Why are nets/webs not completely useless?

[Yitzi]

Nets and thrown spider webs look like they should be quite dangerous; they bestow significant penalties via entanglement, and the DC to get out of them is quite high. But actually, they're essentially useless against many enemies unless you already have an action-economy advantage (i.e. you give up an action to force the enemy to spend an action), as their lack of hardness and low hit points mean that they should be breakable with a single attack from any decent (non-piercing) weapon, or even a good unarmed attack.

So is there some source that says that you can't sunder a net/web that's currently entangling someone (or even that the entangled target can't), or are these features actually useless?

[ericgrau]

You might rule that bludgeoning weapons don't work either. Otherwise you need to pick targets that don't have a slashing or bludgeoning weapon.

A TWF net thrower seems like it would be a superb tanking tactic. Even if someone can destroy the net that leaves him with only a move action before you throw another net. Other than requiring you to hold onto the rope on the off hand net there doesn't seem to be anything keeping from attacking with your main hand.

Araneas have it better because they don't need to use a hand to anchor the web and unlike a net it doesn't allow any movement at all. Against a major foe you could trade actions over and over again while your allies thrash him.

[Jack_Simth]

Nets and thrown spider webs look like they should be quite dangerous; they bestow significant penalties via entanglement, and the DC to get out of them is quite high. But actually, they're essentially useless against many enemies unless you already have an action-economy advantage (i.e. you give up an action to force the enemy to spend an action)This is the point. Depending on the DM's style, you will quite often have an action economy advantage. Is it good to have it be your primary tactic always? No. But then, that can be said about basically any one thing (unless that "thing" is something crazy-flexible, such as "spellcasting"). Is it a useful tactic? Very.

[Yitzi]

You might rule that bludgeoning weapons don't work either. Otherwise you need to pick targets that don't have a slashing or bludgeoning weapon.

Every target has a bludgeoning weapon, as unarmed attacks are bludgeoning.


Araneas have it better because they don't need to use a hand to anchor the web and unlike a net it doesn't allow any movement at all.

But they have limited webs (so they can't trade actions for long), and it doesn't seem to be a hand-based attack at all (and therefore would not be helped by 2WF). So araneas (and monstrous spiders) are perhaps the classic case where it remains useless.


This is the point. Depending on the DM's style, you will quite often have an action economy advantage.

Of course, that's that the players will have an action economy advantage. Spiders still won't have much opportunity to use it, unless it's a whole colony of spiders.

(Also, why would anyone try to use a difficult STR check to break out instead of just attacking it with an unarmed attack?)

[eggs]

They're awesome for summons. Spend one action on your cleric to steal 8 of the other guys' with a level 1 spell.