Adobe (sage ability)
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Adobe is an amateur-status sage ability in the study of Clay Masonry, granting the character the knowledge necessary to build an adobe house without requiring a die roll. The character understands the process of selecting suitable clay, sand and straw mixtures, shaping and drying bricks, and assembling walls to ensure stability and longevity. This ability includes an understanding of roof construction, proper ventilation and techniques for reinforcing structures against erosion and weathering. Given time, materials and labor, the character can oversee or personally construct a dwelling suitable for long-term habitation.
he climate of the region is a major factor. While adobe is well-suited for arid or semi-arid environments, excessive rainfall or humidity can weaken the structure unless proper waterproofing or elevation techniques are used. The character must ensure that the ground is firm and level before construction begins, as soft or shifting earth can cause walls to collapse over time. In colder climates, thick walls provide insulation, but the house will need strategically placed openings to allow for ventilation and heat retention.
Adobe houses require significant time and effort to build, and while a single individual can construct one alone, the process is far more efficient with multiple workers. The character must also consider whether additional reinforcements will be needed for stability, such as wooden beams for support or a more advanced roofing system beyond the traditional mud-and-thatch covering.
Building Process
A single worker would need approximately 430 to 500 hours to complete a basic 15 ft. by 20 ft. house, accounting for brick-making, drying, transporting and constructing the structure. Since adobe bricks must be made first and left to cure for at least a week before construction begins, the timeline is not continuous labor but rather spread out over time. The numbers here assume the bricks are made on site and don't have to be transported.
The longest phase of the process is brick-making, which requires mixing clay, sand, water and straw to create a stable consistency, shaping the bricks in wooden molds and leaving them to sun-dry. A single worker could produce around 100 to 150 bricks per day, meaning that making the 1,000 to 1,200 bricks needed for the house would take roughly 8 to 12 full working days, or about 200 to 250 hours.
The roof construction is another labor-intensive step, as it must be supported by mud-packed beams or a simple arched design made entirely of adobe. Without the use of wood or other reinforcements, a vaulted or domed adobe roof would require careful layering and drying to prevent collapse. Constructing and sealing the roof typically takes around 40 to 60 hours, accounting for both layering and ensuring that the roof is properly packed and waterproofed.
The final stage involves finishing touches, such as leveling the floor, adding a hearth and making small modifications to improve ventilation and light. This final step would take another 10 to 20 hours. If five workers collaborated, the house could be completed in as little as 90 to 110 hours per person, or about two weeks of full work days; since only one of these five would need the sage ability involved, so that the others could be overseen, this would be the most practical method of construction.
Structural Characteristics
The walls of such a house would typically be 20 in. thick. In warmer, drier regions, where extreme insulation isn't as critical, walls may be on the thinner end of this range, around 18 inches, which would mean fewer bricks and a commensurate time saving. In colder or more structurally demanding environments, particularly where adobe needs to support a flat roof made of heavy packed clay, walls would lean toward 24 inches (60 cm) thick. Thicker walls hold more heat at night and provide better stability against wind and rain erosion.
The interior ceiling is 8 ft. above the floor; a higher ceiling of 9 ft. would increase the amount of time on roof construction only by about 20%. A 7 ft. ceiling would save 10% of the time needed. The house described has an interior floor space of 195 sq.ft. This provides a cubic interior of 1556 ft.
Alternative Shapes
A single room structure can be no wider than 30 ft., which would require walls that were 3 ft. thick. It is more practical to retain a narrow corridor of 15 ft. and then extend it longwise up to 60 or even 80 ft. — or otherwise to create multiple adjoined dwellings for access. Using connected rooms or separate but accessible spaces, the structural integrity of adobe is maintained.
Tall Structures
The tallest adobe structures demonstrate that, while adobe is a durable and versatile material, height requires thick walls, tiered designs and reinforcement to prevent collapse under the weight of upper floors. Most multi-story adobe structures rely on gradually sloping or stepped designs rather than straight vertical construction.
One of the tallest adobe buildings is the Great Mosque of Djenné in Mali, which stands at about 52 ft. high. It was constructed using traditional sun-dried mud bricks reinforced with wooden beams that protrude from the structure, both for added stability and to serve as scaffolding for repairs. Another remarkable example is the Shibam constructions in Yemen; these mud-brick towers date back to at least the 16th century and reach heights of 100 ft. In Peru, Iran and Morocco, ancient multi-story adobe kasbahs, citadels and fortified cities also reached heights of five to seven stories, typically maxing out at 50 to 70 ft. These structures required deep foundations, multiple load-bearing walls and gradual height reductions on upper levels to distribute weight safely.
The construction of these massive adobe structures required an immense amount of time and labor, often spanning years or even decades depending on the scale and complexity of the project. Because adobe is a time-sensitive material, requiring careful drying and staged construction, large buildings had to be built in phases, allowing lower levels to fully dry and settle before additional stories were added. These structures were primarily built in hot, arid and semi-arid climates where rainfall was low and drying times were predictable. In regions with higher rainfall, adobe structures required regular maintenance or protective coatings of lime plaster to prevent erosion.
The inclusion of wooden beams as internal supports posed a major logistical challenge. Many of the regions where kasbahs, citadels and adobe mosques were constructed had few native forests, meaning that wood had to be transported over long distances. This often required extensive trade networks, with beams being imported from mountainous regions or obtained through long-distance caravans. Because of the difficulty in acquiring wood, beams were often reused from older buildings whenever possible.
In addition to wood shortages, water scarcity in desert regions also slowed construction. Since adobe requires large amounts of water to mix and mold, builders often had to divert rivers, store seasonal rainwater or rely on deep wells to provide a consistent supply. This limitation meant that construction was sometimes seasonal, stopping during dry periods when water was too scarce for large-scale building efforts. Because of these challenges, the tallest kasbahs, citadels and adobe towers were usually expanded gradually over generations, rather than being completed in a single, continuous project. They often began as small fortified compounds, with additional stories, rooms and defensive features added over time as resources and manpower allowed.
For anything above a single floor, however, the character would need to have at least 30 points of knowledge to begin.
