Earthquake spell question

[Farland]

So the spell earthquake says that if it is cast within a cavern, it "collapses the roof, dealing 8d6 points of bludgeoning damage to any creature caught under the cave-in (Reflex DC 15 half ) and pinning that creature beneath the rubble (see below)."

Below it says, "Any creature pinned beneath rubble takes 1d6 points of nonlethal damage per minute while pinned. If a pinned character falls unconscious, he or she must make a DC 15 Constitution check or take 1d6 points of lethal damage each minute thereafter until freed or dead."

Now the way it is worded it almost seems to me that if even if the creature makes a REF save it takes 4d6 but is still pinned by rubble, and it also seems that it needs help to get out. So if I am reading this right, a cleric could use this skill to kill a huge dragon automatically. Am I right? If not, what is the mechanism for the "pinned beneath rubble" effect?

 

[dcollins]

Interesting. Note that that's a 3.5-only issue, since that language doesn't exist in prior editions.

 

[Farland]

Someone on another message board pointed out to me that a DC 25 STR check frees a buried character. This is on pg. 67 of the DMG.

 

[Stalker0]

So in theory if you don't have any superstrong guys in the party...your pretty much done.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Unless there's someone who avoided the cave-in, yep.

 

[UltimaGabe]

So in theory if you don't have any superstrong guys in the party...your pretty much done.

Well, considering it's a 9th (8th?) level spell, by the time the party might be subjected to it, I'd HOPE that there was someone in your party strong enough to beat a DC 25 Strength Check. If you're in a 15th-level party and nobody's got a strength higher than 18, you're screwed to begin with.

 

[Corlon]

so just pin them, then have some low level wizard/sorcerer cronies ray of enfeeblement them

 

[UltimaGabe]

so just pin them, then have some low level wizard/sorcerer cronies ray of enfeeblement them

Well, considering that an Earthquake spell leaves them in the middle of a collapsed structure, it'd be kinda hard to target them with spells unless the low-level cronies were in the collapsed structure as well- in which case they'd be even more screwed.

 

[Farland]

Right, I think that the fact that they are buried blocks most spells you could target them with.

 

[Jdvn1]

Besides, it's an Earthquake underground. That's a pretty nasty situation.

Oh, and a lot of underground dragons have burrow speeds. That helps.