[3.5] Breaking walls.

[D4rkh0rus]

As part of a campaign, I want to make a scene where an NPC literally breaks through a prison wall in 1 or 2 rounds to rescue an ally in there, The problem is that for level reasons, the NPC has to be at most a level 6 character.

In my search for this, I just can't find any good stuff other than Dungeoncrasher for break DCs, and the mountain hammer line of maneuvers for ignoring hardness...

But no matter how I look at it, Simply doing a full attack (with 6 BaB and maybe haste, pow att, and a huge hammer) Is way better at taking off 90-180 hp with hardness 8 than doing a single standard attack that ignores Hardness or trying to break a 35-45 DC str check.

Am I missing something somewhere?

[fishyfishyfishy]

Well there's also the dead levels article found here (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/cwc/20061013a), which can give you another +2 to the strength check. You'll be hard pressed to find anything other than what you already mentioned that will be applicable at such a low level. You might have to adjust your scene to allow for a little bit more time.

[frogglesmash]

Give him Nolzur's Marvelous Pigments (4,000 gp) and then have him paint cracks on the wall. Breaking through should be a breeze after that. There's also the classic Adamantine Greataxe, though that may cost significantly more.

[BowStreetRunner]

You could always add a backstory that a previous prisoner had been working away at the wall for years before dying in the prison, the wall still intact. One of the guards could even boast of how futile it would be to attempt to break out, pointing out the damaged wall in the now unused cell while leading the prisoner to his own cell down the hall. However, on the day of the prison-break the guards are forced to move the prisoner for some reason and put him temporarily in the cell with the weakened wall.

[Seclora]

Give him Nolzur's Marvelous Pigments (4,000 gp) and then have him paint cracks on the wall. Breaking through should be a breeze after that. There's also the classic Adamantine Greataxe, though that may cost significantly more.

I like this solution, very flavorful!


And, if you're not opposed to spells, Stone Shape is 3rd level for Clerics and Druids. A Cleric with the Strength Domain could even use Stone Shape to Weaken the wall and then use his daily +Cleric level to Str domain power as a bonus to the check to break the wall. Or just straight up create a hole in the wall, it is magic. You could even be clever and shape only the mortar, into a taunting message above the new pile of rubble that ensues when you move all of the mortar.

[Jeraa]

With Summon Nature's Ally III, you can get a thoqqua, which has a burrow speed than can go through stone and leaves a tunnel. Granted, it is only a 1' wide tunnel, but just have it burrow a couple of holes close together.

[LooseCannoneer]

The NPC could be a Barbarian with the Destructive Rage feat. That gives +8 to STR checks to destroy objects while raging.

[D4rkh0rus]

So, in essence, the best way to go about this without resorting to magic (Since the NPC's concept is of a melee fighter) is by full attacking... hmm.

[LooseCannoneer]

So, in essence, the best way to go about this without resorting to magic (Since the NPC's concept is of a melee fighter) is by full attacking... hmm.

Well, you don't have to Sunder the wall. Make it a brick wall. Brick walls tend not to do well if a barbarian with a +12 to strength destroys the bottom bricks. Barbarian 6 could hit two bricks per round, and probably turn each to powder. So, the question is, how many bricks need to be destroyed before the wall comes down?

[ericgrau]

The Kool-Aid Man race gives a +10 to your strength check to burst through the wall all in one go. :smalltongue:


I like this solution, very flavorful!
Yeah, the only thing is you could just paint a door with the pigments.

This old thread may help with the strength check:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-292156.html

[frogglesmash]

Yeah, the only thing is you could just paint a door with the pigments.
Except that uses significantly more paint.

[ericgrau]

Except that uses significantly more paint.

You usually hit the gp limit first, and a simple door only costs 10 gp.

[frogglesmash]

You usually hit the gp limit first, and a simple door only costs 10 gp.

Cracks are free.

[ericgrau]

Cracks are free.

No point in crazy rich adventurers being stingy. One pot is good for 2,000 gp worth of stuff, and the item doesn't exactly break the bank.

But there's also not much difference between 10 minutes and 10 minutes plus a round either. So you may want to paint a crack for style points.

[BowStreetRunner]

No point in crazy rich adventurers being stingy. One pot is good for 2,000 gp worth of stuff, and the item doesn't exactly break the bank.

But there's also not much difference between 10 minutes and 10 minutes plus a round either. So you may want to paint a crack for style points.

Just be careful what type of crack in the wall (http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Time_field) you paint. If your DM happens to be a Dr Who fan, you could end up painting yourself into a lot of trouble...