Managing the webs in the Whispering Depths

[magritte]

So I went through the floor in the Blighted City and knocked down a cracked wall to enter the whispering depths. I saw some webs so I set fire to them with a cantrip before entering, figuring that it was better to alert the spiders to my presence than to get caught in the webs.
The problem is that only the web between the platforms burnt, the webs on them didn't and I couldn't get them to burn with a cantrip or attacking them with a torch; they just didn't seem to interact.

So I reluctantly had my team hop across the bridge and combat initiates and NOW the webs suddenly burst into flames burning my team. Is there any way to get rid of the webs before combat starts (maybe grease + a fire spell)? I'm not sure if constantly having to save to do anything is any better than being on fire; neither is helpful if I'm going to be facing phase spiders. Alternatively, is there any way to trigger the encounter before my whole party is stuck on the other side of the platform on the webs, so I can force them to come to me? Maybe if I put Astarion back in the lineup, he can sneak in and find them?

[Lani]

My advice, don't burn any webs beforehand unless they block the way.
Why? Spiders like to land on them, that's when you burn them for the extra falling damage.

[jonnin]

shadowheart has her racial firebolt spell, don't waste anything else on this unless its an emergency gravity damage situation.
in the boss fight, the boss will take 30-50 falling damage depending on where you drop her, and that makes the fight trivial. The other fights, do what you will. Cutting webs may make some navigation a bit tougher but there isn't much down there besides rubbish anyway, apart from the boss and things near the boss, and the one weirdo room that is accessible without webs.

[Smask]

You can just shoot at them with a ranged weapon. or throw some alchemist fire ;)

[アンジェル]

Originally posted by Smask:

You can just shoot at them with a ranged weapon. or throw some alchemist fire ;)

or a toch with condition burning

[Smask]

Originally posted by アンジェル:

or a toch with condition burning

Drop a candle on the ground, dip your arrow in that.

[magritte]

There seems to be confusion. I'm not talking about the web bridges--those burn easily, though I hadn't thought of the tactical angle of waiting until something is on them for falling damage. My problem is with the webs on the solid ground which I can't seem to get to catch fire until combat starts and I'm standing on the stupid things. And yes, of course I'd prefer to engage them from range, but I need to get out of the damn webs.

Ehh....maybe I'll just go somewhere else and come back to this area later. I wonder if it's easier to approach from the well.