Is Entangle supposed to be limited by the available vegetation?

[Noumenon]

Was the druid spell Entangle designed to be situational -- very good in the forest, lousy otherwise? Or is it OK to say that cave lichens or plants in windowboxes make it possible to use this spell in the dungeon or the city?

 

[smetzger]

Note: The effects of the spell may be altered somewhat, based on the nature of the entangling plants.

According to RAW, its completly up to the DM.
Its a powerful spell, I would limit it in any way possible.

 

[ExploderWizard]

Yes. The functionality of certain druid powers are supposed to be dependent on the terrain and/or weather.

The old 1E module Dwellers of the Forbidden City actually mentions this.

[quote/]Actual quote from page 2 of this module:
(Unlike many other adventures, a party may find the presense of a druid helpful. Many of the encounters involve plants or jungle settings where a druid's particular talents may be brought into play.)
[End quote/]

 

[Greylock]

It is a bit ridiculous to try and use Entangle in, say, a dungeon corridor or in a fine church, or on top of a barren mountain. My DM has never bought into the "underground roots!" argument and I don't blame him one bit. Entangle is very powerful in the right situation. Not everywhere. Otherwise, it could pretty much ruin many otherwise balanced scenarios.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

It is a bit ridiculous to try and use Entangle in, say, a dungeon corridor or in a fine church, or on top of a barren mountain. My DM has never bought into the "underground roots!" argument and I don't blame him one bit. Entangle is very powerful in the right situation. Not everywhere. Otherwise, it could pretty much ruin many otherwise balanced scenarios.

Then it is extraordinarily poor design.

 

[Noumenon]

My DM has never bought into the "underground roots!" argument

I didn't understand what you meant till I started talking about it with my friend. It's not that the roots are underfoot, it's that the roots are growing down through the roof of the dungeon. Like you'd see if you tunneled into a riverbank. That's pretty cool! And it makes Entangle sufficiently versatile you might actually memorize it, while not applying to every street and mineshaft.

 

[Vegepygmy]

It is a bit ridiculous to try and use Entangle in, say, a dungeon corridor or in a fine church, or on top of a barren mountain.

I agree with this. Even sparse grass is enough for the spell to work, in my opinion, but an area with no visible plant life won't suffice.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Then it is extraordinarily poor design.

But for the part about underground roots- which is a judgment call by the DM- I'd say Entangle is pretty well designed.

(I'd allow the roots, BTW.)

 

[tomBitonti]

The SRD has this:

Area: Plants in a 40-ft.-radius spread

(Per Entangle :: d20srd.org.)

We've always played that a sufficient density of plants is required. Basically, if there are no plants in the area, the spell does not work.

In my games, a grassy field has enough plants for the spell to work. A rocky corridor does not, nor does the interior of most buildings.

There is GM adjudication involved, but that has never been a problem for us. We don't let this be a risk on for the caster: Generally, we are able to ask the GM if there are enough plants for the spell to work, and to get a definite answer for that.

 

[Starfox]

Druids are exceptionally good at wide area control. Entanglie is just the first of a series of nasty control spells, and the later ones do not have this restriction.

When the druid starts casting freedom of movemnet on the whole team, beware!