Proposal: Caltrops

[Kalidrev]

How about this?

Caltrops (Mundane Item)(Consumable)
Weight: 2 lbs.
Cost: 7 gp
Effect: As a Standard Action that does not provoke attacks of oportunity, you can create a one square zone within three squares of you in an unoccupied square. The square that the zone covers is difficult terrain until the end of the encounter. Any creature entering the square suffers a +3 attack vs Reflex. If the attack hits, the creature is slowed (save ends).

Special: If the caltrops do not make a successful attack during the encounter that they are used, they can be recovered by taking a full-round action to do nothing but pick up caltrops and place them in a container. At the end of the encounter that the caltrops are used and make a successful attack, they are consumed.



I know that it's not terribly realistic for an entire bag of caltrops to be wasted after only making one attack, but I'm trying to keep it abstract, yet still have a way to be recovered. What do you guys think?

 

[elecgraystone]

I know that it's not terribly realistic for an entire bag of caltrops to be wasted after only making one attack, but I'm trying to keep it abstract, yet still have a way to be recovered. What do you guys think?

Say that the first time a giant, dragon, purple worm or Orcus steps on them! What might seem to be unrealistic for a single man sized creature but it is more than realistic for the bigger ones.

 

[covaithe]

I'm fine with these in principle, but there appear to be three proposed versions on the table. KenHood's version seems the most 4e to me; the others do read a bit 3.5.

I don't really care whether it has longer range, but is a ranged attack and thus provokes, or whether it is a close attack and doesn't provoke but has shorter range.

I think I'd feel better about these if they weren't reusable. Loses verisimilitude, but I can't off the top of my head think of any other "reliable" consumables.

 

[Dunamin]

Hmm...

Though it makes sense for caltrops to be reusable, I fear the current non-consumable take would make them immensely overused (if not "must-have" gear) by only pricing them at 5 gp per batch.

In effect, any time an adventure party can prepare themselves for an encounter that is just around the corner, they can potentially gain very significant tactical advantages by dictating which areas of the encounter environment shall be difficult terrain.

Defending a position that will soon be attacked? Stopping a foe that will soon flee this way? Or simply about to open any sort of door/gate/portal in a dungeon/lair/villain's bathroom?

Use caltrops to create bottlenecks and position defenders there.
Create caltrop-fields to position ranged allies behind.
Place caltrops at the bottom of towers to deter foes.

Heck, you effectively allow the characters to custom-paint the encounter environment to optimize their strategy of choice - which can be fun once in a while, but possibly frustrating for the DM in excess.

I might just be overtly worried, but thought I would bring it up, regardless.

 

[KenHood]

I think that making them re-usable doesn't fit the 4E model. It may be more 'realistic' -- but imagine throwing a bag of jacks on the floor. Are you really going to be able to pick them all up in 6 seconds? And in a dark, damp, nasty dungeon, are you going to be able to find them?

Let's just keep it super-simple. Not re-useable.

 

[elecgraystone]

Yeah, I don't think re-usable works. As far a range? Doesn't matter which version. My comments on range were to point out that the range didn't seem 'realistic' but did fit the 4e item mold. I for one do not really care if it's unrealistic but i knew it might bother some so I pointed it out.

 

[Dunamin]

Alright, I guess as a consumable the current version looks fine to me.

Kinda strange that WotC hasn't put out caltrops already. Perhaps they're coming in AV2?

 

[KenHood]

Yeah. That struck me as weird, too. In another thread, I asked what book or magazine had them, because I assumed they were already covered.

If this version is approved, we can place a caveat that if WOTC puts out their own version of caltrops, it replaces ours.

 

[Kalidrev]

Now that I have a bunch more information from all of you, I propose the following:




Caltrops


This simple bag contains dozens of tiny sharpened, pyramid shaped points. Cast about on the floor, it acts as a travel deterrent.

Level: 1
Price: 8 gp
Mundane Item

Power (Consumable): Standard Action. Close Burst 3: Target one unoccupied square within the burst. Treat the target square as difficult terrain until the end of the encounter. When any creature enters the target square make a +3 vs Reflex attack against the creature who enters the target square. On a hit, the target is slowed (save ends).

 

[JoeNotCharles]

The only thing about a close burst is I'd kind of like it if dropping these provoked an opportunity attack (yeah, I know I was the one who first suggested a burst, but I changed my mind).

But I'm really bad at judging power levels of things like this, so I'm going to abstain anyway.