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This question asks how PCs can break a stone wall. Aside from the usage of disintigrate to immediately destroy a wall, it seems that a wall can be destroyed by reducing it's HP to 0. Walls have a hardness which reduces the damage done to them.

What is the lowest level at which a player character can destroy a wall in 1 round? Magical and mundane means are both in scope, and any item which the character has access to. Limit items to the character's level or lower.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ How thick of a wall? \$\endgroup\$ – mxyzplk Jan 12 '20 at 20:42
  • \$\begingroup\$ @mxyzplk-JusticeforMonica I don't think it matters. The table on CRB 515 shows hardness and HP, without reference to thickness. I'm looking at the reprinted version on the GM screen right now, but I recall the table being similar in CRB. \$\endgroup\$ – indigochild Jan 12 '20 at 20:49
  • \$\begingroup\$ Wall of stone says per 5 feet but whatever... \$\endgroup\$ – mxyzplk Jan 12 '20 at 20:54
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    \$\begingroup\$ @indigochild the hardness may not change but the HP does. So I would dare sy you should clarify how thick the wall should be. \$\endgroup\$ – Thomas E. Jan 12 '20 at 22:04
  • \$\begingroup\$ @ThomasE. Where can I find the details on how HP is related to thickness? The DM screen at least just shows a flat HP based on the material. Thickness is not related. \$\endgroup\$ – indigochild Jan 12 '20 at 22:17
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I can think of a way to do this at first level with some assumptions:

  1. A stone wall has 56 hp with hardness 14
  2. One can critically succeed at attacking a wall
  3. One rolls maximum on all damage dice
  4. One can use a first level consumable

A fighter wielding a greatpick with 18 strength, with the power attack feat and using a potency crystal.

damage breakdown:

  • Greatpick has a d10 damage die but has fatal (d12) which makes a crit deal 3d12
  • Power Attack adds 1 damage die to a strike (2 on a crit)
  • Potency Crystal adds 1 damage die to a hit (2 on a crit)
  • 4 from strength mod (double to 8 on a crit)
  • 3d12+2d12+2d12+8 = 92 damage
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  • \$\begingroup\$ are you sure about fatal getting crits to 3d12 and not only 2d12? (not sure on how to interpret the fatal text) \$\endgroup\$ – Thomas E. Jan 13 '20 at 22:04
  • \$\begingroup\$ @ThomasE. Deadly adds an extra die on a crit of a specific size. Fatal increases the base die, and adds another die. 3d12 is correct for a crit with a greatpick. \$\endgroup\$ – YogoZuno Jan 14 '20 at 1:14
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    \$\begingroup\$ @Isaac good catch, not sure why I didn't think of hitting it a second time, but that second hit would also need to be a crit to bypass the 14 hardness as a greatpick with 18 strength only deals a max of 14, however a potency crystal (lvl 1 consumable) adds another damage die to an attack and would make this work at 1st level and in a single hit. Will edit when I find the time if someone doesn't beat me to it \$\endgroup\$ – CaptianObvious Jan 17 '20 at 12:25
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    \$\begingroup\$ interestingly this almost doable at first level without maximum damage dice with 2 crits and a potency crystal: Attack 1(Power attack): 7d12+8 = 53.5; Attack 2: 3d12+8=27.5; this leads to a total of 81 expected damage over 2 attacks. since there were 2 attacks we need to account for hardness twice giving the wall an effective hp of 84 (56+14+14) making this just 3 damage shy of doing it. Scraping power attack for 3 attacks still does not work ((5d12+8) + (3d12+8) + (3d12+8))=95.5 vs a 3 hit wall with 98 effective hp \$\endgroup\$ – CaptianObvious Jan 17 '20 at 12:58
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    \$\begingroup\$ @CaptianObvious Nice find, but still not proof you can crit...note in the section on Hazards 'A hazard that doesn’t list one of these statistics can’t be affected by anything targeting that statistic.' \$\endgroup\$ – YogoZuno Jan 19 '20 at 21:13

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