Can Web be cast amongst trees?

[Len]

How about this:

To break out of a web requires a DC 20 strength check.
What's the DC to break down/uproot a tree? I don't know, but:
To break down a good strong door is DC 18-23.
So a "medium strong" door would be strong enough to anchor a web.
Seems like a foot-thick tree with roots should be at least as strong as a good door.

But there's a judgement call in there, so your DM will probably just say trees are weaker than doors.

 

[Len]

Take a look at this picture:
http://images5.fotki.com/v68/photos/1/140558/863313/P1010377-vi.jpg
What would have happened if that car hit a "strong" door? Seems like that tree's at least DC 20 strong.

 

[Greatwyrm]

I'm always hesitant to bring real world examples into D&D magic discussions, but since real spiders can anchor webs to trees, why can't the spell?

Even a 5' diameter tree is a lot to ask. I respectfully defy your DM to show me a naturally growing tree 1' in diameter that he/she doesn't think is firmly anchored itself.

 

[Videssian]

I'm always hesitant to bring real world examples into D&D magic discussions, but since real spiders can anchor webs to trees, why can't the spell?

Even a 5' diameter tree is a lot to ask. I respectfully defy your DM to show me a naturally growing tree 1' in diameter that he/she doesn't think is firmly anchored itself.

Sure, I can see a vertical section of web between two trees of almost any width of tree, but a cube 40' on a side? I think not without a lot of thickly packed trees.. (which would impede movement and seriously limit viewable distance through said trees, neither of which applied)..

ttyl,
Videssian

 

[Len]

The spell description says the web "must be anchored to two or more solid and diametrically opposed points", so the trees have to be around the edge of the webbed area, not necessarily in the middle.

 

[Destil]

Personally I'd have simply reduced the area of effect to only include a 5 foot wide area between the two trees (if they were 5' wide) and went with that. Pure ad-hoc ruling but fits the logic of the spell IMHO. Would have lowered the strength check and escape artist DCs a little as well.

 

[Videssian]

Personally I'd have simply reduced the area of effect to only include a 5 foot wide area between the two trees (if they were 5' wide) and went with that. Pure ad-hoc ruling but fits the logic of the spell IMHO. Would have lowered the strength check and escape artist DCs a little as well.

Problem was, we/I didn't really get that specific.. partly because it was a random wilderness encounter, and I hadn't thought such details through (but this thread helps!).. basically, we just were treating the terrain as a flat plain, even though there were technically trees around.. I think I should probably fix that for next session..

 

[Wolffenjugend]

In this situation I think it was the wrong call. But I wouldn't assume that Web can be cast in any forest b/c there are many with a very sparse distribution of trees.

 

[the Jester]

Hm, I see the dm's point.

I would have let the caster choose two trees to string the web between, and treated it essentially like a sheet of webbing.

Then again, it does say "two or more" surfaces... hmmm...

 

[Nail]

First: I do like the game, and I respect the DM. So really, this is just friendly disagreement.

Second: Hey, look --> a forest generally has more that 2 trees in it, man.

I was just hiking around a typical Iowa forest on thursday (the day after the meeting). As I was thinking about this "web fiasco" ( ), I decided to measure how many trees were in a 40 ' diameter circle, counting only those that were wider that 3". I'm not including saplings, or even the logs and such strewn about the ground. I had my GPS device with me, so I was fairly accurate in my measurements.

Guess how many I counted. ....And the answer ain't "two".


15 trees.

That's in a "lightly forested area". This area of Iowa has long since had most of the dense forest logged and removed. My children had no difficulty running around during our game of tag. I had no difficulty searching for a particular object (I play geocaching). In short, the forest provides cover and some AC bonus, but would not have hampered our combat significantly.

However, those trees (along with the downed logs and even the ground below them!) provide ample area and opportunity for webs to be formed. Ask any spider you see! Check out the vines and creepers (etc) that take advantage of this. Heck, even watch the squirrels, as they are able to travel long distances across the forest without having to touch the ground.

There are plenty of anchor points. Plenty of them. An web only needs two; check out that spell description.

Don't think of the web spell as simply stretching a bit of string around.....even natural webs don't look like that! They attach in multiple places, even between strands, and can truely make an entire volume a sticky, stringy mass.

The web spell would've worked fine, dude.