Stone to Flesh, And Then Some

[Palanan]

Suppose that a creature is petrified in a cave, as sometimes happens, and also happens to be under a gently dripping seep. After a few centuries the petrified creature is covered with a thin outer layer of minerals.

If Stone to Flesh is cast on this formation…what would be the result? According to the spell text, if it’s cast on a mass of stone, it creates a nonliving lump of flesh. Given this, would the petrified creature return to flesh with an additional layer of flesh coating it all over? Would the petrified creature need to be cut free (carefully) before suffocating inside the skintight layer of flesh?

[hamishspence]

I'd go with "the thin outer layer of minerals is a separate object from the petrified creature".

So, you'd get a thin layer of flesh over the stone statue, you'd have to peel it off, then cast the spell again, to turn the statue back into the living creature.

[Calthropstu]

I'd go with "the thin outer layer of minerals is a separate object from the petrified creature".

So, you'd get a thin layer of flesh over the stone statue, you'd have to peel it off, then cast the spell again, to turn the statue back into the living creature.

Unless heat is applied causion fusion, at which point some division by zero occurs.

[Batcathat]

I'd go with "the thin outer layer of minerals is a separate object from the petrified creature".

So, you'd get a thin layer of flesh over the stone statue, you'd have to peel it off, then cast the spell again, to turn the statue back into the living creature.

This is probably the right answer, but if I was GMing and this situation somehow turned up, I'd probably go with the "you turn back to flesh, inside of a fleshy prison" and put every shred of story telling ability I have into describing the situation. Super disturbing, in all the right ways. :smallwink:

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by hamishspence
I'd go with "the thin outer layer of minerals is a separate object from the petrified creature".

This is one approach, but a little tricky. Stone is usually rough in its raw state, which means a micro-scale landscape of pits and protrusions. The minerals added by the dripping seep would fill in those pits and cover the protrusions, and then spread to enclose the entire petrified creature with calcite. It would be such a tight fit that it might be difficult for the spell to distinguish between the two.

If the spell does discriminate well enough, then peeling away the outer layer of flesh from the still-petrified creature would probably leave a lot of bits behind. If it can't discriminate between the two, it may restore the petrified creature with a extra layer of flesh fused to its body.

[Darg]

This is one approach, but a little tricky. Stone is usually rough in its raw state, which means a micro-scale landscape of pits and protrusions. The minerals added by the dripping seep would fill in those pits and cover the protrusions, and then spread to enclose the entire petrified creature with calcite. It would be such a tight fit that it might be difficult for the spell to distinguish between the two.

If the spell does discriminate well enough, then peeling away the outer layer of flesh from the still-petrified creature would probably leave a lot of bits behind. If it can't discriminate between the two, it may restore the petrified creature with a extra layer of flesh fused to its body.

The target line is specific enough to have full discrimination. On top of that it uses the term "restored" rather than reverted or converted when describing a petrified creature targeted by the spell.

My interpretation would be that if the outer layer where thin enough to not be targetable by the spell then the spell still restores the creature to its pre-petrified state; including removing the layer of build up.

Otherwise, the removing a fleshy outer layer would be the other way I would rule it as the creature is out of line of effect.

[PrismCat21]

Fleshy person inside of a gen encrusted stony coffin.
Or have gems embedded into the creature's flesh and possibly causing damage if removed.