D&D 5E Countering Rest Spells (Tiny Hut, Rope Trick, et al)

[Maxperson]

It's the velvet glove. "If you can't play with your toys nicely, you won't play with them at all." It's telling the players that they can choose between a useful and convenient effect that they use conservatively, or the DM will alter the spell or spells to fit how the players [ab]use them which probably means moderately overcorrecting them.

It's not an abuse to use the spell as intended/written. The spell is broken. Rather than ask the player to play nonsensically, I'd rather just ban or alter the spell. It makes much more sense both in and out of game.

 

[cmad1977]

If you challenge your players with HPs I imagine these spells can be frustrating.

 

[Maxperson]

If you challenge your players with HPs I imagine these spells can be frustrating.

Why remove hit points as one form of challenge?

 

[Oofta]

If judging an AL game and people are abusing it I'll just have the enemy take appropriate counter measures.

If people want to get a rest so that they can face every remaining monster in one encounter instead of several it's their choice.

 

[Maxperson]

If judging an AL game and people are abusing it I'll just have the enemy take appropriate counter measures.

If people want to get a rest so that they can face every remaining monster in one encounter instead of several it's their choice.

It's not an abuse to use the game as intended. With Rope Trick, you are rarely going to have eyes on when the party climbs in, and just as rarely going to have a creature that can see invisible things to find the opening.

The spell is just broken as written.

 

[Nebulous]

Comparing it to other 2nd level spells, it opens a GATEWAY TO A POCKET DIMENSION for a whole hour. In and of itself, that sounds way more "magical" than Darkness, Acid Arrow and Gust of Wind, etc.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Why would I ask my players to play their PCs stupidly? It would be complete in game nonsense for the party to not use the spell in those situations. The spell is the problem, not the players.

I don’t ask them not to use it, I ask them not to force me to be adversarial by using it when it makes no sense.

It's not an abuse to use the game as intended. With Rope Trick, you are rarely going to have eyes on when the party climbs in, and just as rarely going to have a creature that can see invisible things to find the opening.

The spell is just broken as written.

So they get a short rest. So what? They can’t do it all day, it costs a level 2 slot, they can’t use it to get long rest resources, including hit dice, etc.

A short rest takes an hour. If they have an hour to spare, and want to rest, cool.

Comparing it to other 2nd level spells, it opens a GATEWAY TO A POCKET DIMENSION for a whole hour. In and of itself, that sounds way more "magical" than Darkness, Acid Arrow and Gust of Wind, etc.

Acid arrow creates something from nothing.

Also limited pocket dimensions aren’t that big a deal in dnd. Bag of holding is a very low level item.

 

[Oofta]

It's not an abuse to use the game as intended. With Rope Trick, you are rarely going to have eyes on when the party climbs in, and just as rarely going to have a creature that can see invisible things to find the opening.

The spell is just broken as written.

I don't think I've ever seen the spell actually used. But even then I don't see how it's particularly broken. It's a second level spell taking up one of your prepared spells.

Either the opponents know where you are and can likely deduce that you're hiding somewhere in the vicinity (in most campaigns intelligent monsters know spells exist), or they have no clue you're there at all. In the former, they're going to be on high alert with extra patrols and defenses activated. If the latter you could have found a broom closet to hide in.

 

[tetrasodium]

It's the velvet glove. "If you can't play with your toys nicely, you won't play with them at all." It's telling the players that they can choose between a useful and convenient effect that they use conservatively, or the DM will alter the spell or spells to fit how the players [ab]use them which probably means moderately overcorrecting them.

No it's telling them that certain spells are broken and that it sucks for them choosing broken spells then winding up at your AL table with spells they can't use instead of useful spells that they could use. It's a problem that could have been completely avoided had wotc given a moment of thought to sanity checking those spells.

 

[Todd Roybark]

It's the parties that set up bunkers at choke points, block entire rooms, and use it as a safe place to retreat when they get low that is the issue.

Not because of the tactics (which should be rewarded) but because no other 3rd level spell comes close to this badass spell, which is even better than a 5th level spell (Wall of Force) in most situations.

(quoted out of respect not opposition)

The party defends their bard member for 10 rounds, as she casts the spell; the numbers of the Orc Horde will overwhelm them and it is their only chance of survival.

The party watches in horror as one of their skirmishers, is grappled by ghouls and pulled further into the dark catacombs the group is exploring.

The Hobgoblin Strike force infiltrates the town hall, blocks the entrance with Tiny Hut, and the monk hobs from Volos guide use it as a rally point.

All of these strike me as super memorable events. D&D being a social game, if a lone player is using tactics that diminishes fun, the dictums of social cohesion and a frank discussion should resolve the issue.

If the whole group of players, wants to use the tactics described in this thread (& others), if the group bases their builds, options, strategies and tactics around Tiny Hut. If 4 plus people synergise their tactics....those are the good times. I hate it as a DM when instead of acting as a group, people act alone, haphazardly and ultimately ineffectively. The ‘abuses’ described are oft interpreted as such, because of some illusionary concept of “ the adventuring day”.

The DM is not in control of the adventuring day. The players are. If the group of players want a “15 minute day”, then regardless of what the DMG states, why not facilitate it.


Wall of Force is only one action. (and not dispellable).