D&D General Boots of Striding and Springing

[Baumi]

The first paragraph of Boots of Striding and Springings says: While you wear these boots, your Speed becomes 30 feet unless your Speed is higher, and your Speed isn’t reduced by you carrying weight in excess of your carrying capacity or wearing Heavy Armor.

The first part confuse me a bit since every Character-Species has a Speed of 30 (or higher). Does it mean that if the character gets slowed (or other effects that decreases speed), that it remains at 30?

 

[Misanthrope Prime]

Some playable races, like dwarves or small races, have a speed of 25 instead of 30. This may have changed with the new 2024 rules, but then the language is still there for any older races that haven't been updated.

 

[AlViking]

Some of the 2014 races had a speed of 25, all of the updated races for 2024 have a speed of 30 but you don't have to use the updated versions.

 

[jayoungr]

Presumably the boots might also counteract some spells and effects that would otherwise slow your speed below 30?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

It would nullify any effect that reduced your base movement speed below 30.

Also, monsters might wear them.

 

[pukunui]

Does it mean that if the character gets slowed (or other effects that decreases speed), that it remains at 30?

Presumably the boots might also counteract some spells and effects that would otherwise slow your speed below 30?

It would nullify any effect that reduced your base movement speed below 30.

That's not how I read it. The text specifically states that the boots prevent weight-related speed reductions, not all speed reductions. If it was latter, the text would read more like Barkskin ... like, "These boots set your speed to 30 feet, unless it is already higher, and your speed can't be reduced to less than 30 feet" or something.

I think it's more likely to be vestigial 2014 rules design that the devs forgot to change or else they were thinking of players still using 2014 species with less than 30-foot speeds or monsters, as you say.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

not all speed reductions.

Not all speed restrictions. Just things that change your base movement speed, such as Ray of Frost " Speed is reduced by 10 feet until the start of your next turn." If your speed is 30, RoF reduces it to 20, causing " while you wear these boots, your Speed becomes 30" to kick in.

 

[pukunui]

Not all speed restrictions. Just things that change your base movement speed, such as Ray of Frost " Speed is reduced by 10 feet until the start of your next turn." If your speed is 30, RoF reduces it to 20, causing " while you wear these boots, your Speed becomes 30" to kick in.

I still think it would suggest that in a more general way, rather than specifically calling out the weight-related speed reductions.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I still think it would suggest that in a more general way, rather than specifically calling out the weight-related speed reductions.

I'm just going by the text. For it not to work like that, you have to rule that the text doesn't mean what it says.

It's not as if they are a particularly powerful magic item in any case. They don't need extra limitations.