L^: d5, mu5	-	R#: 16" (mu: 1" per level)	-	D^: S
C^: v.s.m (mu: v.s.m)	-	CT: 7  (mu: 5)	-	S^: None
A^: (2" cube)*  (mu: 2 cubic " /level)	MP: 25	-	Transform element to negative quasi-element: MP.28	Transform element to para-element: MP.28

Effect: This spell turns natural rock of any sort into an =equal= volume of mud.

The depth of the mud can never exceed one-half its length and/or breadth.
If it is cast upon a rock, for example, the rock affected will collapse into mud.
Creatures unable to levitate, fly, or otherwise free themselves from the mud will sink and suffocate,
save for lightweight creatures which could normally pass across such ground.
The mud will remain until a dispel magic spell or a reverse of this spell, mud to rock, restores its substance --
but not necessarily its form.
Evaporation will turn the mud to normal dirt, from 1 to 6 days per cubic 1" being required.
The exact time depends on exposure to sun, wind and normal drainage.

MC.magicuser: Except as noted above, and that the material components for the spell are clay and water
 this spell is the same as the fifth level druid spell, transmute rock to mud.

DMG: Rate of sinking is 1‘ per segment,
    i.e. 1‘ per 6 seconds or 10 ’ per minute (round).
Brush thrown upon the surface will stop sinking of creatures able to climb atop it
(use discretion as to the amount of brush and the weight of creatures).
Ropes can be used to pull creatures out of the mire, assuming that sufficient power is available --
1 man/man, 10 men/horse (or vice versa).

Transmute Mud to Rock: The mud to rock reverse will harden normal mud into soft stone (sandstone or similar mineral)
permanently unless magically changed.
The mud [from a Transmute Rock to Mud] will remain until a dispel magic spell or a reverse of this spell, mud to rock,
restores its substance -- but not necessarily its form.

Transmute Mud to Rock.MC.magic-user: sand, lime, & water.

I avoid the whole issue by ruling that the rock is turned into nonmagical mud (hence not subject to Dispel)... i.e. that the process is magical but the resulting material is not.
- Frank Mentzer
 

garhkal wrote:
Gary. What wall spells are supposed to be affected by magic resistance?
Ie, if i cast a wall of iron over a drow, would the drow get squished, or would his MR kick in>
What about rock to mud under their feet???
 

Ciao!

As a matter of fact I did not allow a wall spell to be cast save if there was some surface the bottom edge it could rest upon.

If you allow them to be cast into the blue, then MR will not affect one in falling, as it is not a spell.
MR does not affect blosw from magic wea[ons, eh?
The same goes for rock turned to mud.

Cheers,
Gary
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Edena_of_Neith
Edena_of_Neith here. Hey there, Gary. Another frivolous question from Yours Truly! 

And you have come to the right person for a frivolous answer 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Edena_of_Neith
I never played the super-module T1-4 The Temple of Elemental Evil.
But I finally obtained a copy (long ago) and had a look at it.
I saw, therein, a super-dungeon with 10 or so levels.

And I thought ...

One mage with a Rock to Mud could take out the whole place.
How?
He, being 10th level, casts Rock to Mud. This liquifies an area of 20 feet by 20 feet by 20 feet per level. So a 10th level mage could liquify 10 of these 20x20x20 foot cubes. He could thus liquify an area of rock equal to 60 feet x 60 feet x 20 feet with the spell.
He throws the spell on level 1 of the Temple of Elemental Evil, liquifying the 60x60x20 foot parcel of rock.
Most everyone and everything (except undead and the like) on level 2 drowns as a good part of level 1 melts onto them.
The mud then roars down the stairs into level 3 and wrecks the place, drowning half the monsters there. It flows down further stairways to become a real annoyance on level 4, a slight annoyance on level 5, and everything below level 5 is probably wondering what in Iuz's name just happened?
It is possible that some of the major structural support of the place goes, creating cave-ins that bury more of the Temple, and perhaps causing a cascading effect.

The mage then departs via Teleport, and (cautiously) returns the next day to continue the procedure, until the entire Temple is destroyed.

If there are two or more mages of 10th level or higher present, the destruction of the Temple of Elemental Evil via Rock to Mud is accelerated.
Of course, the 10th level mage probably took the time beforehand (having long planned his attack on the Temple of Elemental Evil) to prepare Scrolls with Rock to Mud written many times on them. Thus, his initial attack involves many Rock to Mud spells, most of level 1 of the Temple is destroyed, and the mudflow drowns most everything below level 1 right off the bat (assuming, the entire Temple down to level 10+ doesn't collapse from the sheer weight of the mud!)

This form of attack could also be used against Castle Greyhawk and other dungeons, it seems to me.
And it seems to me this tactic - although bad as far as retrieving treasure goes - is quite good for destroying an enemy target with minimal risk to the mage and his party.

-

My questions are:

Would this tactic work?
If yes, how would Mordenkainen (when he was 10th level) pull it off?
If no, then why wouldn't it work?
If yes, have you ever used this tactic or a variant of it?
If yes, have your players ever used this tactic or a variant of it?

Yours Sincerely
Edena_of_Neith

My players know better than to try something sure to incur wrath <devious>

Such tactics are a matter for the DM to manage, and as one here is how I would handle an attempt of this sort.

"Sorry, Flubspell, but your Rock to Mud casting seems to fizzle out when it contacts the stonework of the temple. golly, I guess the builders must have imbued it with some fort of protection from this sort of assault on its integrity..."

"Oh, by the by, it seems that you are now turning a ghastly gray color. It seems as if yout attempt has invoked a curse of some sort, as you feel quite weak and not at all well..."

I'd use the same sort of response if someone tried that with any important campaign setting. To stop the rules lawyers from their shrill protests I's write up a few spells to cover constructions--anti-disintigration, anti-rock to mud, etc. Also a few retributive spells to be activated and aimed unerringly at any spell caster attempting to bring down a stricture by that sort or obvious and predicatble tactic. Just because such spells are not included in the standard roster doesn't mean they don't exist.

Cheers,
Gary
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Edena_of_Neith
Heh. I would most certainly use that Rock to Mud spell. I wouldn't have asked if I wouldn't have tried the tactic. I say: All is fair, in love and war and gaming! 

Heh, and I wasn't pointing a finger and fault-fnding. My players try all sorts of imaginative and generally underhanded tactics, and so do I when I am playing, not GMing 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Edena_of_Neith
If I were DMing, and the PCs Rock to Mudded my Temple of Elemental Evil, EVERY monster in the place would come up and attack (undead and elementals do not suffocate, and elementals can easily open paths of egress for everyone else.) The mage isn't there anymore? Ok, go sack Hommlet and torture the people there until the culprit is named! It's Crystal Ball time after that. Then teleport to the mage's location and ... but the mage went to the King of Verbobonc for protection? (The King of Verbobonc: Do you know what you've done? Why the High Necromancer himself had come before me, threatened me, the King. What daring! What outrageousness! What arrogance! What innocence! ...)

Why allow the players to mess up the campaig setting?