Defenses against Web, Entangle, and the like

[Jeff Wilder]

Hm. I was under the impression, but reading the spell that burning a web through normal means only took out a 5 foot square and that was it... does the fire continue to burn?

Why wouldn't it continue to burn?

Exposing the web to flames makes it catch on fire. Once it's on fire, why would it spontaneously go out? The adjacent unlit sections are, by definition, exposed to fire.

Web squares burn away at a rate of five feet each round. It's not always a fast way free of web, and it's painful, but setting the web on fire will eventually free its captives.

 

[heirodule]

Web squares burn away at a rate of five feet each round. It's not always a fast way free of web, and it's painful, but setting the web on fire will eventually free its captives.

I agree it would continue to butn, but if evey square next to the first is exposed to fire, then on round 2, potentially 8 squares would burn, and on round 3 16 squares would burn.

What's really annoying are the webs of Monstrous Spiders, which have hit points (lots of them at big sizes). I'd rule zero that at least the webs take double damage from fire, or better, that the burn at the same rate as those from the web spell

 

[Pielorinho]

Yep--there's no reason why the fire that hits a web would know to stop burning once it reaches the edge of the 5' square.

We regularly use fire to get out of webs in our games: the 2d4 damage is usually worth it in exchange for being able to re-enter the fight. Most PCs have no shortage of pyromaniacal tools at their disposal.

Entangle is admittedly more complicated, but it doesn't need to be that much worse. The vines, branches, grasses, etc. that are entangling you are unattended objects, and are therefore affected by damage. Personally I'd treat them like swarms of small objects--half damage (I think) from weapon hits, full damage from area attacks. Assign a number of hit points & some hardness for the vegetation in each square, and play it out.

Daniel

 

[Rel]

We regularly use fire to get out of webs in our games: the 2d4 damage is usually worth it in exchange for being able to re-enter the fight. Most PCs have no shortage of pyromaniacal tools at their disposal.

Ditto. So much so that my players regarded Endure Elements (Fire) (the 3.0 version) as the counter to Web.

 

[Nail]

Entangle and Web are two of the most powerful (low level, 1st - 2nd) spells out there....but only in certain situations. Entangle doesn't work indoors; web doesn't work in wide-open spaces.

For some reason, the designers thought this "limitation in use" is counter-balanced by "more powerful than they should be" for their level.

I couldn't disagree more.

If the spell can't be used in a situation, the caster won't memorize it or cast it. It's just that simple. The opportunity cost is minimized in almost all situations. Put another way: the player can (with a little fore-thought) easily minimize the downside of these spells, while taking advantage of the spells' up-sides when they are in the right environment.

Currently, there is only one effective low level magic solution (SRD-core): Grease. (for only a +10 to the Esc Check, BTW; it's not a sure thing.) If you don't have that handy, yer hosed. Anything else either a) damages you or b) helps in only a minor way (ex: Alter Self, Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace, Enlarge Person, maybe Levitate).

Non-magical solutions are marginal, at best. Even that nifty "flour the web" example above. (Fun idea...but not practical when trapped.)

......That said, you'll not find many players complaining about these two spells. My players, in fact, protested vigorously when I tried to nerf these two spells. Strange, huh? ...oh wait, PCs use these spells more than monsters, don't they.......

 

[VirgilCaine]

Problem: Entangled in an Entangle spell.
Prevention: Don't get near big plants when fighting a druid.

Problem: Entangle uses grass also, not just trees.
Solution: Flamethrower/Levitation (Boots of)