D&D 5E Rules Discussion: Somatic Components and Restrained

[Thaumaturge]

This came up in my game last night, and I'm wondering what people's thoughts are.

The party cleric fell from a great height. The party wizard, expecting the fall, readied web to catch the cleric. It worked, and the unconscious cleric didn't take damage from falling. Someone healed the cleric. He awoke in web, and I ruled he automatically failed his save, since he was unconscious when he entered web. Then he cast a spell with a somatic component. I ruled he couldn't cast spells with somatic components, because he was restrained.

• A restrained creature’s speed becomes 0, and it can’t benefit from any bonus to its speed.
• Attack rolls against the creature have advantage, and the creature’s attack rolls have disadvantage.
• The creature has disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws.

Spellcasting gestures might include a forceful gesticulation or an intricate set of gestures. If a spell requires a somatic component, the caster must have free use of at least one hand to perform these gestures.

He noted neither restrained nor somatic call this out specifically. I'm pretty comfortable with saying if a character has disadvantage on attacks and Dex saves and can be described as "restrained" that character doesn't have "free use of at least one hand".

From a balance/purely game perspective, if a caster can just hang out in web with no ill effects, that seems wrong.

Discuss.

Thaumaturge.

 

[Talath]

I agree. Webs are sticky and they adhere to whatever comes into them. So part of the "fiction" of the web is that you really have to pull hard (strength check) to free yourself, and until then you're bound and restrained.

Seems like common sense to me. The rules can't possibly cover every possible scenario. That's why there is a referee, or DM.

 

[E. Tallitnics]

If it's any guidance Rodney Thompson, during the Lich-Queen videos, did allow a restrained character to cast a spell. The player was restrained by Evard's Black Tentacles.

For the circumstances you describe it seems like you made a fair ruling. Webs are ​sticky!

 

[Umbran]

I can see it go either way. Note that he has *disadvantage* on Dex, not auto failure. That suggests that the trapped character can move around at least some.

 

[the Jester]

I might require a Dex check, but generally, I think that if restrained was meant to interfere with spellcasting, it would say so.

There's also the longstanding precedent of "I'm caught in a web? Aargh, I cast burning hands!"

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I can see that as fair. Another alternative might be to allow a Concentration check / STR save with disadvantage on the roll for each spell attempt.

 

[Agamon]

Good ruling, T. Make sure the players know that the 5e rules don't spell out everything 100%, they're meant to be interpreted.

 

[tuxgeo]

Was the party wizard a drow? I always associate both the web spell and the darkness spell with the drow race ("spider, spider, spider!"), to such an extent that I normally expect wizards of other races to learn other spells instead. Now, if only the Basic set had included the feather fall spell. . . .

Yeah, I go for the silos: Necromancy is for necromancers, too, not for everybody.

 

[Nebulous]

He noted neither restrained nor somatic call this out specifically. I'm pretty comfortable with saying if a character has disadvantage on attacks and Dex saves and can be described as "restrained" that character doesn't have "free use of at least one hand".

From a balance/purely game perspective, if a caster can just hang out in web with no ill effects, that seems wrong.

Discuss.

Thaumaturge.

First off, i think you are completely justified in your call. It is logical, you're the DM and it's a snap judgement decision. Personally, due to the way the restrained condition is worded, attacking and Dexterity checks ARE possible, just hampered. As such, i would have allowed the spellcasting but with a considerable chance of failure, maybe 50%.

 

[Moorcrys]

I'd give the cleric some chance. A dex save or concentration check would be reasonable to me. But of course I'd also remind the players that NPCs and spellcasting monsters would have the same chances.