Stone Shape Entrapment & Other Questions

[daemonslye]

Can the spell stone shape be used to entrap a creatures legs?
What if the creature is not moving (helpless? entangled?)?
If prepared correctly, could this not be used to create a pit
(using multiple castings), then cover said pit and finally, a
readied stone shape to drop someone crossing it (assume this is
an at-will ability); If creatures were climbing, could stone shape
be used to turn rough walls to slick (I assume yes); Assume up to
18cu feet could be affected. What other ideas could be used?
Spikes on the floor? Falling stalactites (assume the caster is climbing
or flying to touch the ceiling)? Could a stone cage be made? Does
stoneshape affect the "brittleness" of stone? Are craft checks
necessary (think a 1cm thick covering created over a pit; how to
make it so it does not collapse under its own weight but will if any
other is applied; is this "fine detail")? Could a tube be created
around a caster with a 1ft hole at eye level (line of effect open
to enemies)?

PHB.p.284 STONE SHAPE -

You can form an existing piece of stone
into any shape that suits your purpose. For
example, you can make a stone weapon, a
special trapdoor, or a crude idol. Stone shape
also permits you to reshape a stone door to
make an exit where one didn’t exist or to
seal a door shut. While it’s possible to
make crude coffers, doors, and so forth
with stone shape, fine detail isn’t possible.
There is a 30% chance that any shape
including moving parts simply doesn’t
work.

 

[Mahali]

Can the spell stone shape be used to entrap a creatures legs?
What if the creature is not moving (helpless? entangled?)?
If prepared correctly, could this not be used to create a pit
(using multiple castings), then cover said pit and finally, a
readied stone shape to drop someone crossing it (assume this is
an at-will ability); If creatures were climbing, could stone shape
be used to turn rough walls to slick (I assume yes); Assume up to
18cu feet could be affected. What other ideas could be used?
Spikes on the floor? Falling stalactites (assume the caster is climbing
or flying to touch the ceiling)? Could a stone cage be made? Does
stoneshape affect the "brittleness" of stone? Are craft checks
necessary (think a 1cm thick covering created over a pit; how to
make it so it does not collapse under its own weight but will if any
other is applied; is this "fine detail")? Could a tube be created
around a caster with a 1ft hole at eye level (line of effect open
to enemies)?

PHB.p.284 STONE SHAPE -

Yes. I use a reflex save of 10+Spell lvl+stat mod.

Fine detail isn't possible so you can't get a really flat or polished aspect to it. But you could get it fairly smooth.

As for a trap, you're reshaping one piece of stone, not creating or elimanating more. You could make a pit by spreading the stone from the ground out across the floor. You could even leave a thin coating of stone that might break under someones weight.

It will most likely take multiple casting and possible on few peices of stone. I use a brick wall example. You cast Stone Shape on a brick wall and you get to shape one brick.

 

[Starglim]

Can the spell stone shape be used to entrap a creatures legs? What if the creature is not moving (helpless? entangled?)?

That would be two stone shapes, one to open a hole, and one to close it around the character's legs once he dropped in. A better option would be to grow the stone upwards into curls that wrapped around the victim's legs.

I would give the character a Reflex save if he could move his legs at all - if a character was badly enough entangled that he couldn't move his legs, he would be also too much entangled to fall into a hole. There would be no problem doing this to a helpless character.

The stone would not exert any pressure, only hold the victim in place.

If prepared correctly, could this not be used to create a pit
(using multiple castings), then cover said pit

For a 20th-level caster, it would take about four castings for a 10 x 10 x 10 pit.

Making a thin, fragile covering would be part of the last casting. I would count it as a moving part (see below).

and finally, a
readied stone shape to drop someone crossing it (assume this is
an at-will ability);

Should work, provided the caster has readied an action and can touch the stone surface with a bit of wet clay at the proper time.

If creatures were climbing, could stone shape
be used to turn rough walls to slick (I assume yes); Assume up to
18cu feet could be affected. What other ideas could be used?
Spikes on the floor? Falling stalactites (assume the caster is climbing
or flying to touch the ceiling)? Could a stone cage be made?

Smooth (but not slick) walls, spikes and a stone cage would be OK. Rigging stalactites to fall when triggered by vibration would count as a moving part, maybe at a higher failure chance because it's a very delicate mechanism.

Does
stoneshape affect the "brittleness" of stone?

Neither one way nor the other, except that it closes up cracks and gaps. The shape would be as strong as a natural solid piece of bedrock of that thickness.

Are craft checks
necessary (think a 1cm thick covering created over a pit; how to
make it so it does not collapse under its own weight but will if any
other is applied; is this "fine detail")?

I think fine detail would be closer to 5mm or 1/4 inch, such as you would need to create text or form a moving axle. The spell is not physically capable of making something more precise than that, so a Craft check is not warranted as you simply don't have the tool to do the job. The spell already has a mechanic to handle over-complex shapes - the 30% failure chance for an object with moving parts. I would use that for anything that was designed to break, shift or roll in a certain circumstance.

Could a tube be created
around a caster with a 1ft hole at eye level (line of effect open
to enemies)?

Certainly, if you can affect the required volume of stone. It sounds like a deathtrap for the caster to me.

edit: A pillbox with a 1' hole would give you standard cover at best, unless you crouched down and lost your line of sight/effect.