I have a few questions regarding the Maelstrom spell. The description of the spell is not terribly impressive: A 30' radius area of difficult terrain with 6d6 bludgeoning damage on the target's first and subsequent turns if failing a strength saving throw, and none otherwise, coupled with forced movement of 10' toward the center of the spell's area of effect if the save is failed. As written, the spell is arguably worse CC than provided by Sleet Storm, which is a 3rd level spell.
What is not clear is whether the fact that targets are caught in 5' of unquestionably rough water results in the application of other mechanical disadvantages. For instance, should targets be considered to be swimming in difficult terrain, or should the rules for underwater combat be applied to targets? A literal interpretation would suggest the spell has no effects beyond those written, though logic would dictate that these other disadvantages would apply. (Then again, logic would suggest that Gust of Wind would cause disadvantage on ranged weapon attacks, but...)
I would be interested in knowing how others have handled the use of Maelstrom in their own campaigns.
I think a DM could flavor text rough water for 5' of water and require swim check for concentration, but I get the impression that strength check is what is implying you are overcoming the environmental effect. I would certainly argue that a Small sized Creature or shorter sized would have to make a Swim Check if they were trying to move within 5-foot of water, even if they succeeded in the initial saving throw.
However, I see Maelstrom as also a solid damage dealing spell for a Druid. 6d6 to multiple targets per turn is nice, especially in a 30' radius. Yes the save vs No Damage is kind of a downer, but most Casters will have a low Strength anyways. 30' Radius of difficult terrain is also nothing to scoff at, especially if there is a chance they can get pulled back 10-feet. In comparison to Sleet Storm, Sleet Storm is pure Control with no damage but is a nightmare for Caster classes, where as Maelstrom is partial control and partial damage and does not truly excel at either... it's not a bad spell, but if you are looking for sheer CC or Concentration Damage then there are better options... but 30' radius with both of these is really nice!
Also, I would say check the Comments in the Spell list. Someone argued that Maelstrom would cause other impairments as well (such as vision), which I disagree with, but it would be a DM ruling.
Maelstrom has the added benefit that you can actually attack things within it's radius or even beyond it unlike sleet storm. That heavy obscurity makes them basically untargetable for the same reason darkness would which is a double edged sword that Maelstrom does not deal with. Which creates the potential for more concentration checks to have to be made by any inside of it that need to make them.
And I am one that does like Sleet storm for it's various uses when it comes to third level spells despite it doing no damage.
Maelstrom is a better spell than Sleet Storm if you can stack it with another AoE concentration killer spell like Cloudkill, Sickening Radiance, or Evard's Black Tentacles. The effect of pulling creatures towards the center of the maelstrom stacked with auto damage from another spell makes it very easy to lockdown and kill creatures with moderate to low strength, esp because you are targeting two different saving throws. It takes two different spellcasters to pull off, but it's very deadly in the right situations.
Maelstrom is a better spell than Sleet Storm if you can stack it with another AoE concentration killer spell like Cloudkill, Sickening Radiance, or Evard's Black Tentacles. The effect of pulling creatures towards the center of the maelstrom stacked with auto damage from another spell makes it very easy to lockdown and kill creatures with moderate to low strength, esp because you are targeting two different saving throws. It takes two different spellcasters to pull off, but it's very deadly in the right situations.
I had not quite considered this, but if one was going to combine a control spell with an AOE damage spell, then one could also combine spells like Evard's or Wall of Force with Insect Plague or Wall of Fire for more damage, I think. By itself, Maelstrom is written as a better control spell than something like Insect Plague (better radius, better save, 10' pull on failed save). However, any target can dash out of the area of effect of either of these spells regardless of the save (barring the situation I described earlier for Maelstrom where a target at the center of the vortex with 30' move speed could make it to the periphery of the area of effect during its turn).
They can dash out of it. But that requires them to use their action and puts them on the edge of it which means they can be pushed back in and then have to get themselves out yet again. part of Maelstrom's power is it's ability for group utility and synergy not just in what the spell itself does. This can be combined in more ways than simply another spell. A monk with Crusher could be potentially devestating to a small group trying to get out of maelstrom that is having trouble getting farther than the edge of it and with relative safety if most of the group is using their action for dashes.
Letting a creature move though a five foot deep area of water that already counts as difficult terrain without counting it as swimming seems disingenuous to me, at least when taking the creatures size into account.
I get that movement seems to only scale in 5e by usually adding additional 1ft penalties, but ignoring that the difficult terrain is indeed water doesnt seem right to me. I mean, imagine you’re in a regular pool of water, 5ft deep. How fast are you going to be moving in that water if your not at least partially attempting to stroke through it with your arms? If you’re not swimming, you’d actually be moving a lot less.
then imagine the water is violently fighting against you the entire time.
i guess the real question is if you can treat magically created water terrain as not water. I don’t know why you would.
Letting a creature move though a five foot deep area of water that already counts as difficult terrain without counting it as swimming seems disingenuous to me, at least when taking the creatures size into account.
I get that movement seems to only scale in 5e by usually adding additional 1ft penalties, but ignoring that the difficult terrain is indeed water doesnt seem right to me. I mean, imagine you’re in a regular pool of water, 5ft deep. How fast are you going to be moving in that water if your not at least partially attempting to stroke through it with your arms? If you’re not swimming, you’d actually be moving a lot less.
then imagine the water is violently fighting against you the entire time.
i guess the real question is if you can treat magically created water terrain as not water. I don’t know why you would.
It's difficult terrain BECAUSE they are having to move through the water. Not because it is multiple terrain effects piled together. the water is what is making it difficult. It's not difficult terrain AND water on top of that.
DIFFICULT TERRAIN Combat rarely takes place i n bare rooms or on featureless plains. Boulder-strewn caverns, briar choked forests, treacherous staircases-the setting of a typical fight contains difficult terrain. Every foot of movement in difficult terrain costs 1 extra foot. This rule is true even if multiple things in a space count as difficult terrain. Low furniture, rubble, undergrowth, steep stairs, snow, and shallow bogs are examples of difficult terrain. The space of another creature, whether hostile or not, also counts as difficult terrain.
CLIMBING, SWIMMING, AND CRAWLING Each foot of movement costs 1 extra foot (2 extra feet in difficult terrain) when you're climbing, swimming, or crawling. You ignore this extra cost ifyou have a climbing speed and use it to climb or a swimming speed and use it to swim. At the DM's option, climbing a slippery vertical surface or one with few handholds requires a successful Strength (Athletics) check. Similarly, gaining any distance in rough water might require a successful Strength (Athletics) check.
seems weird that you’d be moving faster in water up to your neck by not swimming.
also the space a medium or smaller creature controls may be subject it to further penalties.
UNDERWATER COMBAT When adventurers pursue sahuagin back to their undersea homes, fight off sharks in an ancient shipwreck, or find themselves in a flooded dungeon room, they must fight in a challenging environment. Underwater the following rules apply. When making a melee weapon attack, a creature that doesn't have a swimming speed (either natural or granted by magic) has disadvantage on the attack roll unless the weapon is a dagger, javelin, shortsword, spear, or trident. A ranged weapon attack automatically misses a target beyond the weapon's normal range. Even against a target within normal range, the attack roll has disadvantage unless the weapon is a crossbow, a net, or a weapon that is thrown like a javelin (including a spear, trident, or dart). Creatures and objects that are fully immersed in water have resistance to fire damage.
I had not quite considered this, but if one was going to combine a control spell with an AOE damage spell, then one could also combine spells like Evard's or Wall of Force with Insect Plague or Wall of Fire for more damage, I think. By itself, Maelstrom is written as a better control spell than something like Insect Plague (better radius, better save, 10' pull on failed save). However, any target can dash out of the area of effect of either of these spells regardless of the save (barring the situation I described earlier for Maelstrom where a target at the center of the vortex with 30' move speed could make it to the periphery of the area of effect during its turn).
If the NPC is being held within the vortex effect area by a tentacle from the Evard's spell, they can't move out of the AoE. That's the point of stacking it with Maelstrom. And the bonus damage.
DIFFICULT TERRAIN Combat rarely takes place i n bare rooms or on featureless plains. Boulder-strewn caverns, briar choked forests, treacherous staircases-the setting of a typical fight contains difficult terrain. Every foot of movement in difficult terrain costs 1 extra foot. This rule is true even if multiple things in a space count as difficult terrain. Low furniture, rubble, undergrowth, steep stairs, snow, and shallow bogs are examples of difficult terrain. The space of another creature, whether hostile or not, also counts as difficult terrain.
CLIMBING, SWIMMING, AND CRAWLING Each foot of movement costs 1 extra foot (2 extra feet in difficult terrain) when you're climbing, swimming, or crawling. You ignore this extra cost ifyou have a climbing speed and use it to climb or a swimming speed and use it to swim. At the DM's option, climbing a slippery vertical surface or one with few handholds requires a successful Strength (Athletics) check. Similarly, gaining any distance in rough water might require a successful Strength (Athletics) check.
seems weird that you’d be moving faster in water up to your neck by not swimming.
also the space a medium or smaller creature controls may be subject it to further penalties.
UNDERWATER COMBAT When adventurers pursue sahuagin back to their undersea homes, fight off sharks in an ancient shipwreck, or find themselves in a flooded dungeon room, they must fight in a challenging environment. Underwater the following rules apply. When making a melee weapon attack, a creature that doesn't have a swimming speed (either natural or granted by magic) has disadvantage on the attack roll unless the weapon is a dagger, javelin, shortsword, spear, or trident. A ranged weapon attack automatically misses a target beyond the weapon's normal range. Even against a target within normal range, the attack roll has disadvantage unless the weapon is a crossbow, a net, or a weapon that is thrown like a javelin (including a spear, trident, or dart). Creatures and objects that are fully immersed in water have resistance to fire damage.
There are plenty of PC's where 5 feet of water is not up to their neck. It is only up to their stomache or Chest depending on what race they are and full size. Also, What you are quoting is movement through water without a swim speed. What the wording of Maelstrom does is means that even with a swim speed you cannot actually escape it any faster where if you treat it simply as water and swimming anything with a swim speed would get out of it easily. Your over complicating things.
I had not quite considered this, but if one was going to combine a control spell with an AOE damage spell, then one could also combine spells like Evard's or Wall of Force with Insect Plague or Wall of Fire for more damage, I think. By itself, Maelstrom is written as a better control spell than something like Insect Plague (better radius, better save, 10' pull on failed save). However, any target can dash out of the area of effect of either of these spells regardless of the save (barring the situation I described earlier for Maelstrom where a target at the center of the vortex with 30' move speed could make it to the periphery of the area of effect during its turn).
If the NPC is being held within the vortex effect area by a tentacle from the Evard's spell, they can't move out of the AoE. That's the point of stacking it with Maelstrom. And the bonus damage.
spells such as hold person, ensnare and several others also can accomplish similar effects. And some of them have the advantage that it takes the person's turn to escape such bindings. Though certain DM's might say that some of them don't mix with the swirling waters out of a sense of realism. They cannot do that to all of them. And many of them also double up on different kinds of saves meaning your more likely to catch an enemies weak stat.
a creature with a swim speed would still have to contend with the fact that it’s still considered difficult terrain. A swim speed would indeed be better for escape as every 1 foot of movement would be treated as 2 feet instead of 3 feet.
im not over complicating the spell. I’m treating it as though the general rules that exist and would apply in this situation, are actually being used.
The specificity of the spell actually takes precidence over the generalness of some of the rules. So you can do that but it would be homebrewing at your table. And you are over complicating it. Because simply making it difficult terrain slows a person down and stops the issue of swimming.
A Specific rules doesn't automatically cancel a general rule unless the specific rule actually “specifically” says it allows or disallows something related to that general rule. the specific rule, in this case a spell description, doesn’t in any way say that water rules don’t apply to it. In most cases the rule isn’t even canceled, just changed slightly for a given character.
if you think actually using rules supplied by the game is over complicating things then yea I suppose that’s true. Most people do think that, it’s why almost no one actually uses rules like cover.
More importantly. In Specificity, It doesn't actually say that water DOES apply to it. Which is as good as saying it doesn't apply.
Edit: Also I've been at many tables that do actually use Cover. Cover is really easy to add in because they are just flat AC bonuses. So I've been at tables where cover is not necessarily mentioned every single time it comes into play but is actually taken into account by the DM as they cover whether things hit or miss.
That’s not how the rules work. The rule is exclusion based, meaning the general rules DO apply unless something else Specifically says otherwise.
Specific beats General This book contains rules, especially i n parts 2 and 3 , that govern how the game plays. That said, many racial traits, class features, spells, magic items, monster abili ties, and other game elements break the general rules in some way, creating an exception to how the rest of the game works. Remember this: If a specific rule contra dicts a general rule, the specific rule wins. Exceptions to the rules are often minor. For instance, many adventurers don't have proficiency with longbows, but every wood elf does because of a racial trait. That trait creates a minor exception in the game. Other examples of rule-breaking are more conspicuous. For instance, an adventurer can't normally pass through walls, but some spells make that possible. Magic accounts for most of the major exceptions to the rules.
That’s not how the rules work. The rule is exclusion based, meaning the general rules DO apply unless something else Specifically says otherwise.
Specific beats General This book contains rules, especially i n parts 2 and 3 , that govern how the game plays. That said, many racial traits, class features, spells, magic items, monster abili ties, and other game elements break the general rules in some way, creating an exception to how the rest of the game works. Remember this: If a specific rule contra dicts a general rule, the specific rule wins. Exceptions to the rules are often minor. For instance, many adventurers don't have proficiency with longbows, but every wood elf does because of a racial trait. That trait creates a minor exception in the game. Other examples of rule-breaking are more conspicuous. For instance, an adventurer can't normally pass through walls, but some spells make that possible. Magic accounts for most of the major exceptions to the rules.
This is not entirely true. The rules are not simply exclusion based simply because it says something doesn't count. most spells tell you exactly what is included in them and anything that is not listed in that list is not included. So any spell that does not say that swimming works in them and that only difficult terrain counts are by specificity actually making an exclusion of swimming and it's characteristics as affecting that spell. this is not true ony of Maelstrom but spells like Wall of water as well. This is not an isolated case. You don't get to just swim through Wall of Water and you don't just get to swim your way out of Maelstrom either and thus throwing swimming on top is actually adding something that isn't there and actually is excluded because the spells work in specific about what they do allow and what they do hinder.
I never said a swim speed bypasses difficult terrain. I never said a swim speed bypasses this spell. I said having a swim speed means it still coasts double movement since it’s still difficult terrain. What I did say was that size may be a factor. I also said that if you DONT have a swim speed it costs 3 feet depending on if your swimming through it.
there are plenty of cases where spells do things that aren’t in the spell description. A spell like booming blade makes a loud sound, but the spell doesn’t tell you exactly how loud. The spell create bonfire creates an actual fire, and thus creates light, but doesn’t tell you how much light. Maelstrom creates water, enough of it that some creatures might have to swim through it to get out, but that’s the DMs call.
The game is exclusion based. There’s the general rules, and then there are exclusions that may change those rules. They may be a spell, a class feature, race feature, or even just because the DM says things are different for right now. That’s exactly how the game works.
wall of water is a horrible example, its not even thick enough for many tiny creature to have to swim through.
Difficult terrain and 10 pull to the enter means most creatures would only move 20 feet per turn ourt of it (30 feet at half speed, minus 10 feet of drag). As a druid you can layer it with plant growth for 1/4 movement speed to ensure they would not get out unless they fly or teleport out. Even without CC it's a decent damaging option comparable to Sickening Radiance with is one of the best continuous area damage spells in the game (despite also being all-or-nothing save).
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I have a few questions regarding the Maelstrom spell. The description of the spell is not terribly impressive: A 30' radius area of difficult terrain with 6d6 bludgeoning damage on the target's first and subsequent turns if failing a strength saving throw, and none otherwise, coupled with forced movement of 10' toward the center of the spell's area of effect if the save is failed. As written, the spell is arguably worse CC than provided by Sleet Storm, which is a 3rd level spell.
What is not clear is whether the fact that targets are caught in 5' of unquestionably rough water results in the application of other mechanical disadvantages. For instance, should targets be considered to be swimming in difficult terrain, or should the rules for underwater combat be applied to targets? A literal interpretation would suggest the spell has no effects beyond those written, though logic would dictate that these other disadvantages would apply. (Then again, logic would suggest that Gust of Wind would cause disadvantage on ranged weapon attacks, but...)
I would be interested in knowing how others have handled the use of Maelstrom in their own campaigns.
I think a DM could flavor text rough water for 5' of water and require swim check for concentration, but I get the impression that strength check is what is implying you are overcoming the environmental effect. I would certainly argue that a Small sized Creature or shorter sized would have to make a Swim Check if they were trying to move within 5-foot of water, even if they succeeded in the initial saving throw.
However, I see Maelstrom as also a solid damage dealing spell for a Druid. 6d6 to multiple targets per turn is nice, especially in a 30' radius. Yes the save vs No Damage is kind of a downer, but most Casters will have a low Strength anyways. 30' Radius of difficult terrain is also nothing to scoff at, especially if there is a chance they can get pulled back 10-feet. In comparison to Sleet Storm, Sleet Storm is pure Control with no damage but is a nightmare for Caster classes, where as Maelstrom is partial control and partial damage and does not truly excel at either... it's not a bad spell, but if you are looking for sheer CC or Concentration Damage then there are better options... but 30' radius with both of these is really nice!
Also, I would say check the Comments in the Spell list. Someone argued that Maelstrom would cause other impairments as well (such as vision), which I disagree with, but it would be a DM ruling.
Maelstrom has the added benefit that you can actually attack things within it's radius or even beyond it unlike sleet storm. That heavy obscurity makes them basically untargetable for the same reason darkness would which is a double edged sword that Maelstrom does not deal with. Which creates the potential for more concentration checks to have to be made by any inside of it that need to make them.
And I am one that does like Sleet storm for it's various uses when it comes to third level spells despite it doing no damage.
Maelstrom is a better spell than Sleet Storm if you can stack it with another AoE concentration killer spell like Cloudkill, Sickening Radiance, or Evard's Black Tentacles. The effect of pulling creatures towards the center of the maelstrom stacked with auto damage from another spell makes it very easy to lockdown and kill creatures with moderate to low strength, esp because you are targeting two different saving throws. It takes two different spellcasters to pull off, but it's very deadly in the right situations.
I had not quite considered this, but if one was going to combine a control spell with an AOE damage spell, then one could also combine spells like Evard's or Wall of Force with Insect Plague or Wall of Fire for more damage, I think. By itself, Maelstrom is written as a better control spell than something like Insect Plague (better radius, better save, 10' pull on failed save). However, any target can dash out of the area of effect of either of these spells regardless of the save (barring the situation I described earlier for Maelstrom where a target at the center of the vortex with 30' move speed could make it to the periphery of the area of effect during its turn).
They can dash out of it. But that requires them to use their action and puts them on the edge of it which means they can be pushed back in and then have to get themselves out yet again. part of Maelstrom's power is it's ability for group utility and synergy not just in what the spell itself does. This can be combined in more ways than simply another spell. A monk with Crusher could be potentially devestating to a small group trying to get out of maelstrom that is having trouble getting farther than the edge of it and with relative safety if most of the group is using their action for dashes.
Letting a creature move though a five foot deep area of water that already counts as difficult terrain without counting it as swimming seems disingenuous to me, at least when taking the creatures size into account.
I get that movement seems to only scale in 5e by usually adding additional 1ft penalties, but ignoring that the difficult terrain is indeed water doesnt seem right to me. I mean, imagine you’re in a regular pool of water, 5ft deep. How fast are you going to be moving in that water if your not at least partially attempting to stroke through it with your arms? If you’re not swimming, you’d actually be moving a lot less.
then imagine the water is violently fighting against you the entire time.
i guess the real question is if you can treat magically created water terrain as not water. I don’t know why you would.
It's difficult terrain BECAUSE they are having to move through the water. Not because it is multiple terrain effects piled together. the water is what is making it difficult. It's not difficult terrain AND water on top of that.
DIFFICULT TERRAIN
Combat rarely takes place i n bare rooms or on featureless plains. Boulder-strewn caverns, briar choked forests, treacherous staircases-the setting of a typical fight contains difficult terrain.
Every foot of movement in difficult terrain costs 1 extra foot. This rule is true even if multiple things in a space count as difficult terrain.
Low furniture, rubble, undergrowth, steep stairs, snow, and shallow bogs are examples of difficult terrain. The space of another creature, whether hostile or not, also counts as difficult terrain.
CLIMBING, SWIMMING, AND CRAWLING
Each foot of movement costs 1 extra foot (2 extra feet in difficult terrain) when you're climbing, swimming, or crawling. You ignore this extra cost ifyou have a climbing speed and use it to climb or a swimming speed and use it to swim. At the DM's option, climbing a slippery vertical surface or one with few handholds requires a successful Strength (Athletics) check. Similarly, gaining any distance in rough water might require a successful Strength (Athletics) check.
seems weird that you’d be moving faster in water up to your neck by not swimming.
also the space a medium or smaller creature controls may be subject it to further penalties.
UNDERWATER COMBAT
When adventurers pursue sahuagin back to their undersea homes, fight off sharks in an ancient shipwreck, or find themselves in a flooded dungeon room, they must fight in a challenging environment. Underwater the following rules apply.
When making a melee weapon attack, a creature that doesn't have a swimming speed (either natural or granted by magic) has disadvantage on the attack roll unless the weapon is a dagger, javelin, shortsword, spear, or trident.
A ranged weapon attack automatically misses a target beyond the weapon's normal range. Even against a target within normal range, the attack roll has disadvantage unless the weapon is a crossbow, a net, or a weapon that is thrown like a javelin (including a spear, trident, or dart).
Creatures and objects that are fully immersed in water have resistance to fire damage.
If the NPC is being held within the vortex effect area by a tentacle from the Evard's spell, they can't move out of the AoE. That's the point of stacking it with Maelstrom. And the bonus damage.
There are plenty of PC's where 5 feet of water is not up to their neck. It is only up to their stomache or Chest depending on what race they are and full size. Also, What you are quoting is movement through water without a swim speed. What the wording of Maelstrom does is means that even with a swim speed you cannot actually escape it any faster where if you treat it simply as water and swimming anything with a swim speed would get out of it easily. Your over complicating things.
spells such as hold person, ensnare and several others also can accomplish similar effects. And some of them have the advantage that it takes the person's turn to escape such bindings. Though certain DM's might say that some of them don't mix with the swirling waters out of a sense of realism. They cannot do that to all of them. And many of them also double up on different kinds of saves meaning your more likely to catch an enemies weak stat.
a creature with a swim speed would still have to contend with the fact that it’s still considered difficult terrain. A swim speed would indeed be better for escape as every 1 foot of movement would be treated as 2 feet instead of 3 feet.
im not over complicating the spell. I’m treating it as though the general rules that exist and would apply in this situation, are actually being used.
The specificity of the spell actually takes precidence over the generalness of some of the rules. So you can do that but it would be homebrewing at your table. And you are over complicating it. Because simply making it difficult terrain slows a person down and stops the issue of swimming.
A Specific rules doesn't automatically cancel a general rule unless the specific rule actually “specifically” says it allows or disallows something related to that general rule. the specific rule, in this case a spell description, doesn’t in any way say that water rules don’t apply to it. In most cases the rule isn’t even canceled, just changed slightly for a given character.
if you think actually using rules supplied by the game is over complicating things then yea I suppose that’s true. Most people do think that, it’s why almost no one actually uses rules like cover.
More importantly. In Specificity, It doesn't actually say that water DOES apply to it. Which is as good as saying it doesn't apply.
Edit: Also I've been at many tables that do actually use Cover. Cover is really easy to add in because they are just flat AC bonuses. So I've been at tables where cover is not necessarily mentioned every single time it comes into play but is actually taken into account by the DM as they cover whether things hit or miss.
That’s not how the rules work. The rule is exclusion based, meaning the general rules DO apply unless something else Specifically says otherwise.
Specific beats General
This book contains rules, especially i n parts 2 and 3 , that govern how the game plays. That said, many racial traits, class features, spells, magic items, monster abili ties, and other game elements break the general rules in some way, creating an exception to how the rest of the game works. Remember this: If a specific rule contra dicts a general rule, the specific rule wins.
Exceptions to the rules are often minor. For instance, many adventurers don't have proficiency with longbows, but every wood elf does because of a racial trait. That trait creates a minor exception in the game. Other examples of rule-breaking are more conspicuous. For instance, an adventurer can't normally pass through walls, but some spells make that possible. Magic accounts for most of the major exceptions to the rules.
This is not entirely true. The rules are not simply exclusion based simply because it says something doesn't count. most spells tell you exactly what is included in them and anything that is not listed in that list is not included. So any spell that does not say that swimming works in them and that only difficult terrain counts are by specificity actually making an exclusion of swimming and it's characteristics as affecting that spell. this is not true ony of Maelstrom but spells like Wall of water as well. This is not an isolated case. You don't get to just swim through Wall of Water and you don't just get to swim your way out of Maelstrom either and thus throwing swimming on top is actually adding something that isn't there and actually is excluded because the spells work in specific about what they do allow and what they do hinder.
I never said a swim speed bypasses difficult terrain. I never said a swim speed bypasses this spell. I said having a swim speed means it still coasts double movement since it’s still difficult terrain. What I did say was that size may be a factor. I also said that if you DONT have a swim speed it costs 3 feet depending on if your swimming through it.
there are plenty of cases where spells do things that aren’t in the spell description. A spell like booming blade makes a loud sound, but the spell doesn’t tell you exactly how loud. The spell create bonfire creates an actual fire, and thus creates light, but doesn’t tell you how much light. Maelstrom creates water, enough of it that some creatures might have to swim through it to get out, but that’s the DMs call.
The game is exclusion based. There’s the general rules, and then there are exclusions that may change those rules. They may be a spell, a class feature, race feature, or even just because the DM says things are different for right now. That’s exactly how the game works.
wall of water is a horrible example, its not even thick enough for many tiny creature to have to swim through.
Difficult terrain and 10 pull to the enter means most creatures would only move 20 feet per turn ourt of it (30 feet at half speed, minus 10 feet of drag). As a druid you can layer it with plant growth for 1/4 movement speed to ensure they would not get out unless they fly or teleport out. Even without CC it's a decent damaging option comparable to Sickening Radiance with is one of the best continuous area damage spells in the game (despite also being all-or-nothing save).