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Does the B lack Tenticles Spell need to be anchored on the ground and thus can only reach someone up to 20' in the air?
The description says the Tenticles "Burrow up from the Floor" but I don't think it specifically says they cannot reach someone 100' in the air.
Has this been clarified somewhere or am I missing something simple?
it probably was never clarified and the GM will probably be encouraged to make a call.
My personal call would be to stare at the player, take a deep breath, and say in calm but first voice "no".
In general I tend to agree that spell leads you to believe it must be anchored to some surface. That being said, that does limit the flexibility of the spell. being a 4th elvel spell it should be fairly powerful.
Bah, I hate common sense.
The "fluff" of the spell certainly seems to think it has to be cast on the ground.
However I wouldn't find it terribly game breaking to be cast int he air, generally speaking.. Once the creature was free it woudl either fall through or fly away -either way they aren't going to be caught in it twice (unlike someone who can't fly, who would have to then navigate the rest of the spell area horizontally).
While I could see a niche case of it being especially useful this way, by and large it'd be a waste of a spell cast.
-S
I'm sure you could use spell to turn a point in the air into valid ground. Unsure if you could do it quickly so as to make it a viable attack before the target moved though.
I tossed it on a flying sorc last week in our session. I have limited means to shut down a caster and Tenticles was my best soluton at the time.
Because it was flying, that prompted the whole "do they have to be on the ground" debate.
As a 4th level spell I still do not think it needs to be anchored to the ground but I can see the argument either way.
I guess it depends on your GMs take on a floor. Send up a flying carpet + tentacles on the carpet, for example.
Does the B lack Tenticles Spell need to be anchored on the ground and thus can only reach someone up to 20' in the air?
The description says the Tenticles "Burrow up from the Floor" but I don't think it specifically says they cannot reach someone 100' in the air.
Has this been clarified somewhere or am I missing something simple?
That the floor has to be in the area to be affected, to produce the tentacles.
I tossed it on a flying sorc last week in our session. I have limited means to shut down a caster and Tenticles was my best soluton at the time.
Because it was flying, that prompted the whole "do they have to be on the ground" debate.
As a 4th level spell I still do not think it needs to be anchored to the ground but I can see the argument either way.
It could be a 6th or a 9th level spell and it would still have to be anchored to the ground because it's a conjuration.
A creature or object brought into being or transported to your location by a conjuration spell cannot appear inside another creature or object, nor can it appear floating in an empty space. It must arrive in an open location on a surface capable of supporting it.
"It could be a 6th or a 9th level spell and it would still have to be anchored to the ground because it's a conjuration."
Not sure what that has to do with anything. I don't need floors or a wall to Summon Monsters or cast other conjuration spells.
It's not like it's a wall or anything.
Hmm...I wonder if you could cast it on a floating disk and move it around the battlefield?
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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This spell causes a field of rubbery black tentacles to appear, burrowing up from the floor and reaching for any creature in the area.
Why do people think you can just ignore the fairly explicit phrase "burrowing up from the floor and reaching any creature in the area"?
This is also reinforced in the Magic chapter:
Conjuration
Each conjuration spell belongs to one of five subschools. Conjurations transport creatures from another plane of existence to your plane (calling); create objects or effects on the spot (creation); heal (healing); bring manifestations of objects, creatures, or forms of energy to you (summoning); or transport creatures or objects over great distances (teleportation). Creatures you conjure usually—but not always—obey your commands.A creature or object brought into being or transported to your location by a conjuration spell cannot appear inside another creature or object, nor can it appear floating in an empty space. It must arrive in an open location on a surface capable of supporting it.
The creature or object must appear within the spell's range, but it does not have to remain within the range.
There are a lot of vague/ wishy washy spell effects in the game, this isn't one of them.
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Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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So, what happens if the floor is removed/moved while the spell is in effect?
How much of a "floor" does it need to be?
Can it be cast upon a sheet of paper, or kite?
Most people don't ask this sort of question because... well duh?
But if you must ask, use the dictionary definition.
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Contributor, RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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Ah, the "you're stupid" response.
Helpful!
When someone asks what the definition of a common word we use in every day life is... it's a stupid question.
Other questions about the spell which are equally clever:
What is Black?
What are Tentacles?
When they say Rubbery what do they mean?
Words mean things, use the dictionary rather than ask silly questions if you don't want pointed replies.
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floor [flawr, flohr]
noun
1.
that part of a room, hallway, or the like, that forms its lower enclosing surface and upon which one walks.
2.
a continuous, supporting surface extending horizontally throughout a building, having a number of rooms, apartments, or the like, and constituting one level or stage in the structure; story.
3.
a level, supporting surface in any structure: the elevator floor.
4.
one of two or more layers of material composing a floor: rough floor; finish floor.
5.
a platform or prepared level area for a particular use: a threshing floor.
Well, that's out of the way.
Care to answer my other questions?
It does technically say "floor" in its description.
I would be fine, as a GM, with allowing it to come from the walls, ceiling, water, or even to have the tentacles erupt from a fixed point in mid-air, and spread out a fixed distance in all directions from there, but that's just me.
Does it need to be a stable surface?
Do the tentacles have weight?
What happens if the floor is removed/moved?
1. Yes
2. Yes3. The spell ends
Why these answers? I am GM and i am the rule if there is no RAW.
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The area is a 20' radius spread.
The default shape for a burst effect is a sphere, but some burst spells are specifically described as cone-shaped. A burst's area defines how far from the point of origin the spell's effect extends.
...
A spread spell extends out like a burst but can turn corners...
Coupled with the requirement that you conjure on a solid surface, that gives us an answer of "yes, you can tentacle something flying as long as it is within 20' of the floor" (and you conjure directly below it).
As for blackbloodtroll's question(s):
What about the Skull and Shackles note that it can be cast upon the surface of the water?
The effects of most spells on ships can be determined normally. However, certain spells have different effects in naval combat. The effects of these spells are detailed on the following page. GMs can use these examples as guidelines for determining how other spells not listed here affect ships. For the most part, these effects only apply during ship-to-ship combat, not during normal combat aboard a ship, though some affects (such as starting fires), could still apply, at the GM’s discretion.
I seem to remember that in 3.0 Black Tentacles actually summoned a rolled number of tentacles that would be randomly placed on the battle mat in a 20' radius area. Each tentacle was size Large and had a set amount of HPs. They could be attacked individually. So they were actual physical things that you summoned.
The spell was actually a bit time consuming to use, and that was probably why it was simplified in 3.5. But using that as a basis, then yes, it needs to be on a stable surface that can support the weight of multiple Large size creatures.
So, Black Tentacles on the surface of lava, fine?
Sure, if you find yourself in naval combat on lava, then go for it.