Grasping Vine: Grasping at Flaws

Usable By: Druid, Ranger

Spell Level: 4

School: Conjuration

Casting Time: 1 bonus action

Range: 30 feet

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Components: V, S

You conjure a vine that sprouts from the ground in an unoccupied space of your choice that you can see within range. When you cast this spell, you can direct the vine to lash out at a creature within 30 feet of it that you can see. That creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be pulled 20 feet directly toward the vine.

Until the spell ends, you can direct the vine to lash out at the same creature or another one as a bonus action on each of your turns.

Review by Sam West, Twitter: @CrierKobold

Positioning in 5e combat is tricky. Forcing movement can force creatures to either dash, retreat, or just flounder about wasting turns. Alternatively, it could change nothing by simply allocating movement otherwise unspent on returning to the status quo, making the forced movement a waste of resources. Grasping Vine is caught in this awkward area alongside being compared against some lower level options that seem like a far better rate for the effect you’re getting, ultimately leaving me grasping at straws for reasons to take Grasping Vine.

Gust of Wind is an easy spell to point to when discerning the value here; for a 2nd level slot, you get a tool you can use as a bonus action to attempt to move things. Where Grasping Vine pulls in towards a point, this pushes away from one; which is better is debatable, and will vary map to map. What isn’t debatable is the distance moved: Gust of Wind only ever can push 15 ft while Grasping Vine can pull up to 20, which is marginally better, but not so much so that it likely is making the difference in eating extra actions or not. What then kills Grasping Vine to me is without its movement being that much better, the effect is just so much worse.

You don’t need to commit a bonus action for Gust of Wind to still do something; regardless of what you do, it’ll be pushing anything that starts its turn there, and makes the 10 x 60 ft. line difficult terrain to move through. Yes, Grasping Vine lacks the restrictions of needing to get creatures to start their turn in the area, and is likely more applicable in more areas, but for two extra spell levels I’m not convinced it's worth it.

Concentration on a 4th level spell that only moves creatures is a massive cost, especially in the two classes that most rely on summoning magic like Conjure Woodland Beings. You could have the chance to move one thing a round twenty feet (which may functionally do nothing) or command one or more creatures to actively affect not only combat but exploring and adventuring.

Limiting it to a 30 ft. range makes it so you have to be moderately close to the creatures you want to pull around, making it all the more likely the movement you’re imposing doesn’t do anything productive. If you pull a creature engaged with you 20 feet back then move, you’ve traded your bonus action and a 4th level spell slot for the chance to get a bonus action disengage with a bit of knockback. This won’t even be the worst case scenario in every environment; sometimes, you’ll be backed into a corner, and this spell can’t even protect you for a single round.

Forcing movement can be powerful, and Grasping Vine only ever costing a bonus action is a major upside. With the range limitations, spell level, and lack of other effects to give it a bit more punch, I just can’t see weaponizing Grasping Vine too well outside of abusing Blade Barrier or other stationary damage effects. If you can crack the code and make Grasping Vine great, go for it; I wouldn’t recommend trying.

5e Spells

Grasping Vine: Grasping at Flaws