Wand of Viscid Globs: Straight Out of Out of The Abyss!

The latest preview from Out of the Abyss, the upcoming (September 15th; Sep 4th in preferred stores) adventure for D&D 5th Edition shows a brand new magic item - the wand of viscid globs. This thing was crafted by the drow, and is used to restrain foes with viscous globs of slime.

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Click here for all the other previews from this adventure!

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[Wrathamon]

If you add a break DC; I would add they take damage by breaking free based on the original description.

 

[epithet]

I would not add a save or a break DC, but I would rule that any damage to the creature restrained is cut in half, and the other half goes to the glue glob. Not sure how many hit points I'd give it. Also, hitting the restrained creature with a melee within 1 round of application would trap the weapon in the glue, including natural weapons.

 

[Henry]

If you add a break DC; I would add they take damage by breaking free based on the original description.

I could see that; what would you suggest? Not too punishing; the break DC or alcohol bit is punishing enough.

In question of "what adventurer travels without alcohol?" My last three PCs have NEVER carried alcohol, even wine, on them; always water in the waterskin, or greek fire, or oil, or holy water, but never alcohol. There's never been a reason to, until now, because none of my DMs have bothered with waterborne parasites or any of that reality nonsense.

By the way, I am heartened by the "dissolves in sunlight" clauses - might we see a return to drow equipment being damaged by sunlight, which is as Gary and Nature intended?

 

[Hussar]

Put me in the "too powerful as written" camp. It needs a way to break out. Yes, it's being faithful to the original, but, gimme a break, the original was written decades ago and the game has changed a bit since then. Allow a break DC and we're good to go.

 

[Saeviomagy]

The original was also basically entirely DM fiat - does this monster break free? How long does it take?

This version is busted and busted hard. Dissolving in alcohol and sunlight just mean that the DM needs to make sure that every monster is a drunk who ceases to exist at night - in other words no balance at all.

Personally I'd prefer round by round strength saves (rather than ability checks) as the method to break free. Ability checks are less heavily policed than saves, and it's fairly easy to slap disadvantage on them. I would probably require an action to attempt the save.

 

[MagicSN]

Asides from the questionable style of characters
Shooting blobs of goo I think a DC would
Need to be comparable to other restricting
Spells - like the DC of a lvl-appropriate
Enemy. Dc 13-15 is what such stuff ususlly gets.
And indistructable goo has a believability issue for
Me. Dont care about legacy items, care about
How things fit into 5e.

The sunlight thing is not really a restriction
(doesnt the campaign play in the Underdark?)
having all enemy casters. Have the Sunlight
spell is bad for several reasons:
- if a character can do something it is unfun to
dispel it, better the enemy acts than undoing what
the player does
- it feels dodgy if every caster has to have that spell,
better to nerf that wand then

 

[Zardnaar]

I didn't remember them being that good so I looked up the AD&D 2E ones.

1d20+80 charges but you got a save vs wands to avoid. You were stuck for 10 rounds as such but there was no restrained condition in 2E. Vs PCs it was less offensive than 2E hold person excpet you could hit Dragons and the like with it but tough enemies in 2E would make their saves around 75-90% of the time. AD&D 2E Dragons were very big though so a 5; radius globe of sticky will not defeat them and they would have a magic reistance roll and a save to boot.

The effect is more or less the same the mechanics around the effectivness has changed obviously. Its a lot better now.

 

[Zardnaar]

Double post.

 

[rangergcg]

Since it says "No other nonmagical process can remove...", magic can be used to get rid of the viscous material.

Therefore it doesn't seem overpowered.

 

[MagicSN]

Since it says "No other nonmagical process can remove...", magic can be used to get rid of the viscous material.

Therefore it doesn't seem overpowered.

a character (with the wand) restricting an enemy
And the gm then saying “i dispel it“ is an extremely un-fun
Mechanics. A Break Save per round or as action is mich
Better. It is never good to negate a characters action without
Roll. The player tends to think he “did Nothing“ then. My opinion
At least.