Caltrops and Swarms [Archive] - Wizards Community

Caltrops and Swarms [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Confusion567
07-03-06, 03:55 PM New DM preparing for my first dungeon, with a group of 4-5 new players. One of the players is the sort who loves little gadgets and doodads, and one of the encounters is a spider swarm. So how does a swarm react to caltrops?
pileobone
07-03-06, 04:02 PM I would personally say that a Swarm is unaffected by caltrops. You might argue that a swarm of Tiny sized creatures, like rat swarm, would take half damage, which is .5 :P I couldn't in good conscience say that it would reduce the swarms speed, regardless of the damage. Simply too many feet.
Sorcen_Anenooata
07-03-06, 04:11 PM Depends on the size of the spiders. If the spiders are too small then their legs will just miss the caltrops, it seems to me that their legs are too thin and would just slide beside the caltrops instead of it impaling them. Of course this is from more of a physics standpoint than a game standpoint, but then from physics a creature with an exoskeleton cant grow very large anyway, so again as my sig says "anything is possible, especially in a fantasy world.", but I still say it depends on the size of the spider whether a caltrop would even affect them.
Insane Pixie
07-03-06, 04:19 PM Tarantula-sized spiders, maybe 1 damage. Daddy long-legs-sized, I'd say they'd just crawl right over them.
Confusion567
07-03-06, 04:27 PM Again, first dungeon, so I'm going strictly by the book for monsters, which would give me No Effect. Unless, of course, they waited to throw the caltrops out until after they'd already seen the spiders, which could give it a sort of artillery weapon effect....
Insane Pixie
07-03-06, 04:37 PM Again, first dungeon, so I'm going strictly by the book for monsters, which would give me No Effect.

If you've already decided that caltrops weren't going to have an effect, what's the point of this thread?
Confusion567
07-03-06, 05:06 PM If you've already decided that caltrops weren't going to have an effect, what's the point of this thread?

Let me rephrase that: I'm going by the book for monsters, which means that Spider Swarms are very small (diminutive, I believe). Given that, and what has been said previously, there will be no effect. The MM, to the best of my knowledge, says nothing about Caltrops and Swarms.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Confusion567 07-03-06, 03:55 PM	New DM preparing for my first dungeon, with a group of 4-5 new players. One of the players is the sort who loves little gadgets and doodads, and one of the encounters is a spider swarm. So how does a swarm react to caltrops?
pileobone 07-03-06, 04:02 PM	I would personally say that a Swarm is unaffected by caltrops. You might argue that a swarm of Tiny sized creatures, like rat swarm, would take half damage, which is .5 :P I couldn't in good conscience say that it would reduce the swarms speed, regardless of the damage. Simply too many feet.
Sorcen_Anenooata 07-03-06, 04:11 PM	Depends on the size of the spiders. If the spiders are too small then their legs will just miss the caltrops, it seems to me that their legs are too thin and would just slide beside the caltrops instead of it impaling them. Of course this is from more of a physics standpoint than a game standpoint, but then from physics a creature with an exoskeleton cant grow very large anyway, so again as my sig says "anything is possible, especially in a fantasy world.", but I still say it depends on the size of the spider whether a caltrop would even affect them.
Insane Pixie 07-03-06, 04:19 PM	Tarantula-sized spiders, maybe 1 damage. Daddy long-legs-sized, I'd say they'd just crawl right over them.
Confusion567 07-03-06, 04:27 PM	Again, first dungeon, so I'm going strictly by the book for monsters, which would give me No Effect. Unless, of course, they waited to throw the caltrops out until after they'd already seen the spiders, which could give it a sort of artillery weapon effect....
Insane Pixie 07-03-06, 04:37 PM	Again, first dungeon, so I'm going strictly by the book for monsters, which would give me No Effect. If you've already decided that caltrops weren't going to have an effect, what's the point of this thread?
Confusion567 07-03-06, 05:06 PM	If you've already decided that caltrops weren't going to have an effect, what's the point of this thread? Let me rephrase that: I'm going by the book for monsters, which means that Spider Swarms are very small (diminutive, I believe). Given that, and what has been said previously, there will be no effect. The MM, to the best of my knowledge, says nothing about Caltrops and Swarms.