Why is black tentacles so praised?

[craig234]

Picking 4th level spells. I see 2 guides, both rank black tentacle top-2. Why? It has a STR save, which is bad right? Surprised there aren't more guides.

[Ommamar]

Before spike thorns black tentacle was the only movement slowing spell that also had the potential to damage. There are some high level strength enemies that help negate it, it is still a good spell to take for certain situations where you have a lot of enemies that don't fit that criteria.

[Sentient_Toaster]

It's a dexterity save to not be affected by it. If a creature is willing to spend its whole action attempting to escape, that's a strength or dex check... but that was its action, so most enemies can't attack that turn and they can't even dash to try to get further away from the effect. If it doesn't try to break out, it's restrained, so it's at disadvantage when attacking and others attack it at advantage.

In tabletop, I had a GOOlock use it to fair effect in an SKT campaign. The giants we often fought had mediocre dexterity saves. They were strong enough to break out of it, but that took up their action, so they couldn't do much else but move that turn... and the tentacles were still difficult terrain, meaning that they probably wouldn't get far. Between the two other party members being high-strength martials that could readily get advantage on Strength checks and my warlock having repelling blast, sending them back into the tentacles was often quite doable.

[craig234]

Originally posted by Sentient_Toaster:

It's a dexterity save to not be affected by it.

The game says it's a STR save. What about ice storm?

[Sentient_Toaster]

Ice Storm's got a dexterity save for half damage.

[craig234]

Originally posted by Sentient_Toaster:

Ice Storm's got a dexterity save for half damage.

But tentacle has 3d6 damage, ice storm 2d8+4d6, so even half is more.

[craig234]

Fire shield says 'does fire damage' but not how much.

[craig234]

ok, it looks like black tentacle damage is per turn 1 minute, ice storm is one round.

[craig234]

Thinking of getting wall of fire and black tentacle, next level phantasmal killer.

All need concentration though.

[RoachWare]

A STR save is often preferable to put on an opponent - usually, they have two saves, one (usually) is STR/INT/CHA, th other is DEX/CON/WS, and if the NSCahould have three, the third one usually is from the latter group, as there are few spells that have a STR save. That means though that STR is less likely to be a save proficiency for opponents...

[Sentient_Toaster]

Depends what you're dealing with. There are a lot of monsters that have far higher strength than dexterity. For instance, dragons have a better chance of making a strength save than they do with dexterity saves, even though they have proficiency in the latter but not the former. Remorhazes, of which you'll probably meet a few, have far higher strength than dexterity and proficiency in neither. Giants, ogres, bulettes...

[rdpeyton]

Originally posted by craig234:

ok, it looks like black tentacle damage is per turn 1 minute, ice storm is one round.

I've found that a lot of enemies I wouldn't think would get stuck by black tentacles do, in fact, get stuck by black tentacles. And they take damage every round as a result. It's one of the best spells in the game hands down.

[craig234]

I got black tentacle, first battle, enemies 'are immune'. Haven't seen much benefit yet.

I'm sure it'll do more.