its all homebrew, but it, imo, it boils down to what the rod is actually doing. Is it providing a barricade such as the bars of a jail (if so, the escape spell does nothing)? or is it imposing the restrained condition (if so, the spell does something)?
The rod isn't acting as a weight like Thor's hammer, it is simply a fixed rod in space. If it is placed to prevent somebody getting up, it's position probably won't prevent that creature from sliding sideways to get out of the rod's fixed physical position.
While obviously in homebrew territory, I'd argue that the closest precedent we have in the rules would be a set of magical manacles, or even a wall of force that is boxing you in. The three all have the same thing in common:
Freedom of movement definitely loses to Magical Manacles, and I think I'd say that the it loses against the rod as well.
But again - homebrew territory. It depends on how the DM decides that the 'pinning in place' actually works, mechanically.
Sure but if you add a "magical restraining" function to the Immovable Rod then you have quite clearly increased the utility/power level of the rod. It is only an "uncommon" item after all, with such extras that should probably be increased.
Also it seems to me that Freedom of Movement is designed in such a way as to get out of non-magical restraints and block some magical effects but with an intentional hole big enough to allow magical restraints to actually work as intended. I have no issues with that, I'd even say that it's good design as otherwise magical restraints become largely irrelevant at higher levels.. However if you upgrade the Immovable Rod to be such a magical restraint then i refer you to the above part of my post.
While obviously in homebrew territory, I'd argue that the closest precedent we have in the rules would be a set of magical manacles, or even a wall of force that is boxing you in. The three all have the same thing in common:
Your movement is being restricted by something magical (so the second half of the spell does not apply)
That restriction is not caused by a speed reduction, or by a condition like Restrained or Paralyzed (so the first half of the spell does not apply)
Freedom of movement definitely loses to Magical Manacles, and I think I'd say that the it loses against the rod as well.
But again - homebrew territory. It depends on how the DM decides that the 'pinning in place' actually works, mechanically.
I think there is a distinction between the way the rod is used here and magic manacles. The magic of the rod isn't directed towards restraining its just the position of the rod, whereas the magic of the manacles is intended to restrain. Vs the manacles you'd have to overcome the magic, vs the rod you'd only need to overcome the physical restriction.
Does it matter if the item being used to restrain the character in an improvised manner is magical?
In this case, an immovable rod is used to pin a character to the ground. My opinion is that the Freedom of Movement spell would allow a character to escape because the magic of the item is not being used to restrain the character - it is the placement of the item.
Here is another example.
A storm giant puts their 400lb great sword on the back of a character pinning them to the ground. They are incapable of getting out because they can't move it. Can they cast Freedom of Movement to escape? I'd say yes.
Replace that 400lb great sword with a +1 magical 400lb great sword. Does that mean that Freedom of Movement doesn't work to free the character just because the item that is pinning them happens to be magical? Even though the magic has nothing to do with the restraint?
D&D is a game of rulings and since this is all very firmly into ruling territory, RAW isn't really that relevant. However, I would rule that Freedom of Movement could be used to escape from either the rod or the magical great sword. On the other hand, magical manacles or iron bands of bilarro which are designed to magically restrain creatures would be unaffected by Freedom of Movement.
Does it matter if the item being used to restrain the character in an improvised manner is magical?
In this case, an immovable rod is used to pin a character to the ground. My opinion is that the Freedom of Movement spell would allow a character to escape because the magic of the item is not being used to restrain the character - it is the placement of the item.
Here is another example.
A storm giant puts their 400lb great sword on the back of a character pinning them to the ground. They are incapable of getting out because they can't move it. Can they cast Freedom of Movement to escape? I'd say yes.
Replace that 400lb great sword with a +1 magical 400lb great sword. Does that mean that Freedom of Movement doesn't work to free the character just because the item that is pinning them happens to be magical? Even though the magic has nothing to do with the restraint?
D&D is a game of rulings and since this is all very firmly into ruling territory, RAW isn't really that relevant. However, I would rule that Freedom of Movement could be used to escape from either the rod or the magical great sword. On the other hand, magical manacles or iron bands of bilarro which are designed to magically restrain creatures would be unaffected by Freedom of Movement.
Interesting.. that is similar logic to what I am using but in the opposite direction. To me, its ability to restrict movement is based on being a solid object, so in any situation where that would matter, it would restrict just as any other solid object would. If someone is in a sealed box, freedom of movement will not let them pass through the sides of the box any more than it lets them walk through any wall that they consider inconvenient.
Couldn't they slip out sideways from the rod? FoM allows the caster to escape the tentacles of a kraken or the jaws of a trex. Those seem harder to escape in some ways because they are actively trying to restrain.
I was hypothothizing scenarios where the sides were blocked somehow, though, such as a narrow alcove or a coffin, with the bar forming a literal 4th wall.
The jaws of a t-rex or grasp of a kraken (or of anything else) is still a grasp one can wriggle out of under the rules. The spell lets one move such that the grasp is no longer holding, but would not let you literally pass through the tyrannosaurus or kraken if it was an inert stationary object blocking an entrance or exit.
The rod is still a rod though, not a wall. It isn't going to cover much of the creature and as it doesn't exert any force towards the creature I find it hard to envision a situation where you couldn't wiggle around/away from the rod.
I think one problem is that exactly how Freedom of Movement allows the effected creature to be immune to magical restraints like Hold Person, or escape mundane restraints like Manacles is not explained.
As for magic items such as Iron Bands of Bilarro that cause the Restrained condition, I feel like these would be included in the spell's language as an "other magical effect". However, from what I have read I don't know if many people would agree with this.
Regardless, if a DM allowed an Immovable Rod to restrain a creature I don't see it being any more effective than mundane means like a pillory. Freedom of Movement is a 4th level spell and for the same slot the character could just as easily cast Polymorph to change their form into something the Immovable Rod no longer restrains. Exactly how Freedom of Movement lets you escape from restraints is up to you to describe, and I think it would be hard to come up with flavor that worked for Manacles but didn't work for the Immovable Rod.
its all homebrew, but it, imo, it boils down to what the rod is actually doing. Is it providing a barricade such as the bars of a jail (if so, the escape spell does nothing)? or is it imposing the restrained condition (if so, the spell does something)?
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I would rule that if a rolling a 30 for any kind of escape attempt would let you escape, than Freedom of Movement would let you escape.
But if it was physically impossible to escape, than freedom of movement would not work (as it does not let you teleport out of a wall of force).
The rod isn't acting as a weight like Thor's hammer, it is simply a fixed rod in space. If it is placed to prevent somebody getting up, it's position probably won't prevent that creature from sliding sideways to get out of the rod's fixed physical position.
Sure but if you add a "magical restraining" function to the Immovable Rod then you have quite clearly increased the utility/power level of the rod. It is only an "uncommon" item after all, with such extras that should probably be increased.
Also it seems to me that Freedom of Movement is designed in such a way as to get out of non-magical restraints and block some magical effects but with an intentional hole big enough to allow magical restraints to actually work as intended. I have no issues with that, I'd even say that it's good design as otherwise magical restraints become largely irrelevant at higher levels.. However if you upgrade the Immovable Rod to be such a magical restraint then i refer you to the above part of my post.
I think there is a distinction between the way the rod is used here and magic manacles. The magic of the rod isn't directed towards restraining its just the position of the rod, whereas the magic of the manacles is intended to restrain. Vs the manacles you'd have to overcome the magic, vs the rod you'd only need to overcome the physical restriction.
Does it matter if the item being used to restrain the character in an improvised manner is magical?
In this case, an immovable rod is used to pin a character to the ground. My opinion is that the Freedom of Movement spell would allow a character to escape because the magic of the item is not being used to restrain the character - it is the placement of the item.
Here is another example.
A storm giant puts their 400lb great sword on the back of a character pinning them to the ground. They are incapable of getting out because they can't move it. Can they cast Freedom of Movement to escape? I'd say yes.
Replace that 400lb great sword with a +1 magical 400lb great sword. Does that mean that Freedom of Movement doesn't work to free the character just because the item that is pinning them happens to be magical? Even though the magic has nothing to do with the restraint?
D&D is a game of rulings and since this is all very firmly into ruling territory, RAW isn't really that relevant. However, I would rule that Freedom of Movement could be used to escape from either the rod or the magical great sword. On the other hand, magical manacles or iron bands of bilarro which are designed to magically restrain creatures would be unaffected by Freedom of Movement.
Couldn't they slip out sideways from the rod? FoM allows the caster to escape the tentacles of a kraken or the jaws of a trex. Those seem harder to escape in some ways because they are actively trying to restrain.
The rod is still a rod though, not a wall. It isn't going to cover much of the creature and as it doesn't exert any force towards the creature I find it hard to envision a situation where you couldn't wiggle around/away from the rod.
Freedom of movement wins. I imagine that the affected created kinda slips under and away from the rod, like if super greased up.
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I think one problem is that exactly how Freedom of Movement allows the effected creature to be immune to magical restraints like Hold Person, or escape mundane restraints like Manacles is not explained.
As for magic items such as Iron Bands of Bilarro that cause the Restrained condition, I feel like these would be included in the spell's language as an "other magical effect". However, from what I have read I don't know if many people would agree with this.
Regardless, if a DM allowed an Immovable Rod to restrain a creature I don't see it being any more effective than mundane means like a pillory. Freedom of Movement is a 4th level spell and for the same slot the character could just as easily cast Polymorph to change their form into something the Immovable Rod no longer restrains. Exactly how Freedom of Movement lets you escape from restraints is up to you to describe, and I think it would be hard to come up with flavor that worked for Manacles but didn't work for the Immovable Rod.