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Worldbuilding: destruction and siege via Mold Earth?
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<blockquote data-quote="UngainlyTitan" data-source="post: 9054356" data-attributes="member: 28487"><p>Speaking as an ex farmer, this really depends. If the soil is covered with grasses, then the top 2 - 3 inches (5 to 8 cm) of soil is a net of intertwined roots and soil that takes a bit of effort with a shovel or spade. Once that is cleared the next couple of feet can be very easy to move.</p><p>The key here is how much top soil there is before contact with the mud. Some places the topsoil can be a foot (30cm ) or less. Alluvial basins can have a huge amount of topsoil. Miosture, content and stones can have a large impact to digging with a spade or shovel. Soil with a lot of small stone flakes could be difficult to dig with tools and perhaps easy with Mold Earth.</p><p>I would expect that the level of the winter water table will have a big impact.</p><p></p><p>For adjudicating the spell the questions to answer is can mound earth cut the top sod. My inclination would be to say no, so it would only work if the top sod is broken up because the ground is already tilled or the sod has been broken up by a plough. This would still make the spell extraordinarily useful in road making. </p><p>Use a plough to break up the top sod and mold earth to clear to the compact clay below then add in your foundations.</p><p></p><p></p><p>I am inclined to agree with you on the ability to immediately excavate compacted soils. However, if it can make soil or rock into difficult terrain then it can loosen soil. Cause shapes to appear on a soil surface or ripples to make difficult terrain often enough and you are breaking up the structure of the ground. </p><p>That is pretty much what a plough or a gang of men with pick do. A plough turns a flat field in to difficult terrain. So, it is a matter of time to manipulate the ground to make it loose enough to excavate. </p><p>Now the spell implies that the manipulation of the structure of the soil to make difficult terrain is temporary of there is a question if that make it loose or non-compacted for a subsequent use of Mold Earth within the hour to excavate that piece of ground. </p><p>One could make an argument either way in my opinion.</p><p></p><p>True that.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="UngainlyTitan, post: 9054356, member: 28487"] Speaking as an ex farmer, this really depends. If the soil is covered with grasses, then the top 2 - 3 inches (5 to 8 cm) of soil is a net of intertwined roots and soil that takes a bit of effort with a shovel or spade. Once that is cleared the next couple of feet can be very easy to move. The key here is how much top soil there is before contact with the mud. Some places the topsoil can be a foot (30cm ) or less. Alluvial basins can have a huge amount of topsoil. Miosture, content and stones can have a large impact to digging with a spade or shovel. Soil with a lot of small stone flakes could be difficult to dig with tools and perhaps easy with Mold Earth. I would expect that the level of the winter water table will have a big impact. For adjudicating the spell the questions to answer is can mound earth cut the top sod. My inclination would be to say no, so it would only work if the top sod is broken up because the ground is already tilled or the sod has been broken up by a plough. This would still make the spell extraordinarily useful in road making. Use a plough to break up the top sod and mold earth to clear to the compact clay below then add in your foundations. I am inclined to agree with you on the ability to immediately excavate compacted soils. However, if it can make soil or rock into difficult terrain then it can loosen soil. Cause shapes to appear on a soil surface or ripples to make difficult terrain often enough and you are breaking up the structure of the ground. That is pretty much what a plough or a gang of men with pick do. A plough turns a flat field in to difficult terrain. So, it is a matter of time to manipulate the ground to make it loose enough to excavate. Now the spell implies that the manipulation of the structure of the soil to make difficult terrain is temporary of there is a question if that make it loose or non-compacted for a subsequent use of Mold Earth within the hour to excavate that piece of ground. One could make an argument either way in my opinion. True that. [/QUOTE]
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