Magic Walls

[Veknironth]

Well, I see that most every magic wall spell has the same specifications regarding size, duration, and damage when dropped on someone. The differences are the clay wall being less dangerous, and the fire walls not being solid. So, I'm going to ask these questions for all the various walls. Also, this turned out to be way longer than I thought it would be so I made it an outline. Seriously, this is post is longer than most magic walls.

I. How much can they be shaped?
A. Can they be curved?
B. Can they create an arc or even a circle?
1. If yes, could you create a dome or cone?
C. What about an "L" shape or something with more angles in it?

II. How are they attached?
A. Do they always appear as free standing walls, perpendicular to the ground?
1. Can they be cast on a vertical surface, sort of becoming a platform?
2. If so, how much strength does it take to topple the wall?
B. Or, do they affix themselves magically to the ground?
1. What happens if they are cast on uneven ground? Does the wall conform to the contours?
2. What happens if the wall is cast on an incline?
a)Does the wall form perpendicular to the inclined surface or to something like sea level?
b)If not attached, does it just topple over or slide?
C. If attached to the ground, how solid is the attachment?
1. Same question as II-A-2
2. Is the attachment strength affected by the material to which the wall is attached? (I.e. earth, stone, etc.)
3. Does being attached to the surface allow for a wall to be angled in relation to the ground?
a)Is there a limit to the angle?
b)Does the angle affect the strength of attachment?
D. Does the material of the wall matter for any of these questions?

III. Horizontal Walls
A. Walls can be cast vertically and dropped on things.
1. Are they always oriented the same way?
a)if so, which way? | or --
b)can the caster choose?
2. Can they be used as an impromptu bridge?
3. What is the sheer strength of the bridge?
a)How much weight can it support, assuming it can support it's own weight?
b)Does this depend on the material out of which the wall is constructed?
B. Can walls be cast horizontally?
1. If it's longways | can it fill in a gap like a damn, be wedged in, and then be a bridge people walk across?
2. If it's sideways -- can it be attached to either side of an expanse?
a)all of the previous attachment questions apply
b)all of the previous curvature or angle questions apply.

IV. What if something is in the way?
A. Will the wall stop short at another physical barrier?
1. How big an obstacle is needed to stop the wall from spreading to its full length, height, or width?
B. Will it go around it?
1. How far out the way will the wall go around?
a)would the wall go up to an object and then run parallel as it tries to go around until the length of the spell is spent?
b)would it split around something like a tree? How close to the object would it be?
c)if it goes around, on which side does it go around the object?
C. Will it slam through it?
1. If so, how much damage does it do?
2. Does the matter state of the barrier matter (i.e. solid/liquid/plasma/gas)?

V. Fire Walls
A. Clearly they aren't attached, so do they hover in mid-air?
B. Can they be cast a foot off of the ground or something like 60 feet above the spell caster?
C. If cast above water, like on the ocean, does it create steam from the water below?
D. All of the questions about angles and curvature
E. How close does someone need to be to the Screaming Wall of Flame to be afraid of it?
1. In an open setting, would casting it way up in the air increase its area of effect because more people could see it? Or would it lessen the effect
because the wall isn't really reaching at someone that far away?

-Vek
"Snow day. Sorry"

[drewkitty ~..~]

ALL) This is dependent on if the player insists the wall they making is <whatever> and convinces the GM that they (the player) are right in that the spell conforms to the mage's intent. Otherwise they are flat vertical and conform to the floor/ground.
However, as per some wall making spell texts, walls can not be made in such a way that they will fall onto anyone as soon as they are made.

-drewkitty
"No materials 4 day weekend"

[kiralon]

I. How much can they be shaped?
A. Can they be curved?
B. Can they create an arc or even a circle?
1. If yes, could you create a dome or cone?
C. What about an "L" shape or something with more angles in it?

This will be mostly opinion as there has never been enough info
I. Limited to basic wall shapes, so it has to be wider than it is thick
Ia. Yes
Ib. If within the limit of the wall size an arc or circle yes
Ic. If they can imagine it, and if someone would look at it and call it a wall yes.

II. How are they attached?
A. Do they always appear as free standing walls, perpendicular to the ground?
1. Can they be cast on a vertical surface, sort of becoming a platform?
2. If so, how much strength does it take to topple the wall?
B. Or, do they affix themselves magically to the ground?
1. What happens if they are cast on uneven ground? Does the wall conform to the contours?
2. What happens if the wall is cast on an incline?
a)Does the wall form perpendicular to the inclined surface or to something like sea level?
b)If not attached, does it just topple over or slide?
C. If attached to the ground, how solid is the attachment?
1. Same question as II-A-2
2. Is the attachment strength affected by the material to which the wall is attached? (I.e. earth, stone, etc.)
3. Does being attached to the surface allow for a wall to be angled in relation to the ground?
a)Is there a limit to the angle?
b)Does the angle affect the strength of attachment?
D. Does the material of the wall matter for any of these questions?

A. One edge has to be along relatively clear, relatively level ground. Generally if you can build a wall there I have no issue with a magical one appearing there.
A1. Nope
A2 Unless there is some super saiyan glue holding the wall to the vertical surface the weight of the wall would make it drop, but I wouldn't allow a wall to appear there unless it also was on the ground.
B Depends, if its a physical wall like iron or stone, it would move like a wall that size would (sink into ground a bit normally)
If its a purely magic wall like fire or force magic keeps it where it is.
B1. Not limited to just horizontal angles so the mage could get it to mostly conform, definitely where he can see, but could be a few small gaps in the points he can't.
B2 The wall could be zigzagged down the incline as long as it wasn't too steep. I probably wouldn't allow walls on anything over a 45 degree incline. Id also say the wall would be perpendicular to the ground.
C Well considering the walls are usually tons the physical one are held by their own weight, if this causes an avalanche because the ground can slide bad luck. The magical ones however won't move.
C1. Whatever strength would be required to do so of the normal ones is required of the ones produced by magic, except the magic ones that can't be moved.
C2 Nope, no attachment, just weight, except magic ones which have no attachment, they just can't be moved.
C3 not attached to surface
D Yes, fire, force and the ilk are unmovable, stone, iron clay act like their real life

III. Horizontal Walls
A. Walls can be cast vertically and dropped on things.
1. Are they always oriented the same way?
a)if so, which way? | or --
b)can the caster choose?
2. Can they be used as an impromptu bridge?
3. What is the sheer strength of the bridge?
a)How much weight can it support, assuming it can support it's own weight?
b)Does this depend on the material out of which the wall is constructed?
B. Can walls be cast horizontally?
1. If it's longways | can it fill in a gap like a damn, be wedged in, and then be a bridge people walk across?
2. If it's sideways -- can it be attached to either side of an expanse?
a)all of the previous attachment questions apply
b)all of the previous curvature or angle questions apply.

A Not in my games they can't, and I tell that to the person before they pick the spell. I know the spell description says so in second ed but the idea of it is so ridiculous, and the damage it does nowhere near correct. Its one of those immersion breakers for me.

IIIa2. Yes some of them can be an impromptu bridge, stone and iron mostly as the others don't really lend themselves to the idea
IIIa3a Of the steel and iron ones pretty much anything the characters have plus horses and carts
IIIa3b yes, different materials equals different strengths.
IIIb yes
III3b1 yes but it won't be a perfect fit
III3b2 only if there is something to attach it to
III3b2a and b are the same yes.

IV. What if something is in the way?
A. Will the wall stop short at another physical barrier?
1. How big an obstacle is needed to stop the wall from spreading to its full length, height, or width?
B. Will it go around it?
1. How far out the way will the wall go around?
a)would the wall go up to an object and then run parallel as it tries to go around until the length of the spell is spent?
b)would it split around something like a tree? How close to the object would it be?
c)if it goes around, on which side does it go around the object?
C. Will it slam through it?
1. If so, how much damage does it do?
2. Does the matter state of the barrier matter (i.e. solid/liquid/plasma/gas)?

IV I give a bit of leeway but if its something solid the spell fails.
IVa only if it is imagined that way, if it tries to go through the barrier it will fail.
IVa1 Anything that gets a save vs magic will automatically stop it, anything that would alter its position if it was slowly placed as if from a crane, but this rule is fluid as I can't describe the place perfectly the caster gets leeway in its placement.
IVB If the caster imagines the wall going around obstructions, it does just that.
IVBabc All set by the caster when he imagines where the wall is going to be.
IVC Only if its avalanching down a hill and usually don't expect to survive it if it gets you. Many tons = lots of damage.

V. Fire Walls
A. Clearly they aren't attached, so do they hover in mid-air?
B. Can they be cast a foot off of the ground or something like 60 feet above the spell caster?
C. If cast above water, like on the ocean, does it create steam from the water below?
D. All of the questions about angles and curvature
E. How close does someone need to be to the Screaming Wall of Flame to be afraid of it?
1. In an open setting, would casting it way up in the air increase its area of effect because more people could see it? Or would it lessen the effect
because the wall isn't really reaching at someone that far away?

VA I don't play them as attached to the ground but I play them as if there is magical petrol grease on the ground where the spell is cast and that's where the fire comes from.
VB nope
VC nope
VD Always perpendicular (flames go up) can be cast with people in it (not solid). Will follow the ground level even if it is pretty rough. Still will only go up a 45 degree angle.
VE Auditory range where it is still loud.
VE1 If it was cast on top of something high (like a castle wall) it would effect more people as the sound would carry further, as well as the sight.

Generally walls are xyz in size, so basically Ill allow the wall to be constructed from those size blocks minecraft style but each facing needs at least %75 contact with the next blocks facing, but as I mentioned that I can't describe the terrain perfectly so I give a fair chunk of leeway.

[Library Ogre]

I. How much can they be shaped?
A. Can they be curved?
B. Can they create an arc or even a circle?
1. If yes, could you create a dome or cone?
C. What about an "L" shape or something with more angles in it?

I have such spells be assembled more or less in blocks. So, wall of stone allows you to cover 8*8*4 per level of experience... how you arrange them is up to you. A 3rd level caster might make a thick wall, 8*8*12, because he needs to stop up a smallish hallway. Or he might make a temporary shelter, making a three-sided structure. Or a two-sided structure with a roof.

II. How are they attached?
A. Do they always appear as free standing walls, perpendicular to the ground?
1. Can they be cast on a vertical surface, sort of becoming a platform?
2. If so, how much strength does it take to topple the wall?
B. Or, do they affix themselves magically to the ground?
1. What happens if they are cast on uneven ground? Does the wall conform to the contours?
2. What happens if the wall is cast on an incline?
a)Does the wall form perpendicular to the inclined surface or to something like sea level?
b)If not attached, does it just topple over or slide?
C. If attached to the ground, how solid is the attachment?
1. Same question as II-A-2
2. Is the attachment strength affected by the material to which the wall is attached? (I.e. earth, stone, etc.)
3. Does being attached to the surface allow for a wall to be angled in relation to the ground?
a)Is there a limit to the angle?
b)Does the angle affect the strength of attachment?
D. Does the material of the wall matter for any of these questions?

In general, they must be attached on at least one edge to the ground, but attachment varies according to the wall created and the surface created on... a stone wall created on a stone floor will probably blend into it, while a stone wall created on an earthen floor will rest on top of it. I assume they are very stable, with physical walls tapering a bit to enhance stability. I'd be leery of setting things at an angle, especially one designed to make the thing fall. I am not a fan of the "I create a wall of stone over his head and drop it".

[Axelmania]

I'm mostly interested in the partnership we would see between summoners (capable of summoning demon servants who can donate their bones, some of which who regenerate limbs so it wouldn't be a problem) and diabolists (capable of making permanence wards out of demon bone) and wizards (capable of casting spells like magic walls which should be able to be made permanent) to construct elaborate structures. Alchemists can do all 3 by themselves!