Wall Of Force Question

[Diamond Cross]

The situation:

My players were on a cargo vessel and it was attacked by a pirate skiff. They were very close to sinking when the Wizard decides to use Wall Of Force to shore up the vessel or shape it into a box to escape to when the ship sinks.

The question is, how precise is the shaping of the Wall would you allow? Would you allow it to shore up the sides of the ship and what would be the effect? By effect
i mean would it add hit points etc...

 

[hong]

What do you mean by "shaping"?

The caster can form the wall into a flat, vertical plane whose area is up to one 10- foot square per level. The wall must be continuous and unbroken when formed. If its surface is broken by any object or creature, the spell fails.​

So, basically, you can use it to patch a hole in the side of the ship. If there's 2 holes, you need 2 walls. You can't use it to patch a hole in the bottom, since that would require a horizontal wall.

 

[joshjurg]

hrmmm... wall of force..

"The caster can form the wall into a flat, vertical plane whose area is up to one 10-foot square per level. The wall must be continuous and unbroken when formed. If its surface is broken by any object or creature, the spell fails."


So the box idea is out. Shoring up individual holes takes one casting per hole, from what the rules look like to me.



EDIT: Oh, my god. I didnt see the post above mine. Word for word the same thing almost...
Creepy..

 

[Deset Gled]

So, basically, you can use it to patch a hole in the side of the ship.

Actually, I would go one step more literal and not even allow that in most cases. As you quoted, the area is up to "one ten foot square per level" and must be "unbroken" at the time of casting. I take that to mean the wall is always a collection of ten-foot squares. Trying to cast in in a hole in an area smaller than ten feet, or trying to cast it in a non-square fasion would constitute breaking the wall, and the spell would fizzle.

Of course, I realize that this is a very unpopular reading of the spell, but I believe it is techinically accurate. It also puts a dead stop on BS like creating a razor thin WoF at neck level for enemies to run into. YMMV.

Also, you will have major issues with the fact that a WoF "cannot move". D+D physics are not very well equiped to deal with the whole "frame of reference" thing.

EDIT: Oh, my god. I didnt see the post above mine. Word for word the same thing almost...

You're thinking exactly like hong? Kill yourself now.

 

[hong]

You're thinking exactly like hong? Kill yourself now.

 

[shilsen]

I never realized how much Hong looks like Belkar. That explains soooo much

 

[Gerion of Mercadia]

This spell could be a real pain on a plane with subjective directional gravity...

Presuming you can define the "area" being filled in as a single unbroken plane, I would allow it.

 

[moritheil]

It would not add hit points - it is its own unbreakable effect as long as you maintain it.

I never realized how much Hong looks like Belkar. That explains soooo much

Strangely, it does . . .