Stone Shape Spell

[Drathric]

What is the extent of the stone shape spell's capabilities? Can it be used to fuse multiple pieces of stone together? Also can it be used to crush something in a stone container?

The reason I ask is I had a fellow party member use the spell to crush a creature in a stone box. The box had a lid and took up more total space than was allowed by the spell, but the amount of stone that was effected was within the acceptable range. The DM allowed it, but I wonder how legitimate the use was. Has anyone encountered this use for the spell? If so, what kind of rules did you employ for damage dealt?

[jedipotter]

The spell is very vague and has lots of fluff and no crunch. The spell text is a hold over to 2E when the spell could do anything.

But 3.5E limits such spells, but they did not get around to cleaning up this spell. And by RAW the spell can do anything, within the limites of the description.

Now allowing automatic kills with crushing stones is a bit much. Most DM's would not want a low level utility spell that is more powerful then most higher level combat spells.

In my game, stone shape is S-L-O-W. You could never use it to trap or crush someone with 'animated stone'. You can still do tricks like cause rocks that are set up behind a stone rise to fall, but no crazy stuff.

[Drathric]

The box in question already contained the creature before the spell was used, so the spell wasn't really being used to trap it.

[Frostthehero]

I have two possible ways for you to handle this. I will tell you that the instant kill was not legitimate. Possibility one is treating it as a crush attack by a colossal creature. because of the confined space, this seems adequate. The other possibility is the way I imagine stone shape. Instead of moving stone, I simply imagine the stone as being dissipated, and replaced where it was to be put (instead of move earth, Imagine it as a stone teleporter). Either way, there would not be an instant kill.

[jedipotter]

The box in question already contained the creature before the spell was used, so the spell wasn't really being used to trap it.

Well, if you want to do the crushing box...you will need to homebrrw it. It should not be auto kill or save or die. Maybe a grapple check. Give the caster a plus for thier spellcasting ability. Maybe damage if the caster can hold the creature with stone. Maybe 3D6 damage per round fort save for half and the caster must concentrate.

[Agrias]

Very old threat but still relevant. I see many people assuming this spell to be something it's not, making it way too powerful like I did at first.

Key part to understand how this spell works is in the description of component needed: Soft clay, which must be worked into roughly the desired shape of the stone object and then touched to the stone while the verbal component is uttered.

Which makes it pretty obvious you can't do a lot of things cause of it since it just change the shame of 10cu ft +1/lvl to a shape of a clay you formed so you wouldn't be even able to block existing open entrance with it because there is just no way to move the stone to a place where it wasn't to begin with. (well you could shape a big rock into a wall and then physically push the stone yourself to move it and block some path but often it would be too heavy to do.) It's really pretty weak spell only good for making some holes.