Is it just me or is the spell Rope Trick kind of absurd?

The Crimson Binome · Jan 2, 2019

It is a good example of how the book isn't written with exacting technical precision, at least. If you assume that it's supposed to let you rest, and RAW says you can't actually use it to rest, then it should give you a better sense of how to interpret things.

iserith · Jan 2, 2019

Mort said:
Not exactly. A short rest is at least an hour. This spell last exactly an hour, including getting into the space. Even if the rope is near non-existent, it still takes time.

But that's not even the point. the point is the spell is needlessly ambiguous, and that's always annoying.

If a player took this spell (which is not likely in my group my group. There are a sorcerer, bard and warlock and none have it on their list) I'd let them use it for the short rest, as likely intended - but It's still just silly.

What's ambiguous about it? You cast the spell to create a safe space which can be used to take a short rest.

Mort said:
Yes it can, and in a dungeon , or inside, would kind of have to be. Not disagreeing in the slightest. But the spell explicitly mentions up to 60' of rope. And that image (of adventurers frantically climbing and often failing) just struck me as hilarious and absurd.

Why are they "frantically climbing" and "often failing?" Climbing is a factor of speed and ability checks are called for only in certain circumstances such as the climbing surface being slippery or having few handholds. I don't think a rope qualifies here on that basis.

iserith · Jan 2, 2019

Dausuul said:
"Needlessly" ambiguous?

It's true, they could have put in language to clarify that it's usable for a short rest, or make the duration 1 hour plus 1 round, or whatever. But if they put in such language to resolve every possible ambiguity, the PHB would be the length of an encyclopedia. I think it is reasonable to expect players to figure out that if a spell gives you a safe hidey-hole, and the duration of the spell equals the length of a short rest, you can in fact take a short-rest in the hidey-hole.

Further, even if the DM is a stickler for how long you're in the extradimensional space, a short rest does not require being in the space the whole time. Not sure why this is a problem.

Gladius Legis · Jan 2, 2019

iserith said:
Further, even if the DM is a stickler for how long you're in the extradimensional space, a short rest does not require being in the space the whole time. Not sure why this is a problem.

A couple of people in that *other thread* tried to make the case that climbing the rope into the space is "more strenuous" than what is allowed for a short rest, which I just do not buy. If the climb required an Athletics check, that'd be one thing, but it doesn't, so AFAIC it's no more strenuous than walking around your campsite or house.

iserith · Jan 2, 2019

Gladius Legis said:
A couple of people in that *other thread* tried to make the case that climbing the rope into the space is "more strenuous" than what is allowed for a short rest, which I just do not buy. If the climb required an Athletics check, that'd be one thing, but it doesn't, so AFAIC it's no more strenuous than walking around your campsite or house.

I haven't read that thread, but while a DM is entitled to rule that something is "strenuous," that sounds like a very weak argument to me. It's not even clear to me what goal is achieved by holding such a viewpoint.

Mort · Jan 2, 2019

iserith said:
Why are they "frantically climbing" and "often failing?" Climbing is a factor of speed and ability checks are called for only in certain circumstances such as the climbing surface being slippery or having few handholds. I don't think a rope qualifies here on that basis.

Then you're being generous - not that I disagree. I'd probably just say, ok you climb the rope - boom done.

BUT - as part of my procrastination for today, I googled it. Seems some DMs want to impose as high as a DC 15 check to climb a (the) rope. That's a relatively hard check and will lead to a lot of fumbling about (not to mention the mage that cast the spell being the one least likely able to climb the rope).

DeanP · Jan 2, 2019

Do not diss the quirky, dimensional bunker! Great for hiding from five headed dragon gods.

iserith · Jan 2, 2019

Mort said:
Then you're being generous - not that I disagree. I'd probably just say, ok you climb the rope - boom done.

BUT - as part of my procrastination for today, I googled it. Seems some DMs want to impose as high as a DC 15 check to climb a (the) rope. That's a relatively hard check and will lead to a lot of fumbling about (not to mention the mage that cast the spell being the one least likely able to climb the rope).

While the rules serve the DM and not the other way around, I don't see any support in the rules for an ability check to climb a rope and plenty of support for my ruling which treats it as a factor of speed with no check. That puts calling for an ability check on shaky ground in my view, barring some other circumstance that makes climbing the rope have an uncertain outcome and a meaningful consequence of failure.

But then quite a few DMs in my experience (and players too) follow a process that looks like "If climb, then Strength (Athletics) check..." regardless of how the rules say we're supposed to adjudicate actions in D&D 5e. *shrug*

Oofta · Jan 2, 2019

As others have said, the book isn't written in a technical style. I always just assume it's a magic climbing rope that everybody can always climb. In addition, there's nothing that says it can't be a knotted rope. Or have the person with the best climb skill goes first and pulls the others up.

To me the clear intent is for it to provide a safe place for a short rest, so that's what it does. Of course if the group is abusing the spell there are many ways of countering it including simply having extra patrols in the area the group was last seen for an hour or so.

I'm sure there are many other examples of how this kind of strict reading could cause issues, but I've only ever seen it come up in forums not at the table.

UngeheuerLich · Jan 2, 2019

i think, a rope ladder would qualify as the up to 60 ft long rope. Yes, is not fully perpendicular to the ground, but nothing says, that all knots are loosened. So it is up to the DM.
As time is concerned: Everyone arguing about a few seconds of an hour in this spell or others will be dropped out of my group for sure. It would be absurd if a castng time would be given as An hour and 1 minute.

I am just reminded to the joke:

"The teacher shows a coin and tells the students, that it is 200 years old. Next day she asks how old the coin is. One student raises his hand and says: 200 years and a day."

Is it just me or is the spell Rope Trick kind of absurd?

The Crimson Binome

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iserith

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Gladius Legis

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Mort

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