Having the Core rulebooks translated would be better buy you may find a French translation of the Basic Rules (Rules and Creatures) on http://www.aidedd.org/ (after an official agreement with Wizards of the Coast).
At my table, players always try to solve this kind of problems in unexpected ways, like casting a handy fireball...:lol:
IMHO relying on a roll is much more un-fun.
Since it says "No other nonmagical process can remove...", magic can be used to get rid of the viscous material.
Therefore it doesn't seem overpowered.
Has anyone here played "The accursed tower" module written by Salvatore and his gaming group (the Seven Swords) ?
IMHO this is one the best 1st level modules ever written for D&D (great fun both for players and DM) : wilderness encounters, a real (and fun) dungeon, and some interesting twists...