What would you do with a Volcano? (Epic Spell)

[Neijin]

Here is the short version: My character got access to the Volcano spell (Sandstorm p130). What are some good uses for it? (The spell has over a day cast time and creates an active 500 by 500 ft volcano.)

Long version: My character, King Magnus, is ruler of a small city-state of 30,000 people, set in Veldorn (Forgotten Realms). The campaign is centered around becoming immortal/ascending to demi-deity status. Beyond insertion of the city and the campaign theme, consider all of the standard FR cosmology and history to apply. Magnus has a small council of high level NPCs that help rule the city, so there is access to high level magic there.

My character has a 34 Int and 30 Wis and is an epic level arcane hierophant. I as the player am a bit stumped. My DM hinted that a Wish or Miracle could render the Volcano dormant (inactive) once it is created.

Beyond the prospect of sheer devastation, how would you use a Volcano? I'm trying to think of some peaceful aspects here. I was thinking of creating a foundry from the lava, but that's all I have come up with so far. Thanks for your ideas.

 

[frankthedm]

Beyond the prospect of sheer devastation, how would you use a Volcano? I'm trying to think of some peaceful aspects here.

Ehh, how much control does the spell give you over the area one the volcano is made? Unless it gives you a lot, there may be far too many hazards to build a foundry around.

Best peaceful application i can think of is to make one of your boarders inhospitable to hostile troops.

Or If you have any sea coast, make new islands, it will take a few generations, but volcanic islands do become quite lush.

Redirect rivers ?

Make a swamp into soup? I imagine a volcano in swampland would be a hostile enviroment to most typicle swamp dwellers other than pyrohydras. If your subjects don't live in the swamp in the first place, i doubt they will miss it. I know they won't miss the swamp monsters that get boiled alive either!

 

[Stalker0]

If your trying to become a deity you need more followers. Tell them if they don't give you more prayers, a volcano will come and get them!!

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

Pick out a city that doesn't believe in you, use lower level followers to "spread the word" that you are angered and will smite down people if they do not acknowledge your power. Then use the Volcano. Instant godhood, I mean just look you smote an entire city you must be a god right?

 

[Sejs]

Beyond the prospect of sheer devastation, how would you use a Volcano? I'm trying to think of some peaceful aspects here. I was thinking of creating a foundry from the lava, but that's all I have come up with so far. Thanks for your ideas.

Placed very carefully, you could use ashfall to fertalize ground. You'd want some high grade Control Weather to go along with it, though.

Place the volcano in the mountains, away from anything, blow ash over lands you want to fertilize.

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

Beyond the prospect of sheer devastation, how would you use a Volcano? I'm trying to think of some peaceful aspects here. I was thinking of creating a foundry from the lava, but that's all I have come up with so far. Thanks for your ideas.

Oops.

How about cheap construction? Look up Ankgor Watt for some ideas. Place it in a safe protected place and use trenches to redirect the lava flow. Like an old blast furnace making pig iron you create standardized size blocks of volcanic stone that are then used to (relatively) cheaply build things. As a bonus the lava redirect channel can host a foundry directly above to use the heat source.

 

[lukelightning]

Make islands in a large body of water.

You can also use it as a threat. Demonstrate to a nation than you can obliterate a city, and you can threaten them into doing just about whatever you want.

The unfortunate side effect is that an unlikely band of rag-tag adventurers is sure to show up and kill you.

 

[dutorn]

Perhaps you could make a volcano, tunnel it out with the help of gnome druids (hired or slaves), then you could find a red dragon cohort to live in it. This would draw adventurers to your town boosting the economy! Of course you'll need to populate the tunnels with other critters so it's not an easy stroll to the dragon. You don't want some group of silly adventurers to actually defeat him.

 

[moritheil]

If some army is marching on you slowly and the cast time becomes feasible, you can always show enemy nations the folly of mobilizing against you.

 

[Piratecat]

If your servants want to sacrifice virgins in order to appease you, where better than an active volcano?