How big is the web spell created by a Cloak of Arachnida?
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A Cloak of Arachnida allow the wearer to cast the web spell, with the additional property that "the web created by the spell fills twice its normal area." The area of an ordinary web spell is a 20-foot cube. What would be the shape and size of the area covered by this special enhanced web spell? Would it be a 40-foot cube? A cube with exactly twice the volume of a 20-foot cube? Two adjacent 20-foot cubes? Or something else entirely?
dnd-5e spells magic-items area-of-effect
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A Cloak of Arachnida allow the wearer to cast the web spell, with the additional property that "the web created by the spell fills twice its normal area." The area of an ordinary web spell is a 20-foot cube. What would be the shape and size of the area covered by this special enhanced web spell? Would it be a 40-foot cube? A cube with exactly twice the volume of a 20-foot cube? Two adjacent 20-foot cubes? Or something else entirely?
dnd-5e spells magic-items area-of-effect
10
This question is deceptively difficult to answer.
– goodguy5
1 hour ago
add a comment |
up vote
20
down vote
favorite
up vote
20
down vote
favorite
A Cloak of Arachnida allow the wearer to cast the web spell, with the additional property that "the web created by the spell fills twice its normal area." The area of an ordinary web spell is a 20-foot cube. What would be the shape and size of the area covered by this special enhanced web spell? Would it be a 40-foot cube? A cube with exactly twice the volume of a 20-foot cube? Two adjacent 20-foot cubes? Or something else entirely?
dnd-5e spells magic-items area-of-effect
A Cloak of Arachnida allow the wearer to cast the web spell, with the additional property that "the web created by the spell fills twice its normal area." The area of an ordinary web spell is a 20-foot cube. What would be the shape and size of the area covered by this special enhanced web spell? Would it be a 40-foot cube? A cube with exactly twice the volume of a 20-foot cube? Two adjacent 20-foot cubes? Or something else entirely?
dnd-5e spells magic-items area-of-effect
dnd-5e spells magic-items area-of-effect
asked 2 hours ago
Ryan Thompson
3,3621942
3,3621942
10
This question is deceptively difficult to answer.
– goodguy5
1 hour ago
add a comment |
10
This question is deceptively difficult to answer.
– goodguy5
1 hour ago
10
10
This question is deceptively difficult to answer.
– goodguy5
1 hour ago
This question is deceptively difficult to answer.
– goodguy5
1 hour ago
add a comment |
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
up vote
4
down vote
Probably a 30-foot cube
(but possibly 25-foot cube depending on how we explicate the RAW)
In 5e, "area" normally means two-dimensional map area, whereas a cube's dimensions define a three-dimensional volume of space, of course. So in the (poorly worded) description in RAW, to speak of the "area" of a "cube" is rather awkward, and has to be interpreted one way or the other (map area vs. cubic volume).
If it means "map area", then it's a cube that's double the map area it occupies, and that's about a 28.3-foot cube (square root of double the area of a twenty-foot cube), which I would think a DM would round up to "30-foot square" map area.
But if you interpret "area" here as "cubic volume", then the answer is 25.2 (cube root of double the volume of a twenty-foot cube), which I would think the DM would round to "25-foot cube".
As DM I would incline toward the former rather than the latter interpretation, though both are defensible due to the ambiguity in RAW.
add a comment |
up vote
3
down vote
Twice the area of a 20-foot cube is two 20-foot cubes
I'm afraid this is one of those "There is no raw answer". So, we rely on a handful of "hints" from the devs until we get an official answer. The most relevant hint here to me is "plain text interpretation".
The book doesn't give any guidance I could find about doubling areas, at least not in this way. Normally, I'd pull up some definitions, but entries for words like "size" or "twice" aren't super helpful here.
Size (for example)
noun
the relative extent of something; a thing's overall dimensions or
magnitude; how big something is
The only course of action left is to decide upon the simplest and easiest to implement option.
Question: How many is one 20 foot cube?
Answer: One
Question: How many is twice of one?
Answer: Two
Two twenty-foot cubes... or a 20ft long, 20ft high, 40ft wide rectangular prism. Whichever.
I also realize that the spell says: (emphasis mine)
The web created by the spell fills twice its normal area.
An argument can be made that they're telling us to double the ground area, which supports my answer.
The possibilities (from most to least likely in my view):
Twice the volume, but keep the height at 20
This is the most literal and simple to understand reading. This gives you either a shape that is 20x20x40, or if it is still a square, about 30 feet to a side (technically 28.28). This is also the same as doubling the area.
Twice the side length
We go from a 20 foot cube to a 40 foot cube. This is the easiest to envision, in my opinion. That gives us 64000 cubic feet of volume. You and I both know that 40 foot cube is much more than twice the volume of a 20 foot cube. But D&D is not a great reality simulator and it's an even worse math lesson.
Twice the volume (from the center)
A 20 foot cube is 8000 cubic feet. Twice that is 16000 cubic feet. The cube-root of 16000 gives us about 25 feet to a side.
Twice the side length, but keep the height at 20
20x40x40 gives us 32000 cubic feet.
add a comment |
up vote
-1
down vote
Web's text refers to a 20 ft cube as a dimension if anchored,
not space. The text refers to area as a space, not dimension. The
text refers non anchored over flat surface of depth 5 feet.
making an anchored web 20x20x20
or
unanchored web on flat surface 20x20x5
Cloak of Arachnida
...twice its normal area...
doubling the area, equates to doubling the 20 ft cube,
2 cubes of 20x20x20 anchored
or
1 cube 25x25 anchored (doubling volume)
or
2 cube 20x20x5 on flat surface
This answer is extremely hard to read because of formatting issues (misuse of quote boxes) and the fact that there are no complete sentences. Please edit this and clean it up. I have tried to fix one of the quote box issues for you. Right now I honestly am unsure what your answer is trying to say.
– Rubiksmoose
31 mins ago
The discussion of anchored vs unanchored webs is irrelevant. I'm only asking what space the webs fill when the spell is cast, not the space they fill after they fall from being unanchored. (The latter is trivial to work out once the former is known.)
– Ryan Thompson
22 mins ago
add a comment |
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
4
down vote
Probably a 30-foot cube
(but possibly 25-foot cube depending on how we explicate the RAW)
In 5e, "area" normally means two-dimensional map area, whereas a cube's dimensions define a three-dimensional volume of space, of course. So in the (poorly worded) description in RAW, to speak of the "area" of a "cube" is rather awkward, and has to be interpreted one way or the other (map area vs. cubic volume).
If it means "map area", then it's a cube that's double the map area it occupies, and that's about a 28.3-foot cube (square root of double the area of a twenty-foot cube), which I would think a DM would round up to "30-foot square" map area.
But if you interpret "area" here as "cubic volume", then the answer is 25.2 (cube root of double the volume of a twenty-foot cube), which I would think the DM would round to "25-foot cube".
As DM I would incline toward the former rather than the latter interpretation, though both are defensible due to the ambiguity in RAW.
add a comment |
up vote
4
down vote
Probably a 30-foot cube
(but possibly 25-foot cube depending on how we explicate the RAW)
In 5e, "area" normally means two-dimensional map area, whereas a cube's dimensions define a three-dimensional volume of space, of course. So in the (poorly worded) description in RAW, to speak of the "area" of a "cube" is rather awkward, and has to be interpreted one way or the other (map area vs. cubic volume).
If it means "map area", then it's a cube that's double the map area it occupies, and that's about a 28.3-foot cube (square root of double the area of a twenty-foot cube), which I would think a DM would round up to "30-foot square" map area.
But if you interpret "area" here as "cubic volume", then the answer is 25.2 (cube root of double the volume of a twenty-foot cube), which I would think the DM would round to "25-foot cube".
As DM I would incline toward the former rather than the latter interpretation, though both are defensible due to the ambiguity in RAW.
add a comment |
up vote
4
down vote
up vote
4
down vote
Probably a 30-foot cube
(but possibly 25-foot cube depending on how we explicate the RAW)
In 5e, "area" normally means two-dimensional map area, whereas a cube's dimensions define a three-dimensional volume of space, of course. So in the (poorly worded) description in RAW, to speak of the "area" of a "cube" is rather awkward, and has to be interpreted one way or the other (map area vs. cubic volume).
If it means "map area", then it's a cube that's double the map area it occupies, and that's about a 28.3-foot cube (square root of double the area of a twenty-foot cube), which I would think a DM would round up to "30-foot square" map area.
But if you interpret "area" here as "cubic volume", then the answer is 25.2 (cube root of double the volume of a twenty-foot cube), which I would think the DM would round to "25-foot cube".
As DM I would incline toward the former rather than the latter interpretation, though both are defensible due to the ambiguity in RAW.
Probably a 30-foot cube
(but possibly 25-foot cube depending on how we explicate the RAW)
In 5e, "area" normally means two-dimensional map area, whereas a cube's dimensions define a three-dimensional volume of space, of course. So in the (poorly worded) description in RAW, to speak of the "area" of a "cube" is rather awkward, and has to be interpreted one way or the other (map area vs. cubic volume).
If it means "map area", then it's a cube that's double the map area it occupies, and that's about a 28.3-foot cube (square root of double the area of a twenty-foot cube), which I would think a DM would round up to "30-foot square" map area.
But if you interpret "area" here as "cubic volume", then the answer is 25.2 (cube root of double the volume of a twenty-foot cube), which I would think the DM would round to "25-foot cube".
As DM I would incline toward the former rather than the latter interpretation, though both are defensible due to the ambiguity in RAW.
answered 1 hour ago


Valley Lad
649310
649310
add a comment |
add a comment |
up vote
3
down vote
Twice the area of a 20-foot cube is two 20-foot cubes
I'm afraid this is one of those "There is no raw answer". So, we rely on a handful of "hints" from the devs until we get an official answer. The most relevant hint here to me is "plain text interpretation".
The book doesn't give any guidance I could find about doubling areas, at least not in this way. Normally, I'd pull up some definitions, but entries for words like "size" or "twice" aren't super helpful here.
Size (for example)
noun
the relative extent of something; a thing's overall dimensions or
magnitude; how big something is
The only course of action left is to decide upon the simplest and easiest to implement option.
Question: How many is one 20 foot cube?
Answer: One
Question: How many is twice of one?
Answer: Two
Two twenty-foot cubes... or a 20ft long, 20ft high, 40ft wide rectangular prism. Whichever.
I also realize that the spell says: (emphasis mine)
The web created by the spell fills twice its normal area.
An argument can be made that they're telling us to double the ground area, which supports my answer.
The possibilities (from most to least likely in my view):
Twice the volume, but keep the height at 20
This is the most literal and simple to understand reading. This gives you either a shape that is 20x20x40, or if it is still a square, about 30 feet to a side (technically 28.28). This is also the same as doubling the area.
Twice the side length
We go from a 20 foot cube to a 40 foot cube. This is the easiest to envision, in my opinion. That gives us 64000 cubic feet of volume. You and I both know that 40 foot cube is much more than twice the volume of a 20 foot cube. But D&D is not a great reality simulator and it's an even worse math lesson.
Twice the volume (from the center)
A 20 foot cube is 8000 cubic feet. Twice that is 16000 cubic feet. The cube-root of 16000 gives us about 25 feet to a side.
Twice the side length, but keep the height at 20
20x40x40 gives us 32000 cubic feet.
add a comment |
up vote
3
down vote
Twice the area of a 20-foot cube is two 20-foot cubes
I'm afraid this is one of those "There is no raw answer". So, we rely on a handful of "hints" from the devs until we get an official answer. The most relevant hint here to me is "plain text interpretation".
The book doesn't give any guidance I could find about doubling areas, at least not in this way. Normally, I'd pull up some definitions, but entries for words like "size" or "twice" aren't super helpful here.
Size (for example)
noun
the relative extent of something; a thing's overall dimensions or
magnitude; how big something is
The only course of action left is to decide upon the simplest and easiest to implement option.
Question: How many is one 20 foot cube?
Answer: One
Question: How many is twice of one?
Answer: Two
Two twenty-foot cubes... or a 20ft long, 20ft high, 40ft wide rectangular prism. Whichever.
I also realize that the spell says: (emphasis mine)
The web created by the spell fills twice its normal area.
An argument can be made that they're telling us to double the ground area, which supports my answer.
The possibilities (from most to least likely in my view):
Twice the volume, but keep the height at 20
This is the most literal and simple to understand reading. This gives you either a shape that is 20x20x40, or if it is still a square, about 30 feet to a side (technically 28.28). This is also the same as doubling the area.
Twice the side length
We go from a 20 foot cube to a 40 foot cube. This is the easiest to envision, in my opinion. That gives us 64000 cubic feet of volume. You and I both know that 40 foot cube is much more than twice the volume of a 20 foot cube. But D&D is not a great reality simulator and it's an even worse math lesson.
Twice the volume (from the center)
A 20 foot cube is 8000 cubic feet. Twice that is 16000 cubic feet. The cube-root of 16000 gives us about 25 feet to a side.
Twice the side length, but keep the height at 20
20x40x40 gives us 32000 cubic feet.
add a comment |
up vote
3
down vote
up vote
3
down vote
Twice the area of a 20-foot cube is two 20-foot cubes
I'm afraid this is one of those "There is no raw answer". So, we rely on a handful of "hints" from the devs until we get an official answer. The most relevant hint here to me is "plain text interpretation".
The book doesn't give any guidance I could find about doubling areas, at least not in this way. Normally, I'd pull up some definitions, but entries for words like "size" or "twice" aren't super helpful here.
Size (for example)
noun
the relative extent of something; a thing's overall dimensions or
magnitude; how big something is
The only course of action left is to decide upon the simplest and easiest to implement option.
Question: How many is one 20 foot cube?
Answer: One
Question: How many is twice of one?
Answer: Two
Two twenty-foot cubes... or a 20ft long, 20ft high, 40ft wide rectangular prism. Whichever.
I also realize that the spell says: (emphasis mine)
The web created by the spell fills twice its normal area.
An argument can be made that they're telling us to double the ground area, which supports my answer.
The possibilities (from most to least likely in my view):
Twice the volume, but keep the height at 20
This is the most literal and simple to understand reading. This gives you either a shape that is 20x20x40, or if it is still a square, about 30 feet to a side (technically 28.28). This is also the same as doubling the area.
Twice the side length
We go from a 20 foot cube to a 40 foot cube. This is the easiest to envision, in my opinion. That gives us 64000 cubic feet of volume. You and I both know that 40 foot cube is much more than twice the volume of a 20 foot cube. But D&D is not a great reality simulator and it's an even worse math lesson.
Twice the volume (from the center)
A 20 foot cube is 8000 cubic feet. Twice that is 16000 cubic feet. The cube-root of 16000 gives us about 25 feet to a side.
Twice the side length, but keep the height at 20
20x40x40 gives us 32000 cubic feet.
Twice the area of a 20-foot cube is two 20-foot cubes
I'm afraid this is one of those "There is no raw answer". So, we rely on a handful of "hints" from the devs until we get an official answer. The most relevant hint here to me is "plain text interpretation".
The book doesn't give any guidance I could find about doubling areas, at least not in this way. Normally, I'd pull up some definitions, but entries for words like "size" or "twice" aren't super helpful here.
Size (for example)
noun
the relative extent of something; a thing's overall dimensions or
magnitude; how big something is
The only course of action left is to decide upon the simplest and easiest to implement option.
Question: How many is one 20 foot cube?
Answer: One
Question: How many is twice of one?
Answer: Two
Two twenty-foot cubes... or a 20ft long, 20ft high, 40ft wide rectangular prism. Whichever.
I also realize that the spell says: (emphasis mine)
The web created by the spell fills twice its normal area.
An argument can be made that they're telling us to double the ground area, which supports my answer.
The possibilities (from most to least likely in my view):
Twice the volume, but keep the height at 20
This is the most literal and simple to understand reading. This gives you either a shape that is 20x20x40, or if it is still a square, about 30 feet to a side (technically 28.28). This is also the same as doubling the area.
Twice the side length
We go from a 20 foot cube to a 40 foot cube. This is the easiest to envision, in my opinion. That gives us 64000 cubic feet of volume. You and I both know that 40 foot cube is much more than twice the volume of a 20 foot cube. But D&D is not a great reality simulator and it's an even worse math lesson.
Twice the volume (from the center)
A 20 foot cube is 8000 cubic feet. Twice that is 16000 cubic feet. The cube-root of 16000 gives us about 25 feet to a side.
Twice the side length, but keep the height at 20
20x40x40 gives us 32000 cubic feet.
edited 46 mins ago


Rubiksmoose
42k5206320
42k5206320
answered 1 hour ago


goodguy5
5,06211855
5,06211855
add a comment |
add a comment |
up vote
-1
down vote
Web's text refers to a 20 ft cube as a dimension if anchored,
not space. The text refers to area as a space, not dimension. The
text refers non anchored over flat surface of depth 5 feet.
making an anchored web 20x20x20
or
unanchored web on flat surface 20x20x5
Cloak of Arachnida
...twice its normal area...
doubling the area, equates to doubling the 20 ft cube,
2 cubes of 20x20x20 anchored
or
1 cube 25x25 anchored (doubling volume)
or
2 cube 20x20x5 on flat surface
This answer is extremely hard to read because of formatting issues (misuse of quote boxes) and the fact that there are no complete sentences. Please edit this and clean it up. I have tried to fix one of the quote box issues for you. Right now I honestly am unsure what your answer is trying to say.
– Rubiksmoose
31 mins ago
The discussion of anchored vs unanchored webs is irrelevant. I'm only asking what space the webs fill when the spell is cast, not the space they fill after they fall from being unanchored. (The latter is trivial to work out once the former is known.)
– Ryan Thompson
22 mins ago
add a comment |
up vote
-1
down vote
Web's text refers to a 20 ft cube as a dimension if anchored,
not space. The text refers to area as a space, not dimension. The
text refers non anchored over flat surface of depth 5 feet.
making an anchored web 20x20x20
or
unanchored web on flat surface 20x20x5
Cloak of Arachnida
...twice its normal area...
doubling the area, equates to doubling the 20 ft cube,
2 cubes of 20x20x20 anchored
or
1 cube 25x25 anchored (doubling volume)
or
2 cube 20x20x5 on flat surface
This answer is extremely hard to read because of formatting issues (misuse of quote boxes) and the fact that there are no complete sentences. Please edit this and clean it up. I have tried to fix one of the quote box issues for you. Right now I honestly am unsure what your answer is trying to say.
– Rubiksmoose
31 mins ago
The discussion of anchored vs unanchored webs is irrelevant. I'm only asking what space the webs fill when the spell is cast, not the space they fill after they fall from being unanchored. (The latter is trivial to work out once the former is known.)
– Ryan Thompson
22 mins ago
add a comment |
up vote
-1
down vote
up vote
-1
down vote
Web's text refers to a 20 ft cube as a dimension if anchored,
not space. The text refers to area as a space, not dimension. The
text refers non anchored over flat surface of depth 5 feet.
making an anchored web 20x20x20
or
unanchored web on flat surface 20x20x5
Cloak of Arachnida
...twice its normal area...
doubling the area, equates to doubling the 20 ft cube,
2 cubes of 20x20x20 anchored
or
1 cube 25x25 anchored (doubling volume)
or
2 cube 20x20x5 on flat surface
Web's text refers to a 20 ft cube as a dimension if anchored,
not space. The text refers to area as a space, not dimension. The
text refers non anchored over flat surface of depth 5 feet.
making an anchored web 20x20x20
or
unanchored web on flat surface 20x20x5
Cloak of Arachnida
...twice its normal area...
doubling the area, equates to doubling the 20 ft cube,
2 cubes of 20x20x20 anchored
or
1 cube 25x25 anchored (doubling volume)
or
2 cube 20x20x5 on flat surface
edited 30 mins ago


Rubiksmoose
42k5206320
42k5206320
answered 42 mins ago


XAQT78
553111
553111
This answer is extremely hard to read because of formatting issues (misuse of quote boxes) and the fact that there are no complete sentences. Please edit this and clean it up. I have tried to fix one of the quote box issues for you. Right now I honestly am unsure what your answer is trying to say.
– Rubiksmoose
31 mins ago
The discussion of anchored vs unanchored webs is irrelevant. I'm only asking what space the webs fill when the spell is cast, not the space they fill after they fall from being unanchored. (The latter is trivial to work out once the former is known.)
– Ryan Thompson
22 mins ago
add a comment |
This answer is extremely hard to read because of formatting issues (misuse of quote boxes) and the fact that there are no complete sentences. Please edit this and clean it up. I have tried to fix one of the quote box issues for you. Right now I honestly am unsure what your answer is trying to say.
– Rubiksmoose
31 mins ago
The discussion of anchored vs unanchored webs is irrelevant. I'm only asking what space the webs fill when the spell is cast, not the space they fill after they fall from being unanchored. (The latter is trivial to work out once the former is known.)
– Ryan Thompson
22 mins ago
This answer is extremely hard to read because of formatting issues (misuse of quote boxes) and the fact that there are no complete sentences. Please edit this and clean it up. I have tried to fix one of the quote box issues for you. Right now I honestly am unsure what your answer is trying to say.
– Rubiksmoose
31 mins ago
This answer is extremely hard to read because of formatting issues (misuse of quote boxes) and the fact that there are no complete sentences. Please edit this and clean it up. I have tried to fix one of the quote box issues for you. Right now I honestly am unsure what your answer is trying to say.
– Rubiksmoose
31 mins ago
The discussion of anchored vs unanchored webs is irrelevant. I'm only asking what space the webs fill when the spell is cast, not the space they fill after they fall from being unanchored. (The latter is trivial to work out once the former is known.)
– Ryan Thompson
22 mins ago
The discussion of anchored vs unanchored webs is irrelevant. I'm only asking what space the webs fill when the spell is cast, not the space they fill after they fall from being unanchored. (The latter is trivial to work out once the former is known.)
– Ryan Thompson
22 mins ago
add a comment |
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10
This question is deceptively difficult to answer.
– goodguy5
1 hour ago