Flesh to Stone a plant creature?

[Legildur]

The situation came up in a live game last night where my shambling mound wildshaped elven druid rolled a natural 1 on a Fort save against Flesh to Stone. After a couple of rounds had passed I thought to ask the question whether Flesh to Stone would work on a plant creature? In the end we ruled that it did, and it makes some sense, but I still have this lingering doubt that I would like to clear up (like we did the Lich that cast the spell ).

Flesh to Stone (my emphasis bolded):

Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

The subject, along with all its carried gear, turns into a mindless, inert statue. If the statue resulting from this spell is broken or damaged, the subject (if ever returned to its original state) has similar damage or deformities. The creature is not dead, but it does not seem to be alive either when viewed with spells such as deathwatch.

Only creatures made of flesh are affected by this spell.

Material Component
Lime, water, and earth.

Shambling Mound:

Shambling Mound
Size/Type: Large Plant
Hit Dice: 8d8+24 (60 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), swim 20 ft.
Armor Class: 20 (-1 size, +11 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+15
Attack: Slam +11 melee (2d6+5)
Full Attack: 2 slams +11 melee (2d6+5)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved grab, constrict 2d6+7
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., immunity to electricity,
low-light vision, plant traits, resistance to fire 10
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +2, Will +4
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 10, Con 17, Int 7, Wis 10, Cha 9
Skills: Hide +3*, Listen +8, Move Silently +8
Feats: Iron Will, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (slam)
Environment: Temperate marshes
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 6
Treasure: 1/10th coins; 50% goods; 50% items
Alignment: Usually neutral
Advancement: 9-12 HD (Large); 13-24 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment: +6
Shambling mounds, also called shamblers, appear to be heaps of rotting vegetation. They are actually intelligent, carnivorous plants.

A shambler’s brain and sensory organs are located in its upper body.

A shambler’s body has an 8-foot girth and is about 6 feet tall when the creature stands erect. It weighs about 3,800 pounds.

Combat
A shambling mound batters or constricts its opponents with two huge, armlike appendages.

Improved Grab (Ex)
To use this ability, a shambler must hit with both slam attacks. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can constrict.

Constrict (Ex)
A shambler deals 2d6+7 points of damage with a successful grapple check.

Immunity to Electricity (Ex)
Shamblers take no damage from electricity. Instead, any electricity attack used against a shambler temporarily grants it 1d4 points of Constitution. The shambler loses these points at the rate of 1 per hour.

Skills
Shamblers have a +4 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, and Move Silently checks. *They have a +12 racial bonus on Hide checks when in a swampy or forested area.

Plant Type:

Plant Type
This type comprises vegetable creatures. Note that regular plants, such as one finds growing in gardens and fields, lack Wisdom and Charisma scores (see Nonabilities) and are not creatures, but objects, even though they are alive.

Features
A plant creature has the following features.

8-sided Hit Dice.
Base attack bonus equal to ¾ total Hit Dice (as cleric).
Good Fortitude saves.
Skill points equal to (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1) per Hit Die, with quadruple skill points for the first Hit Die, if the plant creature has an Intelligence score. However, some plant creatures are mindless and gain no skill points or feats.

Traits
A plant creature possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

Low-light vision.
Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning.
Not subject to critical hits.
Proficient with its natural weapons only.
Proficient with no armor.
Plants breathe and eat, but do not sleep.

 

[frankthedm]

Depends on the whim of the DM and possibly the particular plant. Either way works IMHO.

The tendriculous, the shambling mound and cacti monsters have flavor to make them far more fleshy than a presumably woodlike Ent, and yet trees can petrify naturaly so It's a hard call.

flesh
NOUN:

The soft tissue of the body of a vertebrate, covering the bones and consisting mainly of skeletal muscle and fat.

The surface or skin of the human body.

The meat of animals as distinguished from the edible tissue of fish or fowl.

Botany: The pulpy, usually edible part of a fruit or vegetable.

Excess fatty tissue; plumpness.

The body as opposed to the mind or soul.
The physical or carnal nature of humankind.
Sensual appetites.
Humankind in general; humanity.
One's family; kin.
Substance; reality: "The maritime strategy has an all but unstoppable institutional momentum behind it . . . that has given force and flesh to the theory" (Jack Beatty).

 

[TheGogmagog]

flesh
NOUN:
Botany: The pulpy, usually edible part of a fruit or vegetable.

It might turn your fruit to stone , but I'd say no. Plants, elementalns, and undead would all be immune to the spell.

 

[LightPhoenix]

But a Flesh Golem wouldn't be, and that's a construct. So I'm not sure creature type is an adequate guide to go by.

That said, I'd agree - I think it's readily obvious that the spell refers to flesh in so much as it comes from humanoids and animals, and anything sufficiently like them (ie giants, dragons). While a Shambling Mound is definitely not a normal plant, it is still a plant, and thus does not have flesh, and is not affected by the spell.

 

[Notmousse]

I'd argue that some undead (zombies especially) and golems (flesh obviously, but there's at least one more in Cityscape) may be affected by this spell.

 

[LightPhoenix]

I'd argue that some undead (zombies especially) and golems (flesh obviously, but there's at least one more in Cityscape) may be affected by this spell.

I re-read my post, as it was unclear. Maybe I'm just egocentric, but since I read this as a reply to my poorly worded post, I'd point out mine was a reply to TheGogmagog, in so far as using creature types as a basis for the spell. I should have clarified the first line to, "But a Flesh Golem wouldn't be immune." My fault.

That said, I'm ashamed I didn't think of zombies.

 

[pallandrome]

Indeed, I would most certainly NOT let it work on a shambling mound. While one might be able to argue the dictionary definition of the word "flesh" I feel that it was intended to mean, essentially, animal meat.

I would allow zombies and flesh golems, but certainly not a tree or bush or shambling mound.

 

[RigaMortus2]

Would it work on Warforged?

 

[MarkB]

Would it work on Warforged?

No, I don't think even their organic components can be considered 'flesh' - they're portrayed as being more woodlike.

 

[Necrohazard]

The spell Flesh to Stone would work vs. zombies and such but there is no way for it to work against a flesh golem, for the magic and other process of making a flesh golem do in affect change the flesh of such a golem into something more then just simple flesh and that is shown in the shared ability with other golems “Immunity to Magic (Ex)” the spell Flesh to Stone allows for creatures with Spell Resistance to work against said spell, and once you throw a golems “Immunity to Magic (Ex)” into the mix, the spell will auto fail.