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Black Tentacles

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Black Tentacles
  • Level: 4
  • School: Conjuration
  • Class: Wizard
  • Casting Time: Action
  • Range: 90 feet
  • Components: V, S, M (a tentacle)
  • Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Squirming, ebony tentacles fill a 20-foot square on ground that you can see within range. For the duration, these tentacles turn the ground in that area into Difficult Terrain.

Each creature in that area makes a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 3d6 Bludgeoning damage, and it has the Restrained condition until the spell ends. A creature also makes that save if it enters the area or ends its turn there. A creature makes that save only once per turn.

A Restrained creature can take an action to make a Strength (Athletics) check against your spell save DC, ending the condition on itself on a success.

Tactical Usage​

When to Choose Black Tentacles:

  • Excellent for battlefield control and area denial
  • Strong choice for restraining multiple enemies simultaneously
  • Valuable for protecting flanks or chokepoints
  • Essential for controlling enemy movement and positioning

Positioning Strategy:

  • Chokepoint Control: Block narrow passages or doorways
  • Flank Protection: Secure sides of battlefield from enemy flanking
  • Enemy Separation: Split enemy forces or isolate priority targets
  • Escape Prevention: Block enemy retreat routes

Target Considerations:

  • Most effective against low-Strength creatures
  • Excellent against spellcasters who rely on positioning
  • Less effective against creatures with teleportation or flight
  • Consider friendly fire when placing the area

Spell Combinations​

Area Control Synergies:

  • Wall of Fire: Channel enemies into tentacle area
  • Web: Stack restraining effects for multiple save requirements
  • Grease: Make escape attempts even more difficult
  • Spike Growth: Add damage to movement through area

Damage Enhancement:

  • Moonbeam: Add radiant damage to restrained enemies
  • Heat Metal: Torment restrained enemies wearing metal armor
  • Call Lightning: Target restrained enemies with advantage
  • Fireball: Area damage against clustered restrained foes

Material Component Details​

Tentacle:

  • Variety: Octopus, squid, or similar creature tentacle
  • Availability: Coastal areas, markets selling exotic components
  • Cost: Moderate (5-25 GP depending on size and freshness)
  • Preservation: Dried tentacles work as well as fresh ones

Roleplay Opportunities:

  • Describe the tentacle dissolving into dark magical energy
  • Reference the writhing, alien nature of the summoned appendages
  • Use component to emphasize the spell's otherworldly origins
  • Connect to cosmic horror or aberrant magical traditions

Creator Notes​

Adjudication Guidance:

  • 20-foot square (4x4) provides substantial area coverage
  • Strength save occurs once per turn when entering or ending turn in area
  • Restrained condition prevents movement but allows other actions
  • Athletics check uses action, competing against spell save DC

Encounter Design Considerations:

  • Dramatically alters battlefield geography and tactics
  • Forces movement-based combat decisions
  • Can split encounters into multiple smaller fights
  • NPCs should use terrain awareness to avoid or exploit tentacles

Balancing Notes:

  • 4th-level slot cost appropriate for significant battlefield control
  • Concentration requirement creates tactical vulnerability
  • Strength save allows counterplay for affected creatures
  • Limited to ground-based area, allowing flight/teleportation counters

Environmental Interactions​

Terrain Modification:

  • Turns normal ground into difficult terrain permanently during duration
  • Tentacles emerge from any solid surface within the area
  • May interact with existing terrain features (stairs, slopes, obstacles)
  • Creates three-dimensional hazard rising from ground level

Physical Interaction:

  • Tentacles are tangible and can be attacked (but this isn't usually effective)
  • May interfere with ground-based objects or mechanisms
  • Creates partial cover for creatures within the area
  • Blocks some line of sight through the affected area

Magical Properties:

  • Tentacles are magical constructs, not actual creatures
  • Affected by anti-magic fields and similar effects
  • Dispel Magic can end the effect early
  • Magical darkness or illumination doesn't affect tentacle behavior

Common Rulings & Clarifications​

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Can flying creatures be affected by the tentacles? A: Only if they're on the ground or within tentacle reach (typically ground level).

Q: Do the tentacles block movement completely? A: No, the area becomes difficult terrain, but movement is still possible.

Q: Can ranged attacks target creatures in the tentacles? A: Yes, though the tentacles may provide partial cover.

Q: What happens if I lose concentration? A: All tentacles disappear immediately and all effects end.

Alternative Applications​

Non-Combat Uses:

  • Area Denial: Prevent access to important locations or objects
  • Crowd Control: Manage large groups of people without lethal force
  • Escape Aid: Block pursuit during retreats
  • Environmental Puzzle: Create temporary barriers for problem-solving

Creative Problem-Solving:

  • Block flooding water or other environmental hazards
  • Create climbing aids (though dangerous ones)
  • Demonstrate magical power during negotiations
  • Temporarily seal passages or entrances

Battlefield Control:

  • Web: Similar restraining area effect
  • Entangle: Nature-based restraint magic
  • Wall of Stone: Permanent barrier creation
  • Spike Growth: Area damage and movement control

Conjuration Magic:

  • Conjure Animals: Summon creatures for control
  • Spiritual Weapon: Mobile conjured attacker
  • Guardian of Faith: Stationary area denial
  • Wall of Fire: Damaging area control

4th-Level Alternatives:

  • Polymorph: Single-target transformation control
  • Wall of Fire: Area damage and control
  • Greater Invisibility: Tactical advantage magic
  • Hallucinatory Terrain: Environmental illusion

Scaling Analysis​

Level Progression:

  • Available at Level 7: Mid-level battlefield control option
  • Tactical Impact: Significant influence on encounter geography
  • Resource Investment: Major spell slot for area control

Area Coverage:

  • 20-foot square: Covers substantial battlefield area
  • Multiple Enemies: Can affect numerous creatures simultaneously
  • Strategic Value: Controls key terrain features effectively

Long-Term Viability:

  • Battlefield control remains valuable at all levels
  • Higher-level creatures may have better Strength saves
  • Concentration becomes more precious at higher levels
  • Essential tool for tactically-minded wizards

Narrative Flavor​

Extended Description: You hold the preserved tentacle aloft as you speak words that echo from dimensions beyond mortal comprehension. The component begins to writhe and multiply, dissolving into inky darkness that pours into the ground at your target location. Suddenly, the earth erupts with dozens of massive, squirming tentacles as black as midnight, each one thick as a tree trunk and covered in alien suckers that grasp hungrily at anything within reach. The very ground seems to come alive with malevolent intent, reaching out to ensnare and crush any creature unfortunate enough to enter its domain.

Sensory Details:

  • Visual: Massive black tentacles erupting from solid ground
  • Auditory: Wet slapping sounds and creaking of strained surfaces
  • Tactile: Powerful crushing grip and alien texture
  • Olfactory: Briny smell of deep ocean creatures

Cultural Context: Black Tentacles draws upon primal fears of cosmic horror and alien forces beyond mortal understanding. The spell suggests connection to aberrant planes or entities, making it a controversial choice in some magical traditions while being embraced by others as a tool of necessary power.