Does the Stone shape spell work on a petrified creature? Say, A huge crocodile. Or whatever. The spell Soften Earth and stone states it does not work on stone or earth creatures...I take this as gargoyles/elementals and the like. Would Soften earth and stone work on petrified creatures? If you cast either of these spells on a petrified creature, and use them to remove parts. (tail, teeth, a jaw, heart, etc,) that creature would be screwed if it was ever changed back to flesh, right?
I don't recall exactly what the petrification turns the body into, but I would rule it that a body of stone can and should be affected by any spells or abilities relating to stone or the such.
As far as I'm aware if you are petrified you don't count as a stone creature but a creature shaped stone.
I'm not certain on this either, and don't have any particular quotes on this...
My instinct is like Kannachan's. A stone creature is, like you say, Orion, a gargoyle or elemental: a creature based entirely on stone, made of stone, that sort of deal. To be a creature made of stone, it has to be a creature: living, moving, etc.
Petrified creatures aren't doing that. Heck, most of the time they're actually used as statues! Petrification is pretty much death. You're just a rock.
Working off that, would you then be able to reshape a creature ala Polymorph using that?
Like you transform a crocodile into stone, shape him into a humanoid shape, and then use Stone to Flesh and he'd be "human"?
Congrats on mindblowing me with that, Rynjin. I'm not sure. That's some crazy stuff...
Now I want to do this in one of my games. Time to roll up a wizard...