Entangle states, "A creature in the area when you cast the spell must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be restrained by the entangling plants until the spell ends." Must the saving throw be performed by each creature in the 20 foot square, or just one single creature? If it is just a single creature (a creature), who chooses if there are multiple creatures? Other spells (like thunderwave) say "each creature" not "a creature". Can someone please clarify?
How do I know it's an area of effect spell? It's not a cone, cube, cylinder, line or sphere. I mean, I assume it is one, I just want to be sure.
You look at the details page, particularly to the Range listing. Entangle can be cast at a 90 foot range, but it creates a 20 foot square area (...is that 20 on a side, or 20 square feet? ambiguous...) centered on that point. Basically, you measure the area based on the point that is targeted. If a creature is inside that square area when you cast, they perform the saving throw. If they are not inside that square area, they do not.
How do I know it's an area of effect spell? It's not a cone, cube, cylinder, line or sphere. I mean, I assume it is one, I just want to be sure.
You look at the details page, particularly to the Range listing. Entangle can be cast at a 90 foot range, but it creates a 20 foot square area (...is that 20 on a side, or 20 square feet? ambiguous...) centered on that point. Basically, you measure the area based on the point that is targeted. If a creature is inside that square area when you cast, they perform the saving throw. If they are not inside that square area, they do not.
It’s 20 ft./side, one thing to point out though is that squares, like cubes don’t have to point of origin in the center, but along one of the sides.
(...is that 20 on a side, or 20 square feet? ambiguous...)
This is D&D using natural language that can be unclear to those unfamiliar with the usage.
A 20 foot X means X that is 20 feet along each side
A 20 square/cubic foot X means X that has an area/volume.
The key is the unit used; if it just lists a length, it's telling you the length along one side. If it lists the unit in area units, it's telling you the total area. If it lists volume units, it's telling you the total volume.
I agree with Davedamon, although interestingly, in the spellcasting rules it only tells how to do 3-d areas of effect, not so much 2-d areas. For the section on cubes, it mentions clearly that the length given is the length of each side of the cube. Using units or analogy or whatever other minimal thinking you'd like, it is surely that they intend the 20' to be a side length, not an area.
Entangle states, "A creature in the area when you cast the spell must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be restrained by the entangling plants until the spell ends." Must the saving throw be performed by each creature in the 20 foot square, or just one single creature? If it is just a single creature (a creature), who chooses if there are multiple creatures? Other spells (like thunderwave) say "each creature" not "a creature". Can someone please clarify?
A simple way to figure this out for some of them would be to figure out what the side would have to be for the area to be the number. Thus for an area of 20, you'd need 2 times the square root of 5 or about 4.47. The game isn't going to force a decimal like that on you since not everyone is going to find that easy to figure out nor fun to figure out. By elimination, you've got 20 ft to a side or a 4×4 square on a map with 5 ft. This will help if your trying to figure it out on the fly during a game.
Related to the casting square for Entangle... Can you cast it partially into solid rock? For instance - there is a room in an underground dungeon 15ft x20ft with a 5ft corridor on one side. - would you have to cast it in all available floorspace (the 15ft deep room plus the 5ft corridor) or could you cast it to avoid the corridor? Does it HAVE to be a 20ft square, and a square in open space?
Related to the casting square for Entangle... Can you cast it partially into solid rock? For instance - there is a room in an underground dungeon 15ft x20ft with a 5ft corridor on one side. - would you have to cast it in all available floorspace (the 15ft deep room plus the 5ft corridor) or could you cast it to avoid the corridor? Does it HAVE to be a 20ft square, and a square in open space?
The origin of a square is on its edge. You pick a point, then decide the alignment of the square. That alignment can extend into total cover (like a wall) and the spell effect will not penetrate the cover.
So yes, you can avoid the corridor. The area must be the full size square, but it can partially extend into an area of total cover and the effect won't work there.
A sphere spell like a Fireball can be more messy because its point of origin is the centre of the sphere and there is no alignment to choose.
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Entangle states, "A creature in the area when you cast the spell must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be restrained by the entangling plants until the spell ends." Must the saving throw be performed by each creature in the 20 foot square, or just one single creature? If it is just a single creature (a creature), who chooses if there are multiple creatures? Other spells (like thunderwave) say "each creature" not "a creature". Can someone please clarify?
Its AOE so all creatures.
Love DnD but the writers/editors/books have consistency issues.
How do I know it's an area of effect spell? It's not a cone, cube, cylinder, line or sphere. I mean, I assume it is one, I just want to be sure.
I think it basically says it in the spells description. This spell is confusing.
You look at the details page, particularly to the Range listing. Entangle can be cast at a 90 foot range, but it creates a 20 foot square area (...is that 20 on a side, or 20 square feet? ambiguous...) centered on that point. Basically, you measure the area based on the point that is targeted. If a creature is inside that square area when you cast, they perform the saving throw. If they are not inside that square area, they do not.
It’s 20 ft./side, one thing to point out though is that squares, like cubes don’t have to point of origin in the center, but along one of the sides.
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This is D&D using natural language that can be unclear to those unfamiliar with the usage.
A 20 foot X means X that is 20 feet along each side
A 20 square/cubic foot X means X that has an area/volume.
The key is the unit used; if it just lists a length, it's telling you the length along one side. If it lists the unit in area units, it's telling you the total area. If it lists volume units, it's telling you the total volume.
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I agree with Davedamon, although interestingly, in the spellcasting rules it only tells how to do 3-d areas of effect, not so much 2-d areas. For the section on cubes, it mentions clearly that the length given is the length of each side of the cube. Using units or analogy or whatever other minimal thinking you'd like, it is surely that they intend the 20' to be a side length, not an area.
That’s what he said.
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A simple way to figure this out for some of them would be to figure out what the side would have to be for the area to be the number. Thus for an area of 20, you'd need 2 times the square root of 5 or about 4.47. The game isn't going to force a decimal like that on you since not everyone is going to find that easy to figure out nor fun to figure out. By elimination, you've got 20 ft to a side or a 4×4 square on a map with 5 ft. This will help if your trying to figure it out on the fly during a game.
Related to the casting square for Entangle... Can you cast it partially into solid rock? For instance - there is a room in an underground dungeon 15ft x20ft with a 5ft corridor on one side. - would you have to cast it in all available floorspace (the 15ft deep room plus the 5ft corridor) or could you cast it to avoid the corridor? Does it HAVE to be a 20ft square, and a square in open space?
The origin of a square is on its edge. You pick a point, then decide the alignment of the square. That alignment can extend into total cover (like a wall) and the spell effect will not penetrate the cover.
So yes, you can avoid the corridor. The area must be the full size square, but it can partially extend into an area of total cover and the effect won't work there.
A sphere spell like a Fireball can be more messy because its point of origin is the centre of the sphere and there is no alignment to choose.