Nets: Gotta Carry Three or Four?

[Noumenon]

An entangled creature can escape with a DC 20 Escape Artist check (a full-round action). The net has 5 hit points and can be burst with a DC 25 Strength check (also a full-round action).

So does bursting basically ruin your net? Can you repair your stuff with a Craft check? I just issued the sheriff PC a shocking net (don't know if that's rules-kosher) for taking prisoners, but he's afraid to use it on anything big because it'll get busted. I'm thinking a magic net might be self-repairing or built to come apart at the little copper joins that the sparks come out of.

 

[Nebten]

Well it sounds like you have a smart player. Couple things to remember
1) Net can only be used within 1 size catatory of the weapon size.
2) a Burst 25 Strength check is pretty hard for most creatures to perform. You need at least a 20 Strength to even attempt a sucess.

Now the following are suggestions:
A shocking net has at least a +1 enhancement bonus. So this adds 2 to its hardness and +10 to its hitpoints. You could rule that it adds +1 to the Break DC as well.
A bursted net is effectivly a sundered net. It can be repaired by the craft skill, Craft Magic Arms & Armor feat or a number of spells which include Make Whole.
If you want the net to be able to magically come back together, that would be up to you as a DM to make that call.
Sounds like a great item.

 

[frankthedm]

So does bursting basically ruin your net? Can you repair your stuff with a Craft check?

I'd say yes to both.

I just issued the sheriff PC a shocking net (don't know if that's rules-kosher)

I don't think so. Nets don't do damage so i don't feel there was any damage dealt for Shocking to add to.

for taking prisoners, but he's afraid to use it on anything big because it'll get busted. I'm thinking a magic net might be self-repairing or built to come apart at the little copper joins that the sparks come out of.

Magic items don't self repair. In fact they lose thier enchantmemt when broken. Every plus does add 10 HP though. IIRC the rules are silent on if Break DCs go up though.

 

[Noumenon]

A bursted net is effectivly a sundered net. It can be repaired by the craft skill, Craft Magic Arms & Armor feat or a number of spells which include Make Whole.

That's a productive way to think about it. Looking at the player's character sheet, he has craft (weaponsmithing), so I bet he will be just tickled pink when I tell him that's what he needs to repair his net. I'm going to try to burst the thing now just to bring his rare skill online.

It might technically take Craft Magic Arms and Armor but I think it would be a nice boost for the Craft skills if they were good for repairing the things even if they couldn't build them from scratch. (After the players get used to this, I could purposely leave them broken magic items as treasure. And we could both do a lot more Sundering.)

 

[Noumenon]

I don't think so. Nets don't do damage so i don't feel there was any damage dealt for Shocking to add to.

It says "an extra 1d6 damage," not just 1d6, so you have a point. On the other hand if a monster has DR 5 I would still expect to get my shock damage. On the other other hand, then you could put it on a whip and damage armored things. On the final hand, it makes me nervous that I'm letting him do bonus damage from something that allows a touch attack. I smell holy icy wounding nets, not that anybody would try that sort of thing in our game.

 

[Eldritch_Lord]

On the final hand, it makes me nervous that I'm letting him do bonus damage from something that allows a touch attack. I smell holy icy wounding nets, not that anybody would try that sort of thing in our game.

Well, whether you're worried about DR and whips or not, I can definitely say that there are plenty of ways to turn regular attacks into touch attacks if you really want them, whether through feats, items, or spells. If your players don't take advantage of those, then I doubt you have anything to worry about with nets dealing damage.

 

[blargney the second]

How about making him a glove of infinite nets? There are two similar items in Magic Item Compendium that produce javelins or daggers. Maybe it can shock an entangled creature a few times a day as a swift action.
-blarg