Math help. Web on a Gargantuan creature plus a fireball seems busted.

[TheUser]

Ok so 4x4x4 5ft cubes on a gargantuan.
56 of those cubes are exposed to the web (2x2x2 are internal).

If we set off a single fireball how many of those 56 cubes of web can we ignite? Should we aim for a high corner and ignite 3 faces of the cube or does the fireball explosion pass through the web and creature allowing for more ignition damage?

At bare minimum we're dealing 74d4 fire damage if we ignite 3 sides of the cube, does the creature provide full cover on the sides that are not exposed to the fireball?

Did I just accidentally break D&D?

For those curious this combo deals 16d4 against something large (if all sides are ignited), and 28d4 against a huge creature if we light up 3 sides.

[JackPhoenix]

It does not. The same effect doesn't stack, so any creature standing in the burning web only takes 2d4 damage no matter how many squares of web it occupies.

[Yakk]

Naw, it deals 2d4 damage even if the creature is G, for 1 cube or 1000 cubes. Regardless of how many you burn at once, the creature is "caught in the fire" over the round and takes the damage once.

This is similar to how a G creature walking through a wall of fire takes the damage once.

[TheUser]

Yarr iust noted the verbiage of "the fire" (ugh 5e drives me nuts sometimes).

I initially thought the 5ft cubes were meant to quantify damage but it looks like its referencing the minimum area that can burn at any given time. (It's also definitely not RAI to have a level 2 spell deal 74d4 fire damage and require 3-dimensional geometry calculations lol)

Would you roll multiple times for this damage if it occurs multiple times or can a DM opt for a singular damage roll and would it be affected by a Draconic Sorcerer's elemental affinity?

[JakOfAllTirades]

Yarr iust noted the verbiage of "the fire" (ugh 5e drives me nuts sometimes).

I initially thought the 5ft cubes were meant to quantify damage but it looks like its referencing the minimum area that can burn at any given time. (It's also definitely not RAI to have a level 2 spell deal 74d4 fire damage and require 3-dimensional geometry calculations lol)

Would you roll multiple times for this damage if it occurs multiple times or can a DM opt for a singular damage roll and would it be affected by a Draconic Sorcerer's elemental affinity?

The webs burn away in 1 round so multiple damage rolls aren't going to happen. Given that, the bonus for Elemental Affinity probably won't break your game.

[JakOfAllTirades]

Yarr iust noted the verbiage of "the fire" (ugh 5e drives me nuts sometimes).

I initially thought the 5ft cubes were meant to quantify damage but it looks like its referencing the minimum area that can burn at any given time. (It's also definitely not RAI to have a level 2 spell deal 74d4 fire damage and require 3-dimensional geometry calculations lol)

Would you roll multiple times for this damage if it occurs multiple times or can a DM opt for a singular damage roll and would it be affected by a Draconic Sorcerer's elemental affinity?

The webs burn away in 1 round so multiple damage rolls aren't going to happen. Given that, the bonus for Elemental Affinity probably won't break your game.

[HappyDaze]

The webs burn away in 1 round so multiple damage rolls aren't going to happen. Given that, the bonus for Elemental Affinity probably won't break your game.

I don't think the web ignites all at once; you could do multiple rounds of fire by burning 5' cube sections one at a time with something like a torch. Assuming the creature stays stuck in the web for the duration (probably a bad assumption for a Gargantuan creature unless you'e giving it disadvantage and/or save penalties), you could slow roast it for a lot of extra damage.

[TheUser]

The webs burn away in 1 round so multiple damage rolls aren't going to happen. Given that, the bonus for Elemental Affinity probably won't break your game.

Multiple spells burning off multiple pieces of web on seperate rounds stands to do multiple damage rolls. However, I have seen DM's adjudicate for a single damage roll for the damage over time effect of spells like Wall of Fire and I am unsure if that's something that could be done in this circumstance.

[HappyDaze]

Multiple spells burning off multiple pieces of web on seperate rounds stands to do multiple damage rolls. However, I have seen DM's adjudicate for a single damage roll for the damage over time effect of spells like Wall of Fire and I am unsure if that's something that could be done in this circumstance.

I wonder what happens if multiple characters each burn away a 5' cube on their own turns (with a torch used as a second weapon with a bonus action)? These should each be separate instances of damage even if they all take place in the same round. Damage could get very high very quickly.

[BloodBrandy]

Multiple spells burning off multiple pieces of web on seperate rounds stands to do multiple damage rolls. However, I have seen DM's adjudicate for a single damage roll for the damage over time effect of spells like Wall of Fire and I am unsure if that's something that could be done in this circumstance.

Spell effects only hit once per turn, beyond the initial hit. It's why most with concentration will specify when that is (If a creature ends their turn in this spot, if a creature starts their turn in this spot, if this creature fails a save at the start/end of their turn, etc.) In the case Wall of Fire, it could hit over time if the creature is both gargantuan but unable to move completely through it on a single turn, or if something is keeping them from movie (an ally preventing their movement with Sentinel, for instance)

[HappyDaze]

Spell effects only hit once per turn, beyond the initial hit. It's why most with concentration will specify when that is (If a creature ends their turn in this spot, if a creature starts their turn in this spot, if this creature fails a save at the start/end of their turn, etc.) In the case Wall of Fire, it could hit over time if the creature is both gargantuan but unable to move completely through it on a single turn, or if something is keeping them from movie (an ally preventing their movement with Sentinel, for instance)

Spike Growth can damage you multiple times if you pass through multiple squares of the effect. Why couldn't Web being burnt away damage you multiple times if you are in multiple cubes (each of which is burned away independently) of the effect.

[BloodBrandy]

Spike Growth can damage you multiple times if you pass through multiple squares of the effect. Why couldn't Web being burnt away damage you multiple times if you are in multiple cubes (each of which is burned away independently) of the effect.

Because the Web spell specifies it causes the damage only when they start their turn in the burning web.

[JackPhoenix]

Spike Growth can damage you multiple times if you pass through multiple squares of the effect. Why couldn't Web being burnt away damage you multiple times if you are in multiple cubes (each of which is burned away independently) of the effect.

Because Spike Growth specifically says it does damage per 5' moved through its area. Burning Web does damage if you stand in it, and you can only stand in it once.

[HappyDaze]

Because Spike Growth specifically says it does damage per 5' moved through its area. Burning Web does damage if you stand in it, and you can only stand in it once.

Yes, but consider four PCs with torches each burning away a different 5' cube of Web with their own actions. The entire Web does not burn away at the same time, only the 5' cube attacked with the torch. Anything in that cube takes the 2d4 fire damage. A LArge or larger creature can be in multiple 5' cubes of Web. Does getting burned by the Web once in a turn somehow make a creature unable to be burned by further pieces of the Web being ignited separately? (This is different from an area effect that ignites multiple 5' cubes of Web simultaneously).

[JackPhoenix]

Yes, but consider four PCs with torches each burning away a different 5' cube of Web with their own actions. The entire Web does not burn away at the same time, only the 5' cube attacked with the torch. Anything in that cube takes the 2d4 fire damage. A LArge or larger creature can be in multiple 5' cubes of Web. Does getting burned by the Web once in a turn somehow make a creature unable to be burned by further pieces of the Web being ignited separately? (This is different from an area effect that ignites multiple 5' cubes of Web simultaneously).

Yes and no. No matter how many squares of fire it occupies, the damage applies only once. Is the creature standing in fire at the start of its turn? If yes, it takes 2d4 damage. It may take the damage again if it's still standing in a fire on its next turn, but that's a separate instance of "standing in fire". It doesn't matter if those fires are started separately or at once, you only get one start of your turn to get burned.

[HappyDaze]

Yes and no. No matter how many squares of fire it occupies, the damage applies only once. Is the creature standing in fire at the start of its turn? If yes, it takes 2d4 damage. It may take the damage again if it's still standing in a fire on its next turn, but that's a separate instance of "standing in fire". It doesn't matter if those fires are started separately or at once, you only get one start of your turn to get burned.

OK. I hadn't read the spell description to see the "start of its turn" part and thought the damage applied immediately.

[BloodBrandy]

OK. I hadn't read the spell description to see the "start of its turn" part and thought the damage applied immediately.

It's why it's important to read your spells. FUn fact, Wall of Fire has no save for walking through it or ending your turn within 10ft of the burning side. Just a straight 5d8 fire damage

[HappyDaze]

It's why it's important to read your spells. FUn fact, Wall of Fire has no save for walking through it or ending your turn within 10ft of the burning side. Just a straight 5d8 fire damage

Not my spell. I've never used web before. There's a lot of D&D that I don't use often enough to waste brain space on it.