Burrowing and Eagle Eye

[richard develyn]

A druid in my party shape changes into an earth elemental and then uses Eagle Eye to, basically, scout around unnoticed while he's Earth Gliding around.

Ingenious. A little bit game breaking. Any reason why this shouldn't work?

Richard

[David Thomassen]

Eagle Eye "...The spell does not penetrate any solid surface, although it is unaffected by foliage and the like."
Time for him to get hold of Tremorsense.

[richard develyn]

David Thomassen wrote:

Eagle Eye "...The spell does not penetrate any solid surface, although it is unaffected by foliage and the like."

Time for him to get hold of Tremorsense.

Doesn't that refer to the fact that the eye itself cannot see through any solid surface?

Richard

[David Thomassen]

I believe that it is refereing to the movement of the sensor itself. Plus there would be no line of effect from the Druid underground to the sky above.

[richard develyn]

It's not clear, even though I think you're right.

Why would you need line of effect, BTW? I thought you could cast spells if you could specify where the effect was, even if you didn't have line of effect (like Dimension Door).

Richard

[David Thomassen]

I believe that is the case because of the "You perceive with your normal visual senses" & "The spell does not penetrate any solid surface, although it is unaffected by foliage and the like." To me that feals like you create the Magical Sensor and it flies up above you - it can fly thought stuff with gaps (Foliage) but not though solid rock (If you cast it in a cave would it be able to fly though the earth to reach the surface?)

I believe that the line of effect for the DD spell is the ability to touch each person to be transported.

If the Druid transformed himself into a tiny creature there would be no issue. I suppose the real question is "Once cast does there need to be a line of effect between the druid and the magical sensor" My gut says no (Cast Spell and go into a house, Sensor works). SO I think I am changing my mind.
Cast on surface and then dive into the ground.

[richard develyn]

My personal take is that the sentence about foliage is saying that the line of effect between you and the sensor can penetrate foliage but not solid materials.

Richard

[sunbeam]

Hmmm I always assumed you got tremorsense when you took elemental form. But after rereading the elemental body spells it looks like you don't.

This is kind of wonky for earth glide from the earth elemental form though.

You may be able to earth glide, but you are totally blind while you are doing it. I could kind of imagine you getting into a situation where you don't know which way is up and having the elemental form wear off underground.

Just starting on top and taking a move action seems like it would be simple enough, go underground, come up after say 20.' Or just going underground, though you would have no idea what is above you.

But something like being at the forest edge, becoming an earth elemental, and going underground to cross the fields, go under the wall, and emerge in the city unseen got a lot more interesting.

Assuming I understand the spell properly, earth glide is a lot less useful for a pc now if gotten from elemental body.