Question about Earth Glide

[Byung Shin]

Hi. I'm running the Rise of the Runelords campaign, and needed some advice on an encounter in part 4. Specifically regarding how a spell would affect a creature with Earth Glide. Check the details under the spoiler.

Situation:

Under Jorgenfist, the party had a run-in with the Forgefiend on the library level. The mage in the party cast Hungry Pit beneath the Forgefiend, and I was wondering what the effects would be? The creature can basically pass through all earth substances at will, so when the pit constricts would it pass over the creature harmlessly? Does the Forgefiend still take falling damage, or would it pass through the earth at the bottom? If it would gain immunity to these types of effects, what about other spells like Stone Call? Am I just over-thinking this, and should just assume everything works?

[blahpers]

There's a running question regarding whether creatures with Earth Glide are affected normally when, say, hit by a thrown boulder or dropped onto natural ground from a great height. I tend to side with "yes", with reasoning to follow along with opinions relating to your specific situation:

Spoiler:

If the creature was standing on the surface when hungry pit was cast, it would be subject to falling into the pit (Reflex save negates). Once inside, it would have to climb, fly, or levitate out of the extradimensional space just like anything else; there's no connection between the pit walls and the original plane, only the pit opening.

Regarding harmlessness: Even if the walls of the pit are considered earth or rock (which is not specified by the spell), a creature with Earth Glide is not immune to being bludgeoned by earth and rock any more than (to borrow Earth Glide's analogy) a fish is immune to being bludgeoned by an ultra-high-pressure water cannon. The same goes for falling damage. There's no real way to burrow through the pit bottom as there is no other side. Extradimensional spaces are weird, though. I suppose you could have it burrow into the Astral Plane or something....

If the creature was burrowed into the ground when hungry pit was cast, it ought not to be affected as it is inside the original ground, which is not displaced by pit spells. If it was halfway burrowed, well, I never did figure that one out.

[Byung Shin]

blahpers wrote:

There's a running question regarding whether creatures with Earth Glide are affected normally when, say, hit by a thrown boulder or dropped onto natural ground from a great height. I tend to side with "yes", with reasoning to follow along with opinions relating to your specific situation:

** spoiler omitted **

The creature was on the surface when the spell was cast. I agree with the logic of your post, so I'll say the spell would act normally. Thanks for the explanation!