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<blockquote data-quote="Greenfield" data-source="post: 5488611" data-attributes="member: 6669384"><p>The Wall of Force would stop the object cold without transferring any of its energy to the array. Immovable and all that.</p><p></p><p>In any case, once the array is moving at whatever "terminal velocity" you manage to achieve, your redirected projectiles won't catch it to accelerate it any farther.</p><p></p><p>Same issue with the Gust of Wind. A wind that moves at 50 mph can't push your array any faster than that, no matter how many times you apply it, nor what intermediate object you bring in. The spell deals with velocities as an absolute value.</p><p></p><p>It's one of the problems with trying to mix magic and physics. Magic presumes absolutes, and physics doesn't recognize that there are any. No "unmoving" point in space, no absolute reference for speed, none of that.</p><p></p><p>The idea that gravity is negligible in space is just plain wrong. Currently the only way we get into space is by achieving orbital velocity, so the common perception is that once you're there, you're weightless. You aren't. You're in free fall, with gravity pulling you so hard that you have to have thousands of miles per hour of lateral movement to let you "miss" the planet. (i.e. orbital velocity). Without that velocity you'll come down hard and fast, and leave a fiery trail across the sky as you burn up on re-entry. </p><p></p><p>Oddly, the spell doesn't say you can apply X amount of lift. It says it levitates an object of up to X pounds. The spell can't affect aheavier object at all.</p><p></p><p>Again, magic doesn't always work the way gut-level physics suggests that it should. It deals in absolutes. In any case, the idea of stacking a spell effect with itself is already addressed in the rules, and it's a no-no.</p><p></p><p></p><p>In relation to whatever the DM says. And that's really the only answer there can be, in the end.</p><p></p><p>Consider the simple spell Lightning Bolt. Explain how, in a world where physics are somehow secretly there, one can direct electricity by pointing a finger? The discharge would arc to the nearest grounded object (probably the caster), not blast outwards simply because a bony digit happened to be pointing in that direction.</p><p></p><p>Physics says explicitly that matter can be neither created nor destroyed. Reconcile that with Wall of Stone and Disintegrate.</p><p></p><p>Can't be done, can it?</p><p></p><p>So, while thought experiments can be fun, trying to selectively decide which game rules and physical laws apply and which ones don't isn't so much a thought experiment as a daydream.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Greenfield, post: 5488611, member: 6669384"] The Wall of Force would stop the object cold without transferring any of its energy to the array. Immovable and all that. In any case, once the array is moving at whatever "terminal velocity" you manage to achieve, your redirected projectiles won't catch it to accelerate it any farther. Same issue with the Gust of Wind. A wind that moves at 50 mph can't push your array any faster than that, no matter how many times you apply it, nor what intermediate object you bring in. The spell deals with velocities as an absolute value. It's one of the problems with trying to mix magic and physics. Magic presumes absolutes, and physics doesn't recognize that there are any. No "unmoving" point in space, no absolute reference for speed, none of that. The idea that gravity is negligible in space is just plain wrong. Currently the only way we get into space is by achieving orbital velocity, so the common perception is that once you're there, you're weightless. You aren't. You're in free fall, with gravity pulling you so hard that you have to have thousands of miles per hour of lateral movement to let you "miss" the planet. (i.e. orbital velocity). Without that velocity you'll come down hard and fast, and leave a fiery trail across the sky as you burn up on re-entry. Oddly, the spell doesn't say you can apply X amount of lift. It says it levitates an object of up to X pounds. The spell can't affect aheavier object at all. Again, magic doesn't always work the way gut-level physics suggests that it should. It deals in absolutes. In any case, the idea of stacking a spell effect with itself is already addressed in the rules, and it's a no-no. In relation to whatever the DM says. And that's really the only answer there can be, in the end. Consider the simple spell Lightning Bolt. Explain how, in a world where physics are somehow secretly there, one can direct electricity by pointing a finger? The discharge would arc to the nearest grounded object (probably the caster), not blast outwards simply because a bony digit happened to be pointing in that direction. Physics says explicitly that matter can be neither created nor destroyed. Reconcile that with Wall of Stone and Disintegrate. Can't be done, can it? So, while thought experiments can be fun, trying to selectively decide which game rules and physical laws apply and which ones don't isn't so much a thought experiment as a daydream. [/QUOTE]
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