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

[pemerton]

A tentacle is exactly the sort of thing your shield, or armor, or a shield spell should protect you from.

But isn't it like a fireball or similar? As in, the tentacles are coming at you from all directions, wrapping around your shield etc, so that all you can do is hope to dodge them!

 

[darjr]

But isn't it like a fireball or similar? As in, the tentacles are coming at you from all directions, wrapping around your shield etc, so that all you can do is hope to dodge them!

I wouldn’t be surprised if the developer thought this too. It makes sense. And I even think it reads better. But then it slipped through review and playtest. Having it be con is better rules wise, but I’m not sure I like it fiction wise.

 

[dave2008]

Still doesn't answer why someone's degree of dexterity has anything to do with resisting poison once that poison has taken hold.....

I agree that the secondary save should be a con save. It is simply an error in concept or execution, but the intent is clear to me and easy to adjudicate.

 

[dave2008]

I wouldn’t be surprised if the developer thought this too. It makes sense. And I even think it reads better. But then it slipped through review and playtest. Having it be con is better rules wise, but I’m not sure I like it fiction wise.

It makes sense for the initial save to be Dex, but the secondary save (to the poisoned condition) makes more sense as a con save. The could have had the initial one be an attack roll and the save be Con; or, have the Dex save (as written) followed by a repeating Con save at the same DC. Something like this:

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 makes a DC 12 Constitution Saving Throw 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.

 

[dave2008]

Not quite sure how this helps.

The rule is any Dex save fails (regardless of the source) when you are paralysed. Get hit by a fireball spell, fail your save. (And I so need to do that more in my D&D games).

So, even when you're saving against poison and not paralysis, because it's a Dex save you fail.

I really like how their wording that makes it poison that paralyses; really awesome stuff. And there a few poison instances in the MM that last an hour with no save ends (LOVE IT!)

Just this one they fell into the trap of Dex and Str saves being actually surprisingly dangerous to use as ongoing saves. (That's not a new rule, either!)

Cheers!

I am saying the intent is clear (that make a save against poison ends both conditions). I would make the 2nd save a Con save as I suggest in the post (#64) directly above this one. Would it be better if they made that clear, yes. Can I understand the intent and adjudicate it correctly as written, also yes.

 

[dave2008]

What bothers more is the wording of it now. Not just with the Carrion Crawler, but that's how they are doing every creature ability with that particular format. This:

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.

Does not read very intuitively to me. The 2014 version is much easier to read and parse.

Can you post examples side by side? The new format is very clear to me, but I honestly don't remember how it used to be phrased.

 

[ezo]

I see it as more CON just because the initial CON save is what stops the effect, not DEX for avoiding it. Like the fireball, you aren't going to avoid it (short of Evasion I suppose), so the tentacles are going to touch you--use CON to not succumb to the effect in the first place.

 

[Distracted DM]

I was looking at possible uses from the new book for a game tonight and saw these posts on some entries- it seems like users on DDB aren't too happy either:

Cultist Hierophant MM25 entry

Mistakes happen ofc, but it was funny to see these sorts of complaints on the DDB entries themselves so I thought I'd share :')

 

[dave2008]

I see it as more CON just because the initial CON save is what stops the effect, not DEX for avoiding it. Like the fireball, you aren't going to avoid it (short of Evasion I suppose), so the tentacles are going to touch you--use CON to not succumb to the effect in the first place.

I prefer being able to avoid it with either an attack roll or a Dex save.

 

[Shardstone]

Typos happen guys, even in billion dollar companies.