Evard's black tentacles

Spell level: sorcerer/wizard 4

Innate level: 4
School: conjuration
Components: verbal, somatic
Range: medium (20 meters)
Area of effect: large (5 meter radius), 1d4 tentacles + 1 / caster level (maximum 20)
Duration: 1 round / 2 levels
Save: fortitude special
Spell resistance: no

Description:

Evard's Black Tentacles spell visual effect.

A field of thick, 10 foot long rubbery tentacles rises from the ground. Each is capable of grappling a target doing 1d6+4 points bludgeoning damage. If successful, the target must then make a fortitude saving throw or become paralyzed by the grappling tentacle. The tentacles are randomly spread out over the area of effect allowing no more than half of the tentacles to reach a single target in any given round. The inability of the tentacles to target small creatures makes all small creatures completely immune to the spell's effects.

Notes

• Tiny creatures are also immune.
• The grapple check used to determine whether or not a tentacle hits a target is as follows:

1d20 + caster level (to a maximum of 20) + 4(tentacle's strength modifier) + 4(tentacle's size modifier) versus
1d20 + base attack bonus + strength modifier + size modifier. 

This makes this spell rather ineffective versus opponents with a high base attack (e.g. warriors), and stronger and larger opponents (e.g. dragons).

• Due to a bug in the script, a medium-sized target gets a +8 bonus, as if he were of huge size.
• The damage is intended to bypass damage reduction as a +2 weapon, but a bug in the game (not the script) prevents this.
• Because this spell ignores spell resistance, it may prove an excellent choice for defeating magic resistant opponents.
• Though this spell is not mind-affecting, immunity from mind-affecting effects still blocks the paralysis.
• This spell can be devastating when used in conjunction with the empower spell feat. This is because the 50% bonus applies to both the number of tentacles from the die roll and the number of tentacles deriving from caster level, as well as applying to the damage each dealt by each tentacle.
  • If this spell is cast at maximum effectiveness (level 20 caster) at a single opponent, the total average damage is 181.5 (average of 16.5 tentacles * average of 11 damage each), assuming all tentacles hit.
  • However, the maximum damage per tentacle is only 15, allowing an effect such as ethereal visage to negate all damage from Evard's black tentacles.

Previous versions

• Versions 1.67 and 1.68 of the game had an improved version of this spell in which the damage from all tentacles was combined before being applied to the target. This allowed the spell to easily overcome damage reduction and bludgeoning damage resistance.

Custom content notes

• script: NW_S0_Evards
• OnEnter script: NW_S0_EvardsA
• OnHearbeat script: NW_S0_EvardsC