Grease - Uses of and effectivity.

[VirgilCaine]

You're right about the DC and everything, of course, but we're big fans of common sense in our game too, so we often apply modifiers (as the spell in fact suggests).

Escaping from a grapple eyyyyy... I shall have to bear that in mind! Disarming too! Is there anything this spell can't do?

As your level goes up, so will your stat bonus, so that will provide some help.

Heighten Spell + Grease at 5th level could be effective.

Grease is nifty. Get out of grapples, ropes, area OR individual target spell (target a weapon or a boot or something)

 

[Shadowdweller]

Grease is nifty. Get out of grapples, ropes, area OR individual target spell (target a weapon or a boot or something)

...or a Holy Symbol/Divine Focus.

 

[Taloras]

I can think of another use, but its not grandma-friendly.

Honestly...in all the games ive played in or DMed, ive never seen the grease spell used. *shrugs* Seeing as I very rarely play casters, i dont use it (although with my warlock, a wand of grease would be interesting.....

 

[Mista Collins]

I have found that no matter what type pf caster I am, if I Grease is on my spell list, I take full advantage of it. I have a bard who enjoys greasing weapons not drawn yet, then using his whip to disarm opponents. It sucks for them when they go to draw their greased weapons.

 

[Jeff Wilder]

Do you have a rogue in your group? If so, remember that unless your opponent has 5 ranks in Balance, they will be considered flat-footed while in the grease. Can you say sneak attack with a ranged weapon? I thought you could.

People like to say this, but it's not true by the RAW.

(1) There's actually no "balancing" condition. While I agree that there needs to be one, there isn't one, so you have to invent one. (Which, while absolutely reasonable, is currently a house rule.)

(2) Even if you invent a "balancing" condition (or extrapolate one from common sense, such as saying someone is "balancing" while moving in grease), it's not going to always apply to someone standing in grease. (Unless you really stretch it.) Grease only requires a Balance check when someone is moving within it, and surely in order to be considered "balancing," someone has to have attempted a Balance check at some point.

Personally, my common-sense "balancing" condition is "having attempted a Balance check in the last round."

Allowing automatic sneak attacks on anyone without 5 ranks of Balance is just too damned powerful for a first-level spell. (Especially at high levels, where many large and otherwise tough creatures will be pinned by attackers in the area of a grease.) Grease is a good enough spell without that boost.

 

[Tatsukun]

People like to say this, but it's not true by the RAW.

I don’t think that’s the case.

“Balancing” is not a condition, it's an activity. It's like being attacked while casting a spell, there is no “casting” condition listed because it's an activity. Another example is climbing. If you are climbing, you loose your DEX bonus. There is no “climbing” condition, but it still happens.

If “Climbing” is defined as “Being in a square that requires climb checks to enter / exit”. than “Balancing” can be defined as “Being in a square that requires balance checks to enter / exit”.

-Tatsu

 

[Vymair]

Grease is among those most popular first level spells in my gaming group. Our arcane casters probably use this first level spell almost as any other. Between the crowd control, extra to hits, escape options and the promotion of sneak attack it almost always gets cast if you have it memmed.

One players in our group whose a rogue/wizard has a character built around rays as sneak attacks and got himself a wand of grease (4th level) so that he could sneak attack opponents with less than 5 ranks of balance with impunity.

 

[Scratched_back]

“Balancing” is not a condition, it's an activity. It's like being attacked while casting a spell, there is no “casting” condition listed because it's an activity. Another example is climbing. If you are climbing, you loose your DEX bonus. There is no “climbing” condition, but it still happens.

If “Climbing” is defined as “Being in a square that requires climb checks to enter / exit”. than “Balancing” can be defined as “Being in a square that requires balance checks to enter / exit”.

-Tatsu

Thanks for the input from both of you, Jeff and Tatsukun, I'll need some more opinions though, as I'm planning to use this very 'trick' to aid us in a big fight next session, and our DM will be monitoring things quite precisely I'd imagine, as I've already got away with quite a lot with Grease! Next session is Monday night. Do you others agree? Disagree?

 

[ARandomGod]

That's in the Balance skill description:

Bye
Thanee

Yea. The GM in one of my games read that, read the description in the spell, and decided that you're not balancing if you make you're reflex save. That's not a balance roll after all.

A grease spell covers a solid surface with a layer of slippery grease. Any creature in the area when the spell is cast must make a successful Reflex save or fall. This save is repeated on your turn each round that the creature remains within the area.

You're only balancing if you try to walk within or through the area

A creature can walk within or through the area of grease at half normal speed with a DC 10 Balance check.

So as long as the greased opponent stays in his square (making a reflex each turn) he's not balancing. Only if he tries to walk within or through the area. And if he falls from failing a reflex save, he's still not balancing.

I... disagree with this particular ruling. But it's RAW. And although it made me a little sad (I'm playing an Arcane Trickster, I did it specifically to make it sneak attackable) it didn't matter *that* much.

 

[Belbarid]

I'm just stunned how useful it is. If anyone else has innovative uses of it, or amusing stories of it's first-level glory, please share them!

This may fall into the realm of House-Rules, but...

It's Grease. Grease is flamable. 'Nuff said.