Spider Climb

[Radiating Gnome]

Here is an excerpt from the 2e version of the spell for anyone interested.

Very interesting. I'm glad the 3rd edition doesn't include that notation.

As for why he did it . . . I do believe it's a holdover from 2nd edition. I'm playing with these guys as a relative newcomer to this group, but several of them have been playing for a long time, and played 2nd edition for many years. The DM still tends to think in 2nd edition terms, which makes the game a little confusing from time to time.

Not that I'd put it past him to make a ruling to protect a bare patch in his plans for the day's game, but I don't think that was the case this time around.

-rg

 

[Dr. Zoom]

I would show him the differance before the next game and see if he will adopt the 3e version of the spell. If not, oh well.

 

[FANGO]

Sounds like your DM isn't that great. This is an example of "Page 100" DMing (a page commonly referenced for one of the DMs in my group). Basically, that page mentions that trumping your players' neat ideas and abilities is bad DMing, and it seems to me that what happened here was that your DM wasn't prepared for you to be creative in this battle and do something he didn't expect, so he came up with a bad ruling in order to stop you.

However, if your DM was a little more aware, he could have made this ruling and actually had something to back it up. In the spider climb spell it does mention that you need to have your hands and feet bare in order to climb, which suggests that you must use all four limbs in order to hold on. It may be that you only need 4 limbs while moving, and maybe the intent was that you didn't necessarily need to have all 4 limbs working at all times, but it is stated in the spell that you need your hands and feet bare so maybe you aren't supposed to be able to snipe with this spell on (because it would be rather powerful in that case...I wouldn't say game-breaking, but definitely pretty useful).

 

[1StrangeFellow]

Regardless of description, as someone suggested earlier, it makes no sense that you couldn't handle or let go of something while spiderclimb is in effect. If this was the case you would be stuck to the bottom of the wall you were trying to climb in a rather silly looking pose, unable to move hands and feet to continue climbing up or glued to the floor where cast as the previous poster who mentioned this suggested.

Granted, D&D magic isn't physics or real-world science, but it still follows some kind of internal logic or consistency. Otherwise mages would never agree on anything to teach one another or know the same spells, and out-of-game a lack of such consistency makes ruling on many situations more troublesome.

 

[Bronn Spellforger]

I say, turn the tables on your DM. Tell your Wizard to start using Spider Climb as an offensive spell!

Cast spectral hand and use it to deliver the spell against archers, other spellcasters using somatic components, even a giant who's throwing rocks at the party.

Believe me, after a while, he'll understand why they got rid of that rule in 3e.

 

[Taloras]

Hmmm...im glad it wasnt my DM that ruled this...although he did make one mistake when using this spell...a drow priestess used it when wearing gloves....im going to have to point it out to him next game.

And I agree, there is no reason you shouldnt be able to fight while spiderclimbing....you have to be able to remove your hands from the wall, so why cant you remove your hands from spell components or arrows?

my only problem with the spell is that it requires that the recipient eat a live spider(how many people can you see doing this? especially drow?)