Interesting. So do you also think that apples not obtained is different than no apples?
Yes, they are different. Apples not obtained indicates some effort must have been made to obtain them but failed. No apples is a simple state of not having apples without knowledge of whether you cared to try to obtain them or not. It isn't really an accurate comparison, however, and it would be best to just stick to the actual topic.
I guess what I'm trying to ask is, why don't you assign the output of damage not dealt or apples not obtained as 0?
And as we have repeatedly asked you: why do you keep trying to assign the damage of 0 instead of simply saying damage is never even a factor?
Don't you think they used the "-" instead of listing the damage as 0 to avoid features adding to its damage?
Because I've already explained countless times that an attack that doesn't deal damage always does 0 damage.
And we've explained just as many times that an attack that doesn't deal damage won't do 0 damage because damage is not part of its effect. The effect of a net is to restrain. Just as the roper tendril effect is to grapple--it doesn't have any damage listed or associated with it either.
PHB, p. 196 -
"Hit Points"
Whenever a creature takes damage, that damage is subtracted from its hit points.
PHB, p. 196 -
"Damage Rolls"
Each weapon, spell, and harmful monster ability specifies the damage it deals. You roll the damage die or dice, add any modifiers, and apply the damage to your target.
What damage does a net deal? Answer: "-"
"-" does not have a numerical value (however much you would like to assign one to it...) and since the net doesn't deal damage, the creature doesn't take damage, and there is no value to subtract from its hit points.
This has been going on for well over 150 posts and you, apparently, are never going to learn. Alas, another week of work awaits and I am tired from a long but fruitful day of D&D. Maybe when I wake up in the morning you will finally realize the error in your logic...
Well, a man can dream, can't he?
