I need clarifications on how the web spell works. Long story short, I play a wizard who has web. I want to cast it in an underground environment with a wall on one side and stalagmites and crystals in the room not further than 20ft away from the wall on the other side. Our enemy is in the middle between the wall and the crystals. Now the web description says the following:
"You conjure a mass of thick, sticky webbing at a point of your choice within range. The webs fill a 20-foot cube from that point for the duration. The webs are difficult terrain and lightly obscure their area.
If the webs aren't anchored between two solid masses (such as walls or trees) or layered across a floor, wall, or ceiling, the conjured web collapses on itself, and the spell ends at the start of your next turn. Webs layered over a flat surface have a depth of 5 feet.
Each creature that starts its turn in the webs or that enters them during its turn must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is restrained as long as it remains in the webs or until it breaks free.
A creature restrained by the webs can use its action to make a Strength check against your spell save DC. If it succeeds, it is no longer restrained.
The webs are flammable. Any 5-foot cube of webs exposed to fire burns away in 1 round, dealing 2d4 fire damage to any creature that starts its turn in the fire."
So based on the first paragraph were it says: "The webs fill a 20-foot cube from that point for the duration." I positioned a square on the map to represent the footprint of the cube created. However, my DM insists that I can't create a 20ft cube because not the whole surface of the cube can attach to stuff. He says my spell can only create a 5ft thick wall between two points. He bases his position on this line in the second paragraph: "Webs layered over a flat surface have a depth of 5 feet.". Now i think he misunderstands what the second paragraph means where it says: "If the webs aren't anchored between two solid masses...the conjured web collapses on itself, and the spell ends at the start of your next turn". The way I understand it the first sentence of the second paragraph is meant to address instances where the spell is cast on a target that is midair. The second part of the second paragraph applies only if you've put your web "layered across a floor, wall, or ceiling".
When you "position a square on the map to represent the footprint" is that footprint betwwen two solid masses? If it is it can be 20 ft cube if not you are layering it over a flat surface so the depth is 5 ft.
Examples of two solid surfaces:
If the ceiling is 20ft high you can anchor the web between the floor and ceiling filling the cube
If you are placing it in a 20 foot wide corridor /room you can anchor it between opposite wall
Another way of thinking about is that a web is lots of thin strands of silk. If you can fill a 20foot cube by attaching lots of these threads travelling in a straight line from one fixed point on a solid object to another then you can create a 20 ft cube. If you can not do that you can either layer it on the floor (or ceiling) toa depth of 5ft where it lasts for the duration or have it fill a 20 ft cube but in this case the spell will end at the start of tyour next turn.
Thank you very much Jegpeg. To answer your question: yes on one side there's a solid wall and on the other there is a stalagmite and a crystal formation. Thank you again for your explanation.
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I need clarifications on how the web spell works. Long story short, I play a wizard who has web. I want to cast it in an underground environment with a wall on one side and stalagmites and crystals in the room not further than 20ft away from the wall on the other side. Our enemy is in the middle between the wall and the crystals. Now the web description says the following:
"You conjure a mass of thick, sticky webbing at a point of your choice within range. The webs fill a 20-foot cube from that point for the duration. The webs are difficult terrain and lightly obscure their area.
If the webs aren't anchored between two solid masses (such as walls or trees) or layered across a floor, wall, or ceiling, the conjured web collapses on itself, and the spell ends at the start of your next turn. Webs layered over a flat surface have a depth of 5 feet.
Each creature that starts its turn in the webs or that enters them during its turn must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is restrained as long as it remains in the webs or until it breaks free.
A creature restrained by the webs can use its action to make a Strength check against your spell save DC. If it succeeds, it is no longer restrained.
The webs are flammable. Any 5-foot cube of webs exposed to fire burns away in 1 round, dealing 2d4![]()
fire damage to any creature that starts its turn in the fire."
So based on the first paragraph were it says: "The webs fill a 20-foot cube from that point for the duration." I positioned a square on the map to represent the footprint of the cube created. However, my DM insists that I can't create a 20ft cube because not the whole surface of the cube can attach to stuff. He says my spell can only create a 5ft thick wall between two points. He bases his position on this line in the second paragraph: "Webs layered over a flat surface have a depth of 5 feet.". Now i think he misunderstands what the second paragraph means where it says: "If the webs aren't anchored between two solid masses...the conjured web collapses on itself, and the spell ends at the start of your next turn". The way I understand it the first sentence of the second paragraph is meant to address instances where the spell is cast on a target that is midair. The second part of the second paragraph applies only if you've put your web "layered across a floor, wall, or ceiling".
Can anyone help??
When you "position a square on the map to represent the footprint" is that footprint betwwen two solid masses? If it is it can be 20 ft cube if not you are layering it over a flat surface so the depth is 5 ft.
Examples of two solid surfaces:
Another way of thinking about is that a web is lots of thin strands of silk. If you can fill a 20foot cube by attaching lots of these threads travelling in a straight line from one fixed point on a solid object to another then you can create a 20 ft cube. If you can not do that you can either layer it on the floor (or ceiling) toa depth of 5ft where it lasts for the duration or have it fill a 20 ft cube but in this case the spell will end at the start of tyour next turn.
Thank you very much Jegpeg. To answer your question: yes on one side there's a solid wall and on the other there is a stalagmite and a crystal formation. Thank you again for your explanation.