Stoneskin

[Machiavelli]

It's 250gp worth of diamond dust, not 250gp worth of diamonds, pulverized to dust. Making diamond dust takes a LOT of work, because diamonds are so hard, so I can imagine just a pinch of the stuff being worth 250gp.

On the grounds of that logic, I would say diamond dust and solid diamonds are not interchangable on a 1gp-for-1gp basis.

 

[VonRichthofen]

Would ashes count as dust as well? Burning a diamond isn't that hard... oh wait, it's pure carbon... not much left ashes-wise..

 

[Rystil Arden]

Interesting idea - do you want to start it?

Just for fun, I did

 

[lukelightning]

Ah yes, wizards and their diamonds. My fiance caught me cheating, and angrilly turned her engagement ring into 8 castings of stoneskin.

 

[Pyrex]

It's 250gp worth of diamond dust, not 250gp worth of diamonds, pulverized to dust. Making diamond dust takes a LOT of work, because diamonds are so hard, so I can imagine just a pinch of the stuff being worth 250gp.

On the grounds of that logic, I would say diamond dust and solid diamonds are not interchangable on a 1gp-for-1gp basis.

So, if I pulverize a 250gp diamond*, how much diamond dust do I then have?

How is it not, by definition, 250gp worth of diamond dust?

*Diamonds are hard, yes, but very brittle. Pulverizing one shouldn't require anything more exotic than a mortar & pestle and a few minutes. Perhaps one subjected to a Hardening spell if you prefer.

 

[pallandrome]

Shatter is a 2nd level spell, with a chip of mica as the material componant. I think it'll be pretty easy for me to make diamond dust

 

[frankthedm]

On the grounds of that logic, I would say diamond dust and solid diamonds are not interchangable on a 1gp-for-1gp basis.

Some spells call for an XXXX gp diamond so you can't rely on dust anyways.

 

[SlagMortar]

So, if I pulverize a 250gp diamond*, how much diamond dust do I then have?

How is it not, by definition, 250gp worth of diamond dust?

*Diamonds are hard, yes, but very brittle. Pulverizing one shouldn't require anything more exotic than a mortar & pestle and a few minutes. Perhaps one subjected to a Hardening spell if you prefer.

I agree that diamonds, especially low quality diamonds - those with lots of flaws and other materials mixed in - should be fairly easy to turn into dust.
That's exactly why a 250 gp diamond is not longer worth 250 gp when ground into dust. It would be worth much less because the same quantity of diamond dust could be created from several smaller, cheaper diamonds. An XXXX gold piece diamond is worth much less when turned into dust.

Edit: Of course that is much more realism than I would actually bring into a game.

 

[Seeten]

I'd rule that the spell could use the solid diamond, turning it into dust itself, but I'm crazy like that.

I'd also let the player just cross off 250gp and be done with it, too. Realism, Shmealism.

 

[blargney the second]

We just convert gp straight into spells the players want to cast. We like to KISS.