D&D (2024) Is anyone at WOTC paying attention to what they print any more?

[ECMO3]

With the Purple Dragon UA, Viscous weapon changes, the Sword and Board dual wielder, and the latest Carrion Crawler I am wondering if anyone in game design is actually paying attention. Note undelined below.

From MM2025 Carrion Crawler:

Paralyzing Tentacles. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 12, one creature the carrion crawler can see within 10 feet. Failure: The target has the Poisoned condition and repeats the save at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. After 1 minute, it succeeds automatically. While Poisoned, the target has the Paralyzed condition.

Now from PHB:

While you have the Paralyzed condition, you experience the following effects.

Incapacitated. You have the Incapacitated condition.

Speed 0. Your Speed is 0 and can’t increase.

Saving Throws Affected. You automatically fail Strength and Dexterity saving throws.

Attacks Affected. Attack rolls against you have Advantage

Automatic Critical Hits. Any attack roll that hits you is a Critical Hit if the attacker is within 5 feet of you.


So if you are paralyzed by a Carrion Crawler you get a save every turn that you automatically fail!

 

[Reynard]

With the Purple Dragon UA, Viscous weapon changes, the Sword and Board dual wielder, and the latest Carrion Crawler I am wondering if anyone in game design is actually paying attention. Note undelined below.

From MM2025 Carrion Crawler:

Paralyzing Tentacles. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 12, one creature the carrion crawler can see within 10 feet. Failure: The target has the Poisoned condition and repeats the save at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. After 1 minute, it succeeds automatically. While Poisoned, the target has the Paralyzed condition.

Now from PHB:

While you have the Paralyzed condition, you experience the following effects.

Incapacitated. You have the Incapacitated condition.

Speed 0. Your Speed is 0 and can’t increase.

Saving Throws Affected. You automatically fail Strength and Dexterity saving throws.

Attacks Affected. Attack rolls against you have Advantage

Automatic Critical Hits. Any attack roll that hits you is a Critical Hit if the attacker is within 5 feet of you.


So if you are paralyzed by a Carrion Crawler you get a save every turn that you automatically fail!

If only there had been some process in place, in which people could have seen this material ahead of time and helped WotC make sure things worked...

 

[Maxperson]

With the Purple Dragon UA, Viscous weapon changes, the Sword and Board dual wielder, and the latest Carrion Crawler I am wondering if anyone in game design is actually paying attention. Note undelined below.

From MM2025 Carrion Crawler:

Paralyzing Tentacles. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 12, one creature the carrion crawler can see within 10 feet. Failure: The target has the Poisoned condition and repeats the save at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. After 1 minute, it succeeds automatically. While Poisoned, the target has the Paralyzed condition.

Now from PHB:

While you have the Paralyzed condition, you experience the following effects.

Incapacitated. You have the Incapacitated condition.

Speed 0. Your Speed is 0 and can’t increase.

Saving Throws Affected. You automatically fail Strength and Dexterity saving throws.

Attacks Affected. Attack rolls against you have Advantage

Automatic Critical Hits. Any attack roll that hits you is a Critical Hit if the attacker is within 5 feet of you.


So if you are paralyzed by a Carrion Crawler you get a save every turn that you automatically fail!

I mean, that's funny as hell. LOL

How I would resolve it, though, is that it seems to me that the carrion crawler ability is more specific than the more general paralyzation rules. It seems clear from the specific ability that you can continue to make dex saves that are possible to succeed at and break the poison/paralysis.

Edit: It would have made more sense as a con save in any case.

 

[bedir than]

So if you are paralyzed by a Carrion Crawler you get a save every turn that you automatically fail!

Specific overrules general, always.

 

[Reynard]

I mean, that's funny as hell. LOL

How I would resolve it, though, is that it seems to me that the carrion crawler ability is more specific than the more general paralyzation rules. It seems clear from the specific ability that you can continue to make dex saves that are possible to succeed at and break the poison/paralysis.

Sure, it isn't a hard fix, but it really seems like something that should have been caught -- and almost certainly would have if they had had a monster playtest.

 

[Velderan]

Specific beats general I guess?

The weird thing is I kinda get it being a DEX save to start with. You're trying to avoid the tentacle I guess? But shouldn't it be a CON save to end the effect once poisoned? But definitely something to put in feedback if you think it will be unclear how to resolve at the table.

Edit: misread that was from the Monster Manual, so disregard the part about feedback!

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

Are automatic success and automatic failure like advantage, and cancel each other out?

 

[Maxperson]

Specific beats general I guess?

The weird thing is I kinda get it being a DEX save to start with. You're trying to avoid the tentacle I guess? But shouldn't it be a CON save to end the effect once poisoned? But definitely something to put in feedback if you think it will be unclear how to resolve at the table.

See, I was thinking they picked dex because dex is movement and the effect is paralysis. If it was dex to avoid being hit and then you are automatically paralyzed, that makes it seem like the poison isn't resistible through con or con would have been involved with the initial save.

That's why I said that it seems to me that con was the better choice to begin with. It has to roll to hit, if it hits con save to resist/overcome the poison.

 

[Zaukrie]

With the Purple Dragon UA, Viscous weapon changes, the Sword and Board dual wielder, and the latest Carrion Crawler I am wondering if anyone in game design is actually paying attention. Note undelined below.

From MM2025 Carrion Crawler:

Paralyzing Tentacles. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 12, one creature the carrion crawler can see within 10 feet. Failure: The target has the Poisoned condition and repeats the save at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. After 1 minute, it succeeds automatically. While Poisoned, the target has the Paralyzed condition.

Now from PHB:

While you have the Paralyzed condition, you experience the following effects.

Incapacitated. You have the Incapacitated condition.

Speed 0. Your Speed is 0 and can’t increase.

Saving Throws Affected. You automatically fail Strength and Dexterity saving throws.

Attacks Affected. Attack rolls against you have Advantage

Automatic Critical Hits. Any attack roll that hits you is a Critical Hit if the attacker is within 5 feet of you.


So if you are paralyzed by a Carrion Crawler you get a save every turn that you automatically fail!

I don't read it that way at all. Not even close.

 

[ECMO3]

Specific overrules general, always.

Sure you get the save, nothing takes away your ability to make the save, but you automatically fail it and there is nothing specific changing that ruling. Just like if you were paralyzed by hold person and someone tried to grapple you - you get a save that you automatically fail.

I suppose it could theoretically matter for a creature with Legendary resistance that does not use it on the initial save, but decides to use it later on the automatic fail.