Help, please re: Evard's

[Junebug]

I apologize if this has been covered already, but my question is this: In Evard's Black tentacles, do the tentacles attack in the round that the spell is cast? I thought not, a player in my group disagrees. I know I tend to be conservative in rules interpretations, but I see it this way:

The spell states:
"Each round that a tentacle is not already
grappling someone or something, starting
the round after it appears, it makes a
grapple attack at a random creature or
object within 10 feet of it. These attacks
take place on your turn."

To me, starting the round after it appears clinches it. OTOH, it could be argued (and is being argued) that this applies to tentacles "not already grappling" (implying that some grappled in the first round).

Any and all input would be appreciated.

 

[Petrosian]

starting the round after ****it appears*** ... seems clear enough to me since they all appear at once...

no grab on first round.

 

[Abraxas]

Hey Junebug - I agree with you on this....but you already know that. I asked this earlier and received one response (from someone other than Petrosian) that also agreed with us.

Too bad the search function is disabled - we could see if this has been discussed before - thus the lack of responses

Now we just need some opinions on tumbling while flying.

 

[Uller]

hrmmm...I don't see anyother way to interprit "...starting the round after it appears..." which is strange because most spell take full effect immediately...

Hey, I just noticed something...small creatures are completely immune to this spell...unless they changed it in the errata...

 

[Cheiromancer]

Hey, I just noticed something...small creatures are completely immune to this spell...unless they changed it in the errata...

Go Gnomes!

 

[Pielorinho]

Well, I could definitely see that the "starting the round after it appears" applies only to tentacles that haven't already grappled something. It's a grammatical stretch, but it's barely conceivable. That would mean that this clause only explains what tentacles that haven't already grappled something in the second round do during the second round.

Okay, great. So what do tentacles do in the first round?

Hmm....this clause, your player seems to be arguing, only applies to tentacles that didn't grapple during the first round. So it surely doesn't explain what tentacles do during the first round.

THe only other description fof what tentacles do is that "these waving members seem to spring forth from the earth, floor, or whatever surface is underfoot...."

So it looks like tentacles always wave, beginning immediately. And then, if they've not already grabbed something, starting on the round after they appear, they try to grab something each round thereafter until they've succeeded, they're destroyed, or the spell expires.

Ask your player to show where it states that the tentacles grab something on a round OTHER than the round after they appear. Implication isn't good enough.

Daniel

 

[Shard O'Glase]

Considering that its a 4th level spell this is an important limit. Instead of just ending virtually all fights v foes that aren't huge or small, it gives monsters a chance to move out of the AoE. It ends up being more of a herding weapon in many cases, and requires some tactics to use effectively in combat.

It works great with solid fog, or in enclosed spaces, if you actually want to grapple things. Otherwise it proves to be a fairly effective barrier, and a good herding weapon against foes or party members. Oh and for dms combined with invisibility sphere it makes one really cool trap for the party members to walk into, or lead into by a group of gnomes.

 

[gamecat]

To quote Westenberger the Jovial: (my uber-munchkin wizard)

If it isn't an evocation,
It doesn't blow things up.

If it doesn't blow things up,
my place as an artillery piece isn't lived up to.

(fireball mage stereotype comments begin now )

 

[Shard O'Glase]

nothing bad with fireball mages. I had a blast playing a cleric of pyremius( destruction, fire, evil) bwahahahah, in a group with a sorcerer based around fire spells. Sure he might of been more effective with other spells, but dang did we have a blast.

 

[Junebug]

Hey, I just noticed something...small creatures are completely immune to this spell...unless they changed it in the errata...

I know I'm considering it for my halfling Rogue1/Sorceror8. It's a wizard in my group that was trying to mis-use it (albeit innocently).