You choose an area of stone or mud that you can see that fits within a 40-foot cube and is within range, and choose one of the following effects.
Transmute Rock to Mud. Nonmagical rock of any sort in the area becomes an equal volume of thick, flowing mud that remains for the spell’s duration.
The ground in the spell’s area becomes muddy enough that creatures can sink into it. Each foot that a creature moves through the mud costs 4 feet of movement, and any creature on the ground when you cast the spell must make a Strength saving throw. A creature must also make the saving throw when it moves into the area for the first time on a turn or ends its turn there. On a failed save, a creature sinks into the mud and is restrained, though it can use an action to end the restrained condition on itself by pulling itself free of the mud.
If you cast the spell on a ceiling, the mud falls. Any creature under the mud when it falls must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 4d8 bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Transmute Mud to Rock. Nonmagical mud or quicksand in the area no more than 10 feet deep transforms into soft stone for the spell’s duration. Any creature in the mud when it transforms must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a successful save, a creature is shunted safely to the surface in an unoccupied space. On a failed save, a creature becomes restrained by the rock. A restrained creature, or another creature within reach, can use an action to try to break the rock by succeeding on a DC 20 Strength check or by dealing damage to it. The rock has AC 15 and 25 hit points, and it is immune to poison and psychic damage.
* - (clay and water)
So, you could turn rock to mud and while a creature is in the mud turn the mud back to rock...?
Yes, if you cast the spell twice
Just dispelling the spell would turn the mud back into rock, you don't need the second spell slot. Also, it specifically says 'non-magical' so the second spell wouldn't work anyway.
So could you transform the walls of a dungeon, or better yet a tower, into mud collapsing the entire structure?
Potentially, given time and enough spells, I'd wager, contingent on structure (wall thickness, wall composition, round vs square tower, etc.). A 40 foot cube (the spell's AoE) is 64,000 cubic feet of material, about 3100 - 3200 tons; quite a mess. Any structural or civil engineers out there? Buttressed structures could be particularly vulnerable. Let me know if I can siphon more fun from the question.
No.
"Nonmagical mud or quicksand in the area no more than 10 feet deep transforms into soft stone for the spell’s duration"
Mud you created will be magical.
Better to use Dispel Magic, its lvl 3 not 5 :)
Do people feel that the requirement of having mud, quicksand or rock under targets is pretty limiting here? Or would most DM's rule that pretty much any natural ground is composed of some combination of these?
I would.
This spell specifically says it transforms mud/quicksand into soft stone. Why the distinguishing adjective 'soft' in this case? It's not defined anywhere, and so doesn't seem to have any mechanical consequences what kind of stone the spell makes.
It makes the stone easier to break.
Y'know, Dc 20.
If you want a collapse, you'd only have to transmute part of the rock under the foundation. (Think war mining & petards.)
That strikes me as meaning it'll work everywhere but desert, so no undermining the tents of Bedouins. :D (Or their camels. ;p )
Incredible spell. Extremely versatile and can completely turn the tide of a losing battle if used right. It also stacks with difficult terrain effects like Spike Growth.
One interesting feature of this spell that is often overlooked is the ability to selectively choose what tiles are affected within the 40 foot cube. This lets you tactically shape the battlefield with much more control, avoiding party members and/or leaving a clear path for allies.
Thank you
Best part about this spell for a Druid... NO CONCENTRATION!
Would a creature with Freedom of Movement cast on it be unaffected by the mud created in this spell?
Freedom of Movement: You touch a willing creature. For the duration, the target’s movement is unaffected by difficult terrain, and spells and other magical effects can neither reduce the target’s speed nor cause the target to be paralyzed or restrained. The target can also spend 5 feet of movement to automatically escape from nonmagical restraints, such as manacles or a creature that has it grappled. Finally, being underwater imposes no penalties on the target’s movement or attacks.
Clearly the creature would be immune from being restrained. But what about the reduction in movement? I would consider the mud to be a magic effect and therefore would not hinder a creature's movement. Am I interpreting correctly?
In a strict reading of the spell, transmute rock still hinders a creature under the effect of freedom of movement. Transmute rock does not create difficult terrain; it says that each foot of movement costs four feet of movement. While difficult terrain functions similarly to this effect, the spell doesn't specifically state that it creates difficult terrain, and as such it doesn't do so.
Additionally, transmute rock does not reduce a creature's speed. A good example of a spell that reduces a creature's speed is ray of frost. A creature with a speed of 30 ft. that is hit by ray of frost has their speed reduced to 20 ft. (freedom of movement would prevent this), while the same creature traversing the mud created by transmute rock still has a speed of 30 ft.; it's just that each foot of their movement costs four feet of movement.
All that said, you're well within your rights to rule that freedom of movement allows a creature to traverse the mud of transmute rock unhampered if it's a better fit for your table! I'm just offering a purely rules-as-written reading of these two spells' interactions.
like soap stone. Pretty easy to break compared to granite.
If you were using this inside, say... a volcano... could this be used to transmute rock to lava, or lava to soft basalt? I'm thinking about giving this to a red dragon as a lair-shaping tool.
The spell says Rock to Mud and Mud to Rock.
I think this spell is overlooked. Not many aoe spells that can restrain and slow enemies don't require concentration.