Touch attack for Evard's Black Tentacles?

[Trellian]

Evard's Black Tentacles almost wiped out my group of 11th level characters.. I had to fudge a grapple check to allow the cleric to get free and cast dispel magic. It should be at least one level higer.

 

[KarinsDad]

An average Cleric or Rogue will have a grapple check of +10 or so at 8th level. +16 is tough, but hardly unbeatable, and you only need to succeed once to be free. The tentacles do not grapple you again, unless you leave and re-enter the area.

It depends on how you read the spell:

This spell conjures a field of rubbery black tentacles, each 10 feet long. These waving members seem to spring forth from the earth, floor, or whatever surface is underfoot—including water. They grasp and entwine around creatures that enter the area, holding them fast and crushing them with great strength.

Every creature within the area of the spell must make a grapple check, opposed by the grapple check of the tentacles. Treat the tentacles attacking a particular target as a Large creature with a base attack bonus equal to your caster level and a Strength score of 19. Thus, its grapple check modifier is equal to your caster level +8. The tentacles are immune to all types of damage.

Once the tentacles grapple an opponent, they may make a grapple check each round on your turn to deal 1d6+4 points of bludgeoning damage. The tentacles continue to crush the opponent until the spell ends or the opponent escapes.

Any creature that enters the area of the spell is immediately attacked by the tentacles. Even creatures who aren’t grappling with the tentacles may move through the area at only half normal speed.

Say that you are in a square and you make your grapple check. What happens then?

Well, if you stand still, "Every creature within the area of the spell must make a grapple check, opposed by the grapple check of the tentacles.". You must make another grapple check every round while you are "within the area of the spell".

If you move, "Any creature that enters the area of the spell is immediately attacked by the tentacles.". If you enter a 5 foot square within the area of effect, you are still entering the area of the spell (not from outside, but from inside). You must make another grapple check immediately.


The spell does not explicitly state that you are immune to all further attacks unless you exit and come back in, that's an interpretation.

The opposite is also an interpretation (i.e. that you are not immune to future attacks). The spell is just not clearly written.

 

[Trellian]

Precisely, I judge that you are still susceptible to attacks as long as you stay within the zone, except for the round you got free. But, as heroic as my players are, when the warrior got free he chose to help the cleric instead, and was caught again the next round. Fortunately, the wizard in the group was not there to witness its awesome power, if he was I'm afraid it would have come up in his spellbook pretty soon.

 

[Nail]

That might prove informative at least .

Done.

The following table shows the "Chance to Escape a Grapple", varied by the difference between grapple checks (or any opposed check, actually).

That is to say, if the attacker's grapple check is +4, and the defender's is +0, the difference is +4........and therefore the defenders chance to escape/avoid the grapple attempt is 34%.

-10	89%
-9	86%
-8	84%
-7	81%
-6	77%
-5	74%
-4	70%
-3	66%
-2	62%
-1	57%
0	53%
1	48%
2	43%
3	38%
4	34%
5	30%
6	26%
7	23%
8	20%
9	17%
10	14%

I hope the format is right.......

 

[Nail]

To put this into context:

Ftr 8 vs Wiz 8's EVT:

Ftr 8 grapple check is probably (BAB + 21 Str) +12
Wiz 8 EVT grapple check is +16

So...the front line "oh-aren't-I-a-tough-one!" meat shield's chance to avoid the grapple is 34%. A 1 in 3 chance!!!! And don't even get me started on what a Clr or Rog's chance is.

 

[fujaiwei]

To put this into context:

Ftr 8 vs Wiz 8's EVT:

Ftr 8 grapple check is probably (BAB + 21 Str) +12
Wiz 8 EVT grapple check is +16

So...the front line "oh-aren't-I-a-tough-one!" meat shield's chance to avoid the grapple is 34%. A 1 in 3 chance!!!! And don't even get me started on what a Clr or Rog's chance is.

Wow, I see. So, have you kept the spell the same or adapted in light of these stats?

Are you a math professor or what? Just curious.

 

[Shadowdweller]

Yep. Nasty, nasty spell. However, I don't know that I'd say this:

It's definately the most powerful attack/movement inhibiting spell of its level.

Or at least the first part of the statement. Consider that this is also the spell level containing Confusion, Dominate Person, and Enervation. All of which I've seen utterly screw over a party plenty of times as well.

On the other hand, I don't think 7 damage per round is that piddly either.

 

[Abraxas]

So whats the % when the difference is 13?

EBT precipitated a TPK in a game I was in last weekend. Of course it was the one and only night my first ever wizard in 3.5 (or 3.0) didn't prepare dim door And it was coupled with a swarm of bats that also did damage every round.

 

[Thanee]

Of course it was the one and only night my first ever wizard in 3.5 (or 3.0) didn't prepare dim door.

When adventuring, you always, always, always have a Dimension Door prepared (unless you had to use it already, of course). Always. Best two or three, depending on level.

If not, you have Teleport, Greater Teleport or Limited Wish prepared.

No exceptions!

Bye
Thanee

 

[Ninja-to]

Done.

The following table shows the "Chance to Escape a Grapple", varied by the difference between grapple checks (or any opposed check, actually).

\

Nice job. Thanks!