Is "Shape Earth" stupid good?

[shonuff]

Played around with my first Creation specialist, and I really read over "Shape Earth". Wow. Is it just me, or this spell seriously quest-breaking? And there's no real defense against it (unless you count maybe Glyph of Sealing, and even then).

Lots of spells can be argued to be overpowered, I know, but "Shape Earth" can make mincemeat out of a quest? Can't figure out a riddle for the magic door? Shape it open. Don't want to fight your way past the horde to kill the general? Shape a hole and send a rogue in. Trapped by darkspawn in the Deep Roads? Why fight when you can point "Shape Earth" at a wall (OK, that one's a stretch).

[Hellebore]

Yeah, we've all watched Avatar: The last airbender and keep calling it earth bending...

I had an idea where you get several rows of mages all with this skill and use them to continually build new walls outside your castle ala ba sing se - the enemy demolishes one and then you build another one. You can also create a maze outside your castle and change the walls so your flame burst mages have line of sight then block it off when you crispy fry everything.

You can also build walls and arches and then stop the spell causing them to fall on any enemy walking underneath...

Hellebore

[shonuff]

You can also build walls and arches and then stop the spell causing them to fall on any enemy walking underneath...

^
That's my favorite.

[RestlessEntity]

Wow,now that you mention it...
And I thought , the Set 1-"Horror" was a gamebreaker....

[Crazydwarf]

I had an idea where you get several rows of mages all with this skill and use them to continually build new walls outside your castle ala ba sing se - the enemy demolishes one and then you build another one.

Or how about having the castle creep along the ground like a giant snail, crushing the enemies, driving them before you, and hearing the lamentations of your GM.

I never pondered the overpoweredness of what I concive as a pure utility spell.
But that might be because I don't really like stuff such as magical riddle doors or puzzle floor rooms.
It's a bit too Zelda for my taste.

I don't see a huge difference from earthbending a hole in a wall to send a Rogue in, and the Rogue himself using a common and very mundane rope to scale the wall.

[shonuff]

1. I like Conan and respect that reference.
2. I would imagine that the target of an adventuring party would be the most defensible position... fewest windows and entrances. Shape Earth makes a new entrance (and hopefully at the desired position).

[Crazydwarf]

2. I would imagine that the target of an adventuring party would be the most defensible position... fewest windows and entrances. Shape Earth makes a new entrance (and hopefully at the desired position).

So the party has:
1. Ensured that they infact have a mage with an arguably pointless and fluffy utility spell (compared to any flashycool attack spell)
2. Come up with, what I consider a clever plan and use for said spell.
3. Probably taken substantial measures to aquire the blueprints (or a similar map) of the castle.

Heck I'd be impressed, not distraught on how the players evaded the massive combat encounter I had set up.
Personally I'd think the players are made of awesome, screw that combat encounter, I'm giving them extra XP for this stunt.

[shonuff]

Yup. I would, too. Especially because most Creation spells aren't very flashy or (apparently) useful. Spring, for instance, looks worthless, but is a must-have (imho) for Deep Roads exploration. I wonder how many mages (even spirit healers) go down the creatiion mage path.

[RestlessEntity]

I actually have some pretty neat ideas,what I would do with a creation specialised mage...
maybe I should do him as an NPC someday....?

Na,bad Idea....
I would be most leikely to crash my own campaign....

[si1vergecko]

As amusing as all of those ideas are, and believe me I found a few of them to be amusing, there is the part where shape earth can only be used on materials within 6 yards.

[Elfie]

It also specifies "The spell allows you to move earthen materials with an effective Strength equal to twice your Magic."

[shonuff]

As amusing as all of those ideas are, and believe me I found a few of them to be amusing, there is the part where shape earth can only be used on materials within 6 yards.

20 ft is still a good distance!

It also specifies "The spell allows you to move earthen materials with an effective Strength equal to twice your Magic."

Which doesn't really actually mean anything. Say you're using Shape Earth on a castle wall with a Magic score of 5. So you're at a 10 Strength, which IMO could move a great deal. Also, the spell is ambiguous enough to me that the caster doesn't have to move the entire material. You don't have to shape the entire boulder blocking the cave, just enough to make an opening.