Rope Trick

[szilard]

So what happens if you use rope trick in the cabin of a moving ship?

-Stuart

 

[moritheil]

That depends on how big you think the window is.

The window is present on the Material Plane, but it’s invisible, and even creatures that can see the window can’t see through it.

 

[MarkB]

So what happens if you use rope trick in the cabin of a moving ship?

-Stuart

The window passes harmlessly out through the stern of the ship, and the rope is sheared off at the point where it meets the window. As is anyone who happens to be in the process of climbing into it when window meets bulkhead.

 

[Evilhalfling]

When considering the same thing - if the dimensional space moves, how moveable is it? can one character pull the space along behind them like a balloon?
what about in a wagon bed? It could open up a whole can of worms...
Fixed is much better.

 

[MarkB]

When considering the same thing - if the dimensional space moves, how moveable is it? can one character pull the space along behind them like a balloon?
what about in a wagon bed? It could open up a whole can of worms...
Fixed is much better.

As a houserule I might be persuaded to allow the opening to be set into any suitably large ceiling surface instead of in mid-air, in which case it would move as that surface moves. But that probably causes as many headaches as it solves.

 

[Derringer]

Every cloud has its sliver lining.

So if you cast rope trick in a ships cabin and later you find yourself looking out over open ocean because the ship moved and the space didn't.....I like the idea of the opposite.

If you need to get onboard a ship that is coming into port tonight....find out where it will anchor and cast a rope trick. When the ship moves into dock hopefully you find yourself looking out into the hold.

 

[lukelightning]

Or use it to escape out of the prison hold of a moving ship.

 

[Gerion of Mercadia]

The spell RAW - is targeted on the rope, not the point in space.

Breaking the rope might break the spell, would have to think about it.

The upper end is, in fact, fastened to an extradimensional space that is outside the multiverse of extradimensional spaces (“planes”). ....
The rope can support up to 16,000 pounds. A weight greater than that can pull the rope free.

I read the first sentecne as stating that the "entry point" of the extradimensional space doesn't move.

 

[Mistwell]

I would let the rope trick ride with the boat. I'd imply an anchor spot outside the rope trick, being the five foot square of ground where the end of the rope hangs, as anchoring the spell to that space. I feel it is implied when the spell states: "one end of the rope rises into the air until the whole rope hangs perpendicular to the ground". "The ground" in this case is one end of the anchor (with the window being the other). If that end of the anchor is moving, in this case if the "ground" is moving, then the location of the window changes, since the location of the window is defined by and related to the location of the ground (5' to 30' away from the ground, depending on the rope length you chose when casting the spell).

 

[mvincent]

Frame of reference is important in my opinion. Some people may claim that planets don't move in D&D (which is silly to claim in the first place), but what if the PC's are:
1) On the moon
2) On a floating Island
3) In a city in the clouds
4) Inside a walking statue the size of a skyscaper
5) Inside a tavern that is rocketing through space
etc.
(these types of things certainly happen in D&D)

The matter is fairly important for other spells too (like area and teleport spells)

Note that the rope rises in the air, must be at least 5' long, and creates a 5' tall window (implying that a minimum 10' ceiling is required). I would rule that the spell could be cast inside any (somewhat enclosed) structure that is at least 10'x'5x'5'. The structure could then be moved, and as long as it remains in one piece then the rope trick should move with it.

So I believe a rope trick would
1) work inside the cabin of a ship
2) likely not work in most locations on the deck of the ship (i.e. it would likely float away in the air)
3) Not work on the back of a dragon
etc.