D&D 5E Worldbuilding: destruction and siege via Mold Earth?

[AmandaBarbarian]

IF your interpretation of a written rule, even a spell is that a declared direct effect can not work, that is not an interpretation. IF you want to house rule fireball to only target 2 creatures that is fine as a house rule, but if you say "The rules are unclear and I interpreted it as effecting 2 targets" you are just wrong.

There are plenty of people on this thread and the shape water thread that are comeing pretty close to cheese, but for some reason "I use dig hole cantrip to dig holes" is a bridge too far...

 

[Umbran]

If the earth surrounding a wall was loose, removing that earth could effectively remove the buffer that might otherwise prevent gravity from damaging the foundation of the wall and the wall itself.

This seems to imply that loose earth can supply support. To supply support, there must be force upon that loose earth. How do you put force on loose earth without compacting it?

 

[greg kaye]

This seems to imply that loose earth can supply support. To supply support, there must be force upon that loose earth. How do you put force on loose earth without compacting it?

I'm working on the view that it can passively resist downward pressure.

 

[greg kaye]

“You choose a portion of dirt or stone that you can see within range and that fits within a 5-foot cube. You manipulate it in one of the following ways…”

I choose all the loose earth within a 5-foot cube that stretches down from the surface that I can see.

 

[AmandaBarbarian]

I choose all the loose earth within a 5-foot cube that stretches down from the surface that I can see.

right cause again like I said, if the spell can't do what it says and move the 5ft without perfect xray vision it should say that

 

[Umbran]

I'm working on the view that it can passively resist downward pressure.

In our world, if you take some nice loose potting soil, put a pile of it on the ground, and step on it, what's gonna happen?

 

[codo]

This seems to imply that loose earth can supply support. To supply support, there must be force upon that loose earth. How do you put force on loose earth without compacting it?

You are being to pedantic about "loose earth". If if worked like you are saying, the spell would literally do nothing. Any soil underground and not sitting on the surface is "compacted". Using your definition would make the spell nothing more then a broom, sweeping the surface dirt five feet.

If you can dig a whole in the ground with a shovel, it is "loose earth".

Mold earth can be an incredibly powerful spell in the right circumstances. It is literally "dig with the speed of a thousand men". I understand if you want to put some limits on it, like limiting it to a certain number of times per day, but the way to balance the spell is not to redefine it so that is is actually useless.

 

[greg kaye]

In our world, if you take some nice loose potting soil, put a pile of it on the ground, and step on it, what's gonna happen?

Potting compost could cake together. Some potting compost might get stuck on the footwear and other soil might get compressed on the ground. I don't view that sand compresses to the same type of extent but others may see parallels.

 

[Oofta]

You are being to pedantic about "loose earth". If if worked like you are saying, the spell would literally do nothing. Any soil underground and not sitting on the surface is "compacted". Using your definition would make the spell nothing more then a broom, sweeping the surface dirt five feet.

If you can dig a whole in the ground with a shovel, it is "loose earth".

Mold earth can be an incredibly powerful spell in the right circumstances. It is literally "dig with the speed of a thousand men". I understand if you want to put some limits on it, like limiting it to a certain number of times per day, but the way to balance the spell is not to redefine it so that is is actually useless.

It also doesn't make sense that a cantrip can "replace a thousand men".

 

[overgeeked]

It also doesn't make sense that a cantrip can "replace a thousand men".

Exactly. There’s also the question of if it makes sense that this infinitely castable cantrip is meant to be more powerful than similar high-level spells.