Web Explanation

[Creamsteak]

I'm having some slight trouble interpreting the web spell.

Web
Conjuration (Creation)
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: Webs in a 20-ft.-radius spread
Duration: 10 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: Reflex negates; see text
Spell Resistance: No
Web creates a many-layered mass of strong, sticky strands. These strands trap those caught in them. The strands are similar to spider webs but far larger and tougher. These masses must be anchored to two or more solid and diametrically opposed points or else the web collapses upon itself and disappears. Creatures caught within a web become entangled among the gluey fibers. Attacking a creature in a web won’t cause you to become entangled.

Anyone in the effect’s area when the spell is cast must make a Reflex save. If this save succeeds, the creature is entangled, but not prevented from moving, though moving is more difficult than normal for being entangled (see below). If the save fails, the creature is entangled and can’t move from its space, but can break loose by spending 1 round and making a DC 20 Strength check or a DC 25 Escape Artist check. Once loose (either by making the initial Reflex save or a later Strength check or Escape Artist check), a creature remains entangled, but may move through the web very slowly. Each round devoted to moving allows the creature to make a new Strength check or Escape Artist check. The creature moves 5 feet for each full 5 points by which the check result exceeds 10.

If you have at least 5 feet of web between you and an opponent, it provides cover. If you have at least 20 feet of web between you, it provides total cover.

The strands of a web spell are flammable. A magic flaming sword can slash them away as easily as a hand brushes away cobwebs. Any fire can set the webs alight and burn away 5 square feet in 1 round. All creatures within flaming webs take 2d4 points of fire damage from the flames.

Web can be made permanent with a permanency spell. A permanent web that is damaged (but not destroyed) regrows in 10 minutes.

Material Component: A bit of spider web.

My question regards the bolted portion of the spell text.

Each round devoted to moving allows the creature to make a new Strength check or Escape Artist check. The creature moves 5 feet for each full 5 points by which the check result exceeds 10.

What happens if a creature has say, 100 feet of movement normally (so 50 feet while entangled), and they only have to pass through 5 feet of web. They succeed on a strength check with a number like a 40.

(1) Can they move 50 feet, since they are devoting the "round to movement" and the exceeded the DC to escape the web?

OR

(2) Can they only move 30 feet, since they only made enough of a strength check to move that far.

- - - - -

Some other considerations: What is the maximum amount of movement you can take in the web limited by: your "move speed" or how far you can move in a round?

What I mean is, if I have a normal movement speed of 20 feet, and I make a strength check of 40 again, am I limited to 20 feet, or can I move 30?

 

[Creamsteak]

I looked through just about every thread in the rules forum with the word "Web" in the title and I noticed that there have been a lot of questions in a similar vein. I'm still at a loss though, the language that I bolded still confuses me regarding how exactly that works. I just have other problems now (like web burning itself).

 

[Infiniti2000]

Your question is generalized with the answer that splitting movement modes is [not] defined anywhere in the rules. In other words, can I split my move action between hustling and swimming, e.g. hustle 10ft to water, then swift 20ft (I happen to play a sea kin and this example came up)? There is just no RAW answer, but in many topics on these boards and others, I think everyone agrees to just split it with percentages. Thus, if I move 25% on land, then I can take 75% of my swim speed in the water. This situation is probably better illustrated when you think of dragons and, say, a running takeoff.

Therefore, to answer your question, I would do my best to just apply the same principle. Since you are spending the whole round moving, I would say you can move up to a round's worth of movement (i.e. a double move action), should your check be high enough. Thus, in your example of a speed of 100, 5ft from the edge, and a check of 40, I would say you move 5/30 first, then you get 25/30*100 ft remaining once you break free. Complicated, yes, but not all spells are simple. The alternative is to houserule this one (I recommend at least adding size modifiers to the check, such as the normal +4/-4 per category.)

 

[Creamsteak]

That's in line with my initial assessment. However, I don't see why the strength check would be used to determine the ratio of movement outside of the web.

Rather if I were using that method I would take it as:

You moved 5 feet while entangled (so -10 ft. to your original movement), then had 190 feet of movement left (double move while not entangled).

 

[Infiniti2000]

(first, note the addition of the word "not" in my previous post, though I think you caught the error anyway)

Well, the webbing does affect the total movement. After all, a strength check of 40, allowing 30ft, is way different than 15, allowing 5ft. In the second case, you barely make it out and can move no further by a strict reading of the rules. If you decide that the speed plays a part, then how would it apply here? Maybe something like (N-x)/N * S would work, where N=check-allowed movement (e.g. 30), x=distance remaining in the web, S=speed. I suppose you could also argue for 2S, but I probably wouldn't. Although you're spending a full round (action?), you're not really making a double move.

One thing's for sure is that the webbing doesn't reduce movement by half. It reduces it potentially by a lot more or perhaps even not at all (if you roll high enough). So, I don't know where you came up with "-10ft".

All this calculation is fine for academic purposes, but even in a group of mathematicians I think it will quickly lose its appeal. I don't personally get out my D&D books to do problem solving. And, if you get fond of such an interpretation, it will really suck if/when you try to get new people interested in the game who aren't fond of such equations at all (even if you assure them you'll do all the necessary calculations -- trust me that it probably won't work out well).

 

[Creamsteak]

Entangle reduces your normal movement speed to 1/2. That's why 5 feet of movement in a web is 10 feet of movement under normal circumstances. The strength check sets a maximum cap on movement while under the web, and your normal movement speed sets a maximum cap on movement altogether.

Personally I think you're getting too confused by the math of it. My method is actually simpler than yours from what I can tell. It means that movement while under a web would work like this (three steps):

1) While in a web you are entangled.

2) In order to move while in a web you must devote the entire round to movement (such as taking a double move action).

3) You can only move through a number of webbed squares determined by a strength check or escape artist check (by 5 feet for each 5 points the check exceeds 10).

 

[Infiniti2000]

Web provides special rules on moving that I would think supersede those for being entangled. In fact, it says as much. However, it does so more difficult, so I suppose the upper limit would be half-speed, or one movement speed for a full round of work.

 

[Creamsteak]

Thanks for continuing to comment here. I'm really surprised that in two days we havn't had anyone else comment on this.

Web provides special rules on moving that I would think supersede those for being entangled. In fact, it says as much.

I'll examine that again.

Once loose (either by making the initial Reflex save or a later Strength check or Escape Artist check), a creature remains entangled, but may move through the web very slowly.

This first line only tells us that the creature remains entangled.

Each round devoted to moving allows the creature to make a new Strength check or Escape Artist check.

A round devoted to movement allows the creature to make a check.

The creature moves 5 feet for each full 5 points by which the check result exceeds 10.

The check result moves the creature x feet.

Strict Conclusion
If a creature is in the web and loose, I am entangled.
If a creature is in a web and loose, they can take a "round devoted to movement."
If a creature takes a "round devoted to movement" the creature makes a strength/escape-artist check.
If a creature takes a "round devoted to movement" the result of the check gives the number of feet of movement the creature can make.

Clarification: You may as well rename "a round devoted to movement" to a web-move to avoid confusion here. A web-move is a full round action that you can take while in a web spell. To take a web-move, you make a strength check or escape artist check and can then move 5 feet for each full 5 points by which the check result exceeds 10.

If you're still reading at this arduous point, were back at square one. Now that the rules are straight again, my two nuances crop up again.

Problem (1): a sufficiently high check allows a creature to move suprisingly fast while in a web.

Ex: Any creature, no matter their speed, can move 30 feet with a check of 40. This doesn't seem odd in most cases (40 is a very high check result, and 30 feet is fairly mundane), but what about a creature with a 5 foot movement speed? Normally they could not run that fast.

Problem (2) is not a mechanical problem, but an interprative one: no matter how little web a creature has to move through, they always move at "web-move" speed.

Ex: A creature is on the very edge of the web. The very next square they move into is not webbed. Supposing they roll high enough to be able to move out of the web, they still move at web speed regardless of how high their result was and how far away from the web they move.