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Hello friends.
I have a bit of a dispute with a player and I want input from the forum.

RIVER OF LAVA IN SPACE.
Specifically on the bridge of a Capitol class starship. Does the spell create the necessary material to cause a flow of magma to erupt in the starship, or does it convert earth and stone into magma and thus is only effective on land.

If it creates the necessary material then this is the most devastating spell ever. I had a high level warlock cast this spell on the bridge of a warship killing the entire bridge crew and destroying several decks of a starship crippling a massive ship with only a handful of PPE. Total overpower and wrecking game balance in an already unbalanced system.

Alternatively, if warlocks need the necessary elements to work their spells earth warlocks are useless in space. A real possibility in my opinion but want a consensus from our friends here to create an overall ruling.

Greyaxe wrote:Hello friends.
I have a bit of a dispute with a player and I want input from the forum.

RIVER OF LAVA IN SPACE.
Specifically on the bridge of a Capitol class starship. Does the spell create the necessary material to cause a flow of magma to erupt in the starship, or does it convert earth and stone into magma and thus is only effective on land.

If it creates the necessary material then this is the most devastating spell ever. I had a high level warlock cast this spell on the bridge of a warship killing the entire bridge crew and destroying several decks of a starship crippling a massive ship with only a handful of PPE. Total overpower and wrecking game balance in an already unbalanced system.

Alternatively, if warlocks need the necessary elements to work their spells earth warlocks are useless in space. A real possibility in my opinion but want a consensus from our friends here to create an overall ruling.

Option 3: The Warlock neither creates, nor converts the element, but instead taps into the elemental plane and calls forth the effect from there. Ultimately this leads to the same effect as the create option, though it's thematically different.

Personally, if someone were to use that spell while on board a ship in a game I was running, I would rule that the lava ate through the hull, caused a breach that tore the ship in half, and killed everyone. I would only have to do that once before people got the message that they need to exercise caution and show some responsibility when using weapons of mass destruction on board a space ship.

Page 194 of Adventure on the High Seas book for PFRPG has a section about magic use at sea. It then gives a brief overview on how each of the mage classes can be useful at sea and some of the spells they can bring with them, to include a bit about warlocks. However, when it goes into each of the warlock classes individually, Earth warlocks are left out entirely. So I'm thinking there must be a restriction of some sort that makes their magic less effective while on the open seas, and if that's the case, then the same should apply while in outer space.

Now what exactly this restriction is and how it would apply in space I don't know. There aren't any details given on why Earth warlocks aren't included in that section.

UPDATE: I just thought to check the 1st Ed version of that book. In it, instead of saying what each mage OCC can bring it lists spells that would be useful at sea. There's a total of nine Earth warlock spells listed and River of Lava isn't one of them. Furthermore, under the Fire warlock it mentions that that spell can't be cast in water or on a ship. As a result, I must conclude that Earth warlocks are useless in space.

The Beast wrote:UPDATE: I just thought to check the 1st Ed version of that book. In it, instead of saying what each mage OCC can bring it lists spells that would be useful at sea. There's a total of nine Earth warlock spells listed and River of Lava isn't one of them. Furthermore, under the Fire warlock it mentions that that spell can't be cast in water or on a ship. As a result, I must conclude that Earth warlocks are useless in space.

Seems pretty clear then. No space lava.

Our starships are safe again. But, for how long...?

Braden Campbell wrote:Our starships are safe again. But, for how long...?

Until I finish my TW missiles
River of Lava +
Dimensional Portal (to provide the needed material)?
Or maybe lots of "Create wood"?
Or Create Metal?
Or...

Whatever it is, this new missile summons rivers of Lava onto the hulls of unsuspecting space ships
Muauahahahhahaha

Thanks for the idea muahahahahahahaha

Oh, TW Molten Hull Breaching Charge, using the spell River of Lava to create lava right on the hull of a ship to breach it!

Greyaxe wrote:Hello friends.
I have a bit of a dispute with a player and I want input from the forum.

RIVER OF LAVA IN SPACE.
Specifically on the bridge of a Capitol class starship. Does the spell create the necessary material to cause a flow of magma to erupt in the starship, or does it convert earth and stone into magma and thus is only effective on land.

If it creates the necessary material then this is the most devastating spell ever. I had a high level warlock cast this spell on the bridge of a warship killing the entire bridge crew and destroying several decks of a starship crippling a massive ship with only a handful of PPE. Total overpower and wrecking game balance in an already unbalanced system.

Alternatively, if warlocks need the necessary elements to work their spells earth warlocks are useless in space. A real possibility in my opinion but want a consensus from our friends here to create an overall ruling.

Considering that they had to board the enemy ship, and reach the bridge... i dont see the issue.