Clearing a Forest With Magic [Archive] - Wizards Community

Clearing a Forest With Magic [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
kitplane01
09-18-06, 01:21 PM Lets suppose I have access to high level magic and I want to clear an entire field of trees. If possible I'd like to remove the stumps.

Fireballs and lightning bolts don't work. At one fireball per tree I'd be spending a years worth of magic to clear a forest.

I could summon any number of serious creatures, but they would only get a few minutes working for me, and would probably leave things quite a mess.

Any suggestions?

-Charles Talleyrand
IMarvinTPA
09-18-06, 01:24 PM I'm not sure how much of a forest would go away if you limited wished it away. Wish should make it a piece of pie.

IMarv
IMarvinTPA
09-18-06, 01:32 PM Greater Whirlwind will uproot trees in a 20 foot area/round for 1 round/level.
http://www.imarvintpa.com/dndLive/spells.php?ID=4803

IMarv
metalmorphosis
09-18-06, 01:47 PM That would leave a bunch of trees scattered all over the area. We need to make a completely cleared area, right?
UmbralKnight
09-18-06, 01:52 PM Well, you could burn down a forest without much issue with Fire Spiders (magic of Faerun, I think its in Spell Compendium too)
Just keeping sumoning swarms of fire elemental spiders and command them to run rampant through the forest.

Once you've charred the forest to a husk, I suppose you could use something to clear the land of what remains. Unfortunatly nothing springs to mind.

[edit=] :thinks: What about a storm of vengeance?
[double edit=] nevermind, I assume you want arcane spells.
Deathstalker
09-18-06, 01:57 PM Try using incendiary cloud. Just burn everything out. When the cloud runs out, you can use gust of wind to spread the fire to whatever areas aren't burned out yet.

Also try the spell fire spiders from the spell compendium.

If the season is spring, summer, or late winter, you can use control weather to create tornados, torrential rain, or hurricane force winds respectively to help with clean up once the bulk of the job is taken care of.

Shouldn't take more than a few days if you're diligent.
metalmorphosis
09-18-06, 02:01 PM Wall of fire may do the trick too... you could bring it into existance as an elongated box, the two main walls being 40 feet apart. You specify which direction the heat emminates from, so just make sure it's pointing inward or you may end up with a problem.:P At 20th level you could for a box that is 160ft X 40ft (almost 1/2 a football field). You just have to maintain concentration until nothing is left inside.
CaoSlayer
09-18-06, 02:26 PM the book of vile darkness have a mega huge fireball spell that covers a whole mile IRC.
Level 9, of course.
PhaedrusXY
09-18-06, 02:33 PM Planar Binding on a Fire Elemental, then command it to burn all the trees down in the forest.

Create a Teleportation Circle. Planar Binding on an Earth Elemental, and tell it to "dig" up the stumps, and drop them on the Circle.

It may take them a while, but they'll get the job done eventually.

You could also go talk to a Treant, and politely (or not, i.e. Command Plants) ask him to animate the trees and move them to another location. The Teleportation Circle (or a permanent Portal to Arborea or something) might come in handy here, too.
tarkin
09-18-06, 02:47 PM Elemental Substition (fire) on Storm of Vengence is a 360 ft radius spell. That could start quite a few forest fires.

But I think Elemental Swarm will do more. 3d4+1 fire elementals will make a lot of fire.
ninja1
09-18-06, 03:59 PM What kind of time frame were you thinking of?

You could always use undead.... :schemes:

....sorry, I couldn't help myself!
True Cavalier
09-18-06, 04:21 PM Go mad with Junglerazer, Spell Compendium.

120ft lines of plant-destruction.
Iver Gearsham
09-18-06, 04:34 PM Fabricate 10 Cubic feet per level and you can have stacks of valuable lumber it is slower but your not killing every living thing for hundreds of miles.

You could make a higher level 9th version and maybe get 50 too 100 cubic feet per level.
Fruscht
09-18-06, 05:13 PM What kind of time frame were you thinking of?

You could always use undead.... :schemes:

....sorry, I couldn't help myself!
Hahaha. That's a great idea! Animate a couple of undead. They are the best workers in the world - they don't need to sleep, eat or drink. They are quiet and hard workers :).

On a more serious note... burn it down, then after that use Move Earth spell to plow it and form it as you like.
BW0222
09-18-06, 05:58 PM Folks,

More important question... what spell gets rid of the rangers, druids, fey, and other folks who want their forest back?
BelRex
09-18-06, 06:08 PM I like the treant idea..I never would have thought of that.
Magicianguy131
09-18-06, 06:08 PM Folks,

More important question... what spell gets rid of the rangers, druids, fey, and other folks who want their forest back?

mhm....and you can just cast Summon Elemental Monilith (sp?) Fire. You can do water to flood everything......an earth could make a huge fissure.....and a wind would just up root everything onto ur neighbors (sp?) yard :-P:P
EvilVegan
09-18-06, 06:39 PM Genesis
redraven
09-18-06, 07:49 PM You could always hire out (or gain through Leadership) a Blighter. It is a prestige class in Complete Divine that can kill all nonsentient plant life in a 20ft. radius per Blighter level once per day. The lowest level one has to be 5th-level druid first, however, so in order to get something good like a 100 ft. radius spread per day requires a 10th level character.

Alternatively, an 11th level Warlock can cast Wall of Perilous Flame (e.g. Wall of Fire which deals half supernatural power) at will, and could cast it about 4,800 times in 8 hours. Would probably get the job done.
Magetastic
09-19-06, 02:59 PM despoil, lords of madness affects 100ft/level radius kills all plants with 1 hid die or less any higher must make a fortitude or die there are also some other cool effects. (edit) oh i forgot its also permaent the land will NEVR grow plants again unless its removed with multible wishes or miricles.
True Cavalier
09-19-06, 03:25 PM It is a prestige class in Complete Divine that can kill all nonsentient plant life in a 20ft. radius per Blighter level once per day.
Well, if it is just to kill them, then you can do a couple Wails of the Banshee...

Or, better yet, throw death spells all around. How many hit dice would a tree considered as a living thing have...

The problem comes after where you still have a forest, of dead trees.
HauptSin
09-19-06, 03:46 PM Lots and lots and lots of undead servants would be my favoured method.
Thiez
09-19-06, 04:16 PM "Well, if it is just to kill them, then you can do a couple Wails of the Banshee..."

What you are saying is, Wail of the Banshee is totally harmless if there are ANY plants or ants nearby?

Player: I ready an action to throw these 30 leaves at that wizard when he casts a spell.

Wizard: Wail of the Banshee! Shreeeeeeek!

Player: Throws leaves.

Wizard: hackz0rz!
Grod_The_Giant
09-19-06, 05:06 PM Use charm master (mass) repeatedly to control a horde of big, strong creatures (ogres, maybe). Other mass-control spells like summonings work too. Haste the creatures (wand of haste- a mult-purpose staff is even better) and have them dump the trees in a teleportation circle. Sell them for cheap lumber. Take longer then burning everything, but you make lots of money.

get a bunch of very fast creatures (quicklings? i think i saw them in a FR book...). give them torches, haste em' and have them set fire to everything.

Or, if you're just lazy, spam fire spells.
Oakspar77777
09-19-06, 07:57 PM Fabricate is a favorite of mine. Does not go very fast (10'cu/LV), but it turns it into things you can use for whatever reason the forest is being cleared for (usable lumber, arrow shafts, spear staffs, bows, shields, etc). Also, I have found that if you are suppling the commons with lumber for houses and clear fields for farming, then they will be more than happy to take up those bows, spear, and arrows to ward off those pesky druids.
BrutalBilly
09-19-06, 08:49 PM Control winds is the great leveller. Combine it with fly or air walk and it blows you along blowing away everything, including cities.
Kyuketsukiouji
09-20-06, 10:17 PM Treant sounds like the best way not to get people angry at you. Don't kill the trees, just have the entire treeline take a hike for a few days.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
kitplane01 09-18-06, 01:21 PM	Lets suppose I have access to high level magic and I want to clear an entire field of trees. If possible I'd like to remove the stumps. Fireballs and lightning bolts don't work. At one fireball per tree I'd be spending a years worth of magic to clear a forest. I could summon any number of serious creatures, but they would only get a few minutes working for me, and would probably leave things quite a mess. Any suggestions? -Charles Talleyrand
IMarvinTPA 09-18-06, 01:24 PM	I'm not sure how much of a forest would go away if you limited wished it away. Wish should make it a piece of pie. IMarv
IMarvinTPA 09-18-06, 01:32 PM	Greater Whirlwind will uproot trees in a 20 foot area/round for 1 round/level. http://www.imarvintpa.com/dndLive/spells.php?ID=4803 IMarv
metalmorphosis 09-18-06, 01:47 PM	That would leave a bunch of trees scattered all over the area. We need to make a completely cleared area, right?
UmbralKnight 09-18-06, 01:52 PM	Well, you could burn down a forest without much issue with Fire Spiders (magic of Faerun, I think its in Spell Compendium too) Just keeping sumoning swarms of fire elemental spiders and command them to run rampant through the forest. Once you've charred the forest to a husk, I suppose you could use something to clear the land of what remains. Unfortunatly nothing springs to mind. [edit=] :thinks: What about a storm of vengeance? [double edit=] nevermind, I assume you want arcane spells.
Deathstalker 09-18-06, 01:57 PM	Try using incendiary cloud. Just burn everything out. When the cloud runs out, you can use gust of wind to spread the fire to whatever areas aren't burned out yet. Also try the spell fire spiders from the spell compendium. If the season is spring, summer, or late winter, you can use control weather to create tornados, torrential rain, or hurricane force winds respectively to help with clean up once the bulk of the job is taken care of. Shouldn't take more than a few days if you're diligent.
metalmorphosis 09-18-06, 02:01 PM	Wall of fire may do the trick too... you could bring it into existance as an elongated box, the two main walls being 40 feet apart. You specify which direction the heat emminates from, so just make sure it's pointing inward or you may end up with a problem.:P At 20th level you could for a box that is 160ft X 40ft (almost 1/2 a football field). You just have to maintain concentration until nothing is left inside.
CaoSlayer 09-18-06, 02:26 PM	the book of vile darkness have a mega huge fireball spell that covers a whole mile IRC. Level 9, of course.
PhaedrusXY 09-18-06, 02:33 PM	Planar Binding on a Fire Elemental, then command it to burn all the trees down in the forest. Create a Teleportation Circle. Planar Binding on an Earth Elemental, and tell it to "dig" up the stumps, and drop them on the Circle. It may take them a while, but they'll get the job done eventually. You could also go talk to a Treant, and politely (or not, i.e. Command Plants) ask him to animate the trees and move them to another location. The Teleportation Circle (or a permanent Portal to Arborea or something) might come in handy here, too.
tarkin 09-18-06, 02:47 PM	Elemental Substition (fire) on Storm of Vengence is a 360 ft radius spell. That could start quite a few forest fires. But I think Elemental Swarm will do more. 3d4+1 fire elementals will make a lot of fire.
ninja1 09-18-06, 03:59 PM	What kind of time frame were you thinking of? You could always use undead.... :schemes: ....sorry, I couldn't help myself!
True Cavalier 09-18-06, 04:21 PM	Go mad with Junglerazer, Spell Compendium. 120ft lines of plant-destruction.
Iver Gearsham 09-18-06, 04:34 PM	Fabricate 10 Cubic feet per level and you can have stacks of valuable lumber it is slower but your not killing every living thing for hundreds of miles. You could make a higher level 9th version and maybe get 50 too 100 cubic feet per level.
Fruscht 09-18-06, 05:13 PM	What kind of time frame were you thinking of? You could always use undead.... :schemes: ....sorry, I couldn't help myself! Hahaha. That's a great idea! Animate a couple of undead. They are the best workers in the world - they don't need to sleep, eat or drink. They are quiet and hard workers :). On a more serious note... burn it down, then after that use Move Earth spell to plow it and form it as you like.
BW0222 09-18-06, 05:58 PM	Folks, More important question... what spell gets rid of the rangers, druids, fey, and other folks who want their forest back?
BelRex 09-18-06, 06:08 PM	I like the treant idea..I never would have thought of that.
Magicianguy131 09-18-06, 06:08 PM	Folks, More important question... what spell gets rid of the rangers, druids, fey, and other folks who want their forest back? mhm....and you can just cast Summon Elemental Monilith (sp?) Fire. You can do water to flood everything......an earth could make a huge fissure.....and a wind would just up root everything onto ur neighbors (sp?) yard :-P:P
EvilVegan 09-18-06, 06:39 PM	Genesis
redraven 09-18-06, 07:49 PM	You could always hire out (or gain through Leadership) a Blighter. It is a prestige class in Complete Divine that can kill all nonsentient plant life in a 20ft. radius per Blighter level once per day. The lowest level one has to be 5th-level druid first, however, so in order to get something good like a 100 ft. radius spread per day requires a 10th level character. Alternatively, an 11th level Warlock can cast Wall of Perilous Flame (e.g. Wall of Fire which deals half supernatural power) at will, and could cast it about 4,800 times in 8 hours. Would probably get the job done.
Magetastic 09-19-06, 02:59 PM	despoil, lords of madness affects 100ft/level radius kills all plants with 1 hid die or less any higher must make a fortitude or die there are also some other cool effects. (edit) oh i forgot its also permaent the land will NEVR grow plants again unless its removed with multible wishes or miricles.
True Cavalier 09-19-06, 03:25 PM	It is a prestige class in Complete Divine that can kill all nonsentient plant life in a 20ft. radius per Blighter level once per day. Well, if it is just to kill them, then you can do a couple Wails of the Banshee... Or, better yet, throw death spells all around. How many hit dice would a tree considered as a living thing have... The problem comes after where you still have a forest, of dead trees.
HauptSin 09-19-06, 03:46 PM	Lots and lots and lots of undead servants would be my favoured method.
Thiez 09-19-06, 04:16 PM	"Well, if it is just to kill them, then you can do a couple Wails of the Banshee..." What you are saying is, Wail of the Banshee is totally harmless if there are ANY plants or ants nearby? Player: I ready an action to throw these 30 leaves at that wizard when he casts a spell. Wizard: Wail of the Banshee! Shreeeeeeek! Player: Throws leaves. Wizard: hackz0rz!
Grod_The_Giant 09-19-06, 05:06 PM	Use charm master (mass) repeatedly to control a horde of big, strong creatures (ogres, maybe). Other mass-control spells like summonings work too. Haste the creatures (wand of haste- a mult-purpose staff is even better) and have them dump the trees in a teleportation circle. Sell them for cheap lumber. Take longer then burning everything, but you make lots of money. get a bunch of very fast creatures (quicklings? i think i saw them in a FR book...). give them torches, haste em' and have them set fire to everything. Or, if you're just lazy, spam fire spells.
Oakspar77777 09-19-06, 07:57 PM	Fabricate is a favorite of mine. Does not go very fast (10'cu/LV), but it turns it into things you can use for whatever reason the forest is being cleared for (usable lumber, arrow shafts, spear staffs, bows, shields, etc). Also, I have found that if you are suppling the commons with lumber for houses and clear fields for farming, then they will be more than happy to take up those bows, spear, and arrows to ward off those pesky druids.
BrutalBilly 09-19-06, 08:49 PM	Control winds is the great leveller. Combine it with fly or air walk and it blows you along blowing away everything, including cities.
Kyuketsukiouji 09-20-06, 10:17 PM	Treant sounds like the best way not to get people angry at you. Don't kill the trees, just have the entire treeline take a hike for a few days.