Black Tentacles: Eldritch Calamari

Usable By: Wizard

Spell Level: 4

School: Conjuration

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 90 feet

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Components: V, S, M (a piece of tentacle from a giant octopus or a giant squid)

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 the area into difficult terrain.

When a creature enters the affected area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, the creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 3d6 bludgeoning damage and be restrained by the tentacles until the spell ends. A creature that starts its turn in the area and is already restrained by the tentacles takes 3d6 bludgeoning damage.

A creature restrained by the tentacles can use its action to make a Strength or Dexterity check (its choice) against your spell save DC. On a success, it frees itself.

Review by Sam West, Twitter @CrierKobold

“Praise be to Thuct'kath! Welcome it’s inky tendrils of enlightenment around your waist, and be saved by the penitent bashing that lies within this mass conjured in it’s image!”

- *Igg Wigg Bibbles, Gnome Great Old One Warlock, prayer of casting Black Tentacles*

Black Tentacles takes the silliness of D&D and runs with it. Conjuring a squirming mass of ink black tentacles that writhe about restraining and smacking anything they touch is the exact kind of nonsense I expect when I’m making things up with my friends. It can be both a hilarious conversation piece as well as a great supporting option that can deal moderate damage while assisting your allies in hitting things.

Restraining a creature is grappling on steroids. A restrained creature has 0 speed, makes attacks with disadvantage, can be attacked with advantage, and has disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws. Twenty feet of tentacles can debilitate groups of medium or smaller creatures and make tight corridors a nightmare for enemies to pass through.

If you’re looking to make Black Tentacles your main damaging spell, it pairs nicely with spells and abilities that force creatures to move. The creature makes the save to be restrained both at the start of its turn and on any turn it enters the space, including yours and your allies. Shoving creatures into the mass is an easy way to do it; other options include spells like Thunderwave and Gust of Wind.

Once they’re restrained, though, you’ll likely want to keep them there to eat their action if they want to break free. This means unlike spells like Wall of Fire and Blade Barrier you can only realistically deal the damage two times per round.

If you can keep forcing creatures back into the mass of eldritch calamari they will either have to suck it up and fight while being restrained and beaten by an elder god or keep losing actions to attempt to end the insanity.

Where the spell begins to falter is in wide open spaces and at higher levels. 3d6 bludgeoning damage is already a fairly low amount for a 4th level spell; 6d6 is fine, but you really want to be getting at least 9d6 damage out of it for it to be a comparable damage spell to other options at its spell level.

It doesn’t scale its damage or area with higher level spell slots, so as soon as you start casting it with 5th level or higher slots you’d probably be better off shifting to a different concentration spell or another damage option.

Consider also that the spell doesn’t care who enters the space. That gnoll your fighter ally shoved in may see an option for mutually assured destruction and drag them in with them leaving both your enemy and buddy entangled in ways your eyes never wanted to see.

All in all, Black Tentacles is pretty rad. Try it out.

5e Spells

Black Tentacles: Eldritch Calamari