrained, which eliminates all movement speed, so they can't dig themselves out.
So, does this work and is there a way out? Thanks in advance for helping. I have a player multiclassing monk/druid.
Stunning strike doesn't cause them to lose their breath or ability to breathe (someone with the stunned condition "can speak only falteringly"), and holding your breath doesn't require an action or a reaction, so I feel like most reasonable DMs would allow the enemy to hold their breath when the dirt gets moved over them. "A creature can hold its breath for a number of minutes equal to 1 + its Constitution modifier (minimum of 30 seconds)." So depending on their Con, they might be able to hold out long enough. Also, I'm seeing a number of other spells, and creatures who only take a Strength check of varying DC as an action to escape, with no 1 minute of digging time. Considering this is a cantrip and only 5 feet of loosely packed earth, taking a full minute to escape seems a bit much. You could try also using the mold earth feature of turning the loose earth into difficult terrain, that might up the DC on any check. So if they have a low CON they'd have at least 4 rounds (1st round being the one where they're still stunned) to make Strength checks as actions, and gives you 4 rounds to get away if that's what you want to do.
So maybe not deadly, but I can't see an issue with the attack-bury combo.
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
That is really helpful! Thank you. According to those links, if an ancient blue dragon knocks some of the ceiling down onto someone, it requires only a DC 10 strength check to get out. But if a Zaratan knocks a structure onto you, it takes a DC 20 strength (Athletics) check to get out. But with two friends on the outside helping you it's an instant success. I think I'll split the difference on the DC 15 athletics check and add the advantage if someone helps, and insta-success if two people help.
It makes great zombie and skeleton traps.
Bear in mind you can't assume the rules from one thing being on you translate to rules for something else being on you. Mold Earth only works on "dirt or stone" that is also "loose earth", so it's more restricted than getting a standard burrow speed to work. Also, all three creatures fail to move you - they knock you down and drop rocks of some sort on you. Your question involved a target who wasn't prone but was buried, which means standing up is useless and movement is necessary in order to unbury.
The answer relevant to this forum is that we have no RAW in general for being buried, but because Mold Earth definitionally only works on loose earth, you may be interested in the RAW for escaping quicksand:
A creature in quicksand is always sunk in 2 or more feet of it.
While in quicksand, a creature is restrained.
As long as the creature isn’t completely submerged in quicksand, it can escape by using its action and succeeding on a Strength check. The DC is 10 plus the number of feet the creature has sunk into the quicksand (so the DC is 12+).
A creature that is completely submerged in quicksand can’t breathe and has no rules for escaping unless it has a burrow speed.
A creature can pull another creature within its reach out of a quicksand pit by using its action and succeeding on a Strength check. The DC is 5 plus the number of feet the target creature has sunk into the quicksand (so 7+).