'Matter Agitation' power clarification

[SewerSquirrel]

Is the 'Matter Agitation' psionic power usable if wanting to "burn through" several feet of ice?

My DM says NO, because it affects a 2 sq ft area (linear), which to me doesn't make sense. The description reads "water boils" and water is measured in cubic volume, not linear area unless you are talking about the surface of the water. Based on this information, I assume I can use the power to melt the 2'x2'x2' volume of ice in a single round, then transfer or move my concentration to another spot to melt going for as long as I can based on level.

Does this make sense or have I been overruled by my DM?

 

[blargney the second]

Here's the description of the power for reference.

First off, it's your DM's ruling, so what he says goes. Personally, I'd absolutely let the power work on ice. It looks exactly like the sort of thing the power is meant to do.

 

[SewerSquirrel]

Here's the description of the power for reference.

First off, it's your DM's ruling, so what he says goes. Personally, I'd absolutely let the power work on ice. It looks exactly like the sort of thing the power is meant to do.

I absolutely agree with the DM's ability to overrule, but I will still state my case accordingly with support from my fellow players. I mean if 'Blistering Radiance' can do it, I don't see why this can't.

 

[Slaved]

So your job is to convince your dungeon master that heat, thermal energy, diffuses through objects similarly enough to the real world that you can make the same sort of assumptions in both places?

This does not sound too hard. You heat up the surface of an object, heat transfers slowly through the object in some sort of heat gradient, and in the case of ice it will melt into water and likely the surface will boil off somewhat during the process.

 

[frankthedm]

The DM made a call that works. The spell effects "2 sq. ft. of surface area of an object or creature" That is 2'x2', not 2' x 2' x 2'. The power is quite clear.

Now mayhap the effect should continue to affect the surface area of the ice round by round, thus boiling a hole in the ice, but from the way effects target, the DM has the right to say the effect ends as soon as the orginal surface is gone.

 

[Nonlethal Force]

By a strict reading of the spell description, I agree with frank. It affects the surface area only, not a volume.

However, in the second round of the list of possible effects, it describes water boiling. Since you cannot boil (or even have) a two-dimensional amount of water, it could work on some thickness of water. The question is, how much? Personally, I would not have let it work on a 2x2x2 cube of water. Thats much more water than the typical person realizes. I might let it work on a 2x2x.5 amount per round (2nd round and on, concentration of course). But this is purely a houserule. [I would also say that 1 round would melt it and a second round would then be necessary to boil it ... if the player wanted the water to boil. Again, totally a houserule.]

In general, though, I am a DM who would rather play by the spirit of the rules and not be constrained by the literal RAW. As I said. Per RAW, this is technically a 2D spell, not a 3D spell. And given the spell description it doesn't make sense that way to me. You can't boil 2D water!

 

[Nifft]

^ Yeah, I'm not your DM, but if I were, I'd rule that matter agitation can indeed melt ice and boil water.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Evilhalfling]

So your burrowing through the walls in an Ice cavern/ dungeon with a first level power and 1 psp?

 

[frankthedm]

And given the spell description it doesn't make sense that way to me. You can't boil 2D water!

The water's surface comes to a full boil by the second round. easy enough to picture for me.

Problem is doing this to an ice wall makes the boiled water fall away, leaving nothing to boil on what had been the targeted surface.

 

[Nifft]

So your burrowing through the walls in an Ice cavern/ dungeon with a first level power and 1 psp?

One wall per pp. (Rather, one 2 ft. x 2 ft. hole per pp.)

Cheers, -- N

EDIT: I suppose the proper way around this ruling is to manifest matter agitation on the end of something long and metal (like a crowbar) and have someone else use that hot poker to melt the ice. This technique gives you unlimited wall puncturing.