Expeditious Construction: What is a Simple Structure?

[Coidzor]

So Expeditious Construction (http://archivesofnethys.com/SpellDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Expeditious%20Construct ion) is a nice little first level spell that in its base form lets you make a packed earth or loose stone wall or a berm as the explicitly stated examples.

It also says that you can also make other simple structures instead of making it in the form of a wall.

What could that even mean, even just generally before applying the restrictions of the spell?


You create a low wall or other simple structure of packed earth or loose stone measuring 3 feet thick, 3 feet tall, and 10 feet long per 3 caster levels you possess (minimum 10 feet). Each square of the structure can appear only in unoccupied spaces atop earthen or stone surfaces able to support it. The wall grants cover as per a low wall and can be climbed with a successful DC 5 Climb check. Large and larger creatures don’t need to attempt a Climb check to climb over it.

At your discretion, you can make the structure half as long but thicker by forming it into a berm consisting of a steep slope on each side. Characters moving uphill (to an adjacent square of higher elevation) must spend 2 squares of movement to enter a square of steep slope. Characters running or charging downhill (moving to an adjacent square of lower elevation) must attempt a DC 10 Acrobatics check upon entering the first steep slope square. Mounted characters attempt a DC 10 Ride check instead. Characters who fail this check stumble and must end their movement 1d2 × 5 feet later. Characters who fail by 5 or more fall prone in the square where they end their movement. A steep slope increases the DC of Acrobatics checks by 2.

[Coidzor]

Could you, perhaps, use it to add in some crenelations or a low wall with arrow slits atop another, larger wall?

Or maybe just use it to make a short half-pipe or crest that only has a slope on one side instead of both sides like the berm has?

[noob]

It does not says which kind of other structure it can do so I have no idea what it could do.
Maybe the other structure you can do is a black hole of infinite mass made of earth and there would be no ways to know if that spell would allow it or not.

[Coidzor]

It does not says which kind of other structure it can do so I have no idea what it could do.

That's why I'm asking what other people think and positing some ideas that I had.

If I thought it was covered somewhere in the RAW somewhere, I'd have posted in the RAW Q&A thread. As this is more of a judgment call or grey area sort of question, I made a separate thread.


Maybe the other structure you can do is a black hole of infinite mass made of earth and there would be no ways to know if that spell would allow it or not.

This? Not helpful in the slightest. :smallsigh:

[noob]

In craft skill the term Very simple is used for objects which have a craft dc of 5.
So maybe it could allow structures that would have a craft dc of 5 since they would be very simple and thus simple.
Now it comes to what dc should a structure need for being built which is again very weird.
Simple is used also for a category of weapons so maybe structures which would also be a simple weapons could be created by this spell.
Also maybe there is structures which are described as simple(in their description) and so which might count.

[Florian]

The spell description actually mentions nearly any form that can be build.
I Think forming a 5ft tall stair is possible, as well as including a ridge down the low wall or make some indentions in it to use it like an aqueduct our as a trough.

The limitation that all parts have to be on the ground or solid rock probably means you can´t create a gazebo, upstanding column or stacked stair.