Evard's Black Tentacles

[KarinsDad]

That's unclear.

It only really states, that grapple attempts are made by the time the spell is cast, and whenever someone enters the area.

It doesn't say, that the tentacles attempt to grapple anyone currently not grappled each round. It only says, that they continue to crush any grappled victims.

You and I must be reading different spells:

Every creature within the area of the spell must make a grapple check, opposed by the grapple check of the tentacles.

This does not state once and only once, nor does it state every round. So, it is clearly in the DM adjudication gray area. This wording can be used to support both interpretations.

Further:

Once the tentacles grapple an opponent, they may make a grapple check each round on your turn to deal 1d6+4 points of bludgeoning damage.

This does not state "if", it states "once". Typically, I would not use semantics like to discuss a point, but this seems to imply to me that this is something that can and does repeatedly occur.


My personal house rule on this which simplifies things immensely is:

All area spell effects work the same with regard to when they work. This occurs: a) at the moment the spell is cast, b) when any of the squares are moved through (though, not out of), and c) at the start of the caster's turn on consecutive turns (and if the caster readies or delays and changes his init, at the start of the turn on the original init). This makes Flaming Sphere, Wall of Fire, Ring of Blades, Evard’s Black Tentacles, and many other spells all work the same and we do not have to stop the game and read the spell, just in order to find out when the effect occurs (note: there may be some spells for which this does not make sense, but we will errata them as we find them).

 

[Hypersmurf]

My personal house rule on this which simplifies things immensely is:

All area spell effects work the same with regard to when they work. This occurs: a) at the moment the spell is cast, b) when any of the squares are moved through (though, not out of), and c) at the start of the caster's turn on consecutive turns (and if the caster readies or delays and changes his init, at the start of the turn on the original init). This makes Flaming Sphere, Wall of Fire, Ring of Blades, Evard’s Black Tentacles, and many other spells all work the same and we do not have to stop the game and read the spell, just in order to find out when the effect occurs (note: there may be some spells for which this does not make sense, but we will errata them as we find them).

I'd recommend a second house rule, turning Flaming Sphere, Wall of Fire, and Ring of Blades into area spells, then...

-Hyp.

 

[KarinsDad]

I'd recommend a second house rule, turning Flaming Sphere, Wall of Fire, and Ring of Blades into area spells, then...

Actually, the house rule did not have the word "area" in it. I added that when I posted it in order to make it more descriptive (and not have someone state that "All spell effects" would include most spells). As it turns out, that is probably not the word I should have added.