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View Full Version : Uses for Caltrops, Weird or Otherwise



rayne_dragon
2008-11-03, 10:38 PM
Alright, a little background first. I've recently undertaken trying to write a regular 'column' (in quotes because it's a message board thing that I'm doing for a friend because he thinks it'll increase interest the message board for his gaming social club thing). Anyways, I decided to call it "Bag of Caltrops" because... well it sounded good at the time. So because of that I decided to do an article detailing 99 uses for caltrops, but I'm kinda stumped at 70 uses (and some of those are really lame).

So I'm wondering if anyone wants to share their ideas for how to use the noble caltrop. It doesn't matter how wacky or zany the idea is (nor do you need to limit yourself to a fantasy setting), I'm hoping to find ones I haven't come up with yet. I'd also ask you to include what name you'd like me to give credit to should I use any of your ideas (not that I get much of an audience, but who knows what could happen?).

I'm also not posting my list because I believe people are more creative when they haven't been influenced by lists n' stuff.

Hal
2008-11-03, 10:54 PM
Alright, a little background first. I've recently undertaken trying to write a regular 'column' (in quotes because it's a message board thing that I'm doing for a friend because he thinks it'll increase interest the message board for his gaming social club thing). Anyways, I decided to call it "Bag of Caltrops" because... well it sounded good at the time. So because of that I decided to do an article detailing 99 uses for caltrops, but I'm kinda stumped at 70 uses (and some of those are really lame).

So I'm wondering if anyone wants to share their ideas for how to use the noble caltrop. It doesn't matter how wacky or zany the idea is (nor do you need to limit yourself to a fantasy setting), I'm hoping to find ones I haven't come up with yet. I'd also ask you to include what name you'd like me to give credit to should I use any of your ideas (not that I get much of an audience, but who knows what could happen?).

I'm also not posting my list because I believe people are more creative when they haven't been influenced by lists n' stuff.

Cooking utensils out in the wild.
Warding off assassins at the inn (you know your DM is planning it).
Improvised weapon with piercing damage.

snoopy13a
2008-11-03, 10:57 PM
Modified form of lawn darts

Icewalker
2008-11-03, 10:58 PM
One which I plan to use, nice and simple, is caltrops + grease spell.

Slip face or back first into a floor of caltrops. I'd have it deal 1d6 damage instead of 1, also, considering.

Ravens_cry
2008-11-03, 11:02 PM
Small Christmas tree stands.
Vertical Sausage and Potato roasters
Candle holders
Tied to some rope, make some nasty bolas.

Kris Strife
2008-11-03, 11:02 PM
rust monster popcorn

Weezer
2008-11-03, 11:05 PM
attach to armor for improvised spiked armor
spread in allies bed as a practical joke

elliott20
2008-11-03, 11:08 PM
stick some on a pillar or a wall and you have yourself a back scratcher.

elaborate nipple piercings

Flickerdart
2008-11-03, 11:14 PM
Crude d4s. Great for when you do recursion.

Ionizer
2008-11-03, 11:24 PM
Caltrops are perfect for a high-stakes game of Jacks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacks).
Also useful as an alarm system ("Heh heh, I'm gonna sneak up and kill that guy while he's sleep--OH GOD MY FOOT!")
Impromptu Shuriken.
High Stakes Hop-scotch (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hop_scotch).
Endless uses as practical jokes.
Acupuncture.
Caltrops Jenga (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenga).
Use them to spice up a routine of jump rope.

elliott20
2008-11-03, 11:27 PM
ooh, for the BDSM crowd, make an entire gimp suit out of it.

BobVosh
2008-11-03, 11:31 PM
rust monster popcorn

Awesome.

Backscratcher (be careful)

elliott20
2008-11-03, 11:34 PM
cast animate objects and they become dance lessons aid.

"if you step in the wrong place, you'll step on a caltrop"
"I don't wanna learn how dance anymore"
"then maybe you'd like the learn the piano instead? If you touch the wrong keys, caltrop"
"look, can't I like, go read a book or something?"
"fine, but if you read below a certain number of words per hour, I stab you with the caltrop"

mabriss lethe
2008-11-03, 11:35 PM
helping the Bard practice his "Perform: Scream like a little girl" skill.

staple Ingredient when cooking for those people you reaaaally don't like

Stocking stuffers for that paladin on your list who has everything

Kris Strife
2008-11-03, 11:41 PM
stilleto heels for pixies.

An Enemy Spy
2008-11-03, 11:44 PM
Christmas Ornaments
A fishook

Ravens_cry
2008-11-03, 11:51 PM
Improvised Ninja Stars.

Lyndworm
2008-11-03, 11:54 PM
Crude d4s. Great for when you do recursion.

You stole my idea! I was going to say that with the addition of a sharpie, caltrops make a safe alternative to d4s.

Zack

arguskos
2008-11-04, 12:35 AM
Put captives in barrels, and then fill the barrels with caltrops and roll them down hills.

-argus

Yukitsu
2008-11-04, 12:42 AM
"OK class, first we shrink object these caltrops. Yes timmothy, we do need to use 500 pounds of them. Now then, we simply transform the piece of paper into a delicious piece of taffy. Once the deserving SOB has it good and chewed, we cast dispel magic on his mouth."

revolver kobold
2008-11-04, 01:36 AM
Piercing damage sling ammunition.

Ravens_cry
2008-11-04, 02:21 AM
How big are caltrops? Because some seem to be much bigger then others. Yet Wikipedia makes no mention about size.

Larrin
2008-11-04, 06:23 AM
They probably vary in size. I remember seeing a show where caltrops were spread on a path to lame the horses, the spikes were about as long of my pointer finger (3-4 inches). Human aimed caltrops would certainly be smaller, figure about 2 inch spikes to make sure it can go through boots. I think an inch is the smallest the spike could be and still be effective against non-bare feet.

Curmudgeon
2008-11-04, 08:17 AM
Piercing damage sling ammunition.
Bad idea. Caltrops are both too big to fit in a sling pouch, and only half the weight of lead bullets. They're made of iron, which is fairly soft unless it's beefy. Each of the spikes has to be 2+ inches long, so it's a 4-pronged "missile" that's over 4" across -- more than 27 times the volume of a 1.3" diameter lead bullet. And even with a custom "sling" the half weight and improvised ammunition penalties will hurt a lot.
You can hurl ordinary stones with a sling, but stones are not as dense or as round as bullets. Thus, such an attack deals damage as if the weapon were designed for a creature one size category smaller than you and you take a -1 penalty on attack rolls.Caltrops aren't designed as ammunition, so they're improvised when used for that purpose.
Improvised Weapons

Sometimes objects not crafted to be weapons nonetheless see use in combat. Because such objects are not designed for this use, any creature that uses one in combat is considered to be nonproficient with it and takes a -4 penalty on attack rolls made with that object. As I said: bad idea.

xPANCAKEx
2008-11-04, 09:00 AM
they don't have to be GOOD uses

*suck-or-suck river crossing: Your a DM. Your party come to a river. They can swim across through the potentially monster infested water, or they can walk over the bridge made entirely out of a long, 15ft wide pile of caltrops

Lord Herman
2008-11-04, 09:04 AM
I once read something on the WotC forums about the Dwarven Divebomb. It's essentially a barrel filled with caltrops, lamp oil, and vials alchemist's fire. When the barrel is dropped from height, the vials break and the barrel explodes, sending glowing hot caltrops flying in all directions.

Captain Six
2008-11-04, 09:22 AM
Before I knew how big they actually were I would sneak them into drinks. They didn't look fun to choke on, fun to watch though.

Guinea Anubis
2008-11-04, 09:26 AM
If you are in a campain with black powder, shove a bunch down a cannon.

Seffbasilisk
2008-11-04, 09:27 AM
Laughing at calvary.

Studoku
2008-11-04, 09:32 AM
Caltrop golem. It's the epitome of spikyness.

Burley
2008-11-04, 09:37 AM
They make great hooks for pictures, utensils, or festive decorations, such as a wreath or the scalp of your fallen foe.

Pitons for tiny creatures?

A way to keep that no-good, good-for-nothing grandson outta your compfy chair.

A 5-6 squares will provide protection from an entire commoner mob, if you're in this (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0577.html) kinda business.

If you like it when the red water comes out...

Raum
2008-11-04, 09:52 AM
How big are caltrops? Because some seem to be much bigger then others. Yet Wikipedia makes no mention about size.They vary in size from a bit more than an inch across (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Caltrop_from_Vietnam_1968.jpg) to several feet across for related obstacles intended as vehicle obstructions (http://ww2ky.moreheadstate.edu/images/beach-barrier.jpg). It's also a plant (http://lh5.ggpht.com/luirig/R5xw5pTeboI/AAAAAAAAL5I/FBf06eIMZuQ/s800/tribulus_terrestris_10.jpg) (note the spiny fruits).

Curmudgeon
2008-11-04, 10:58 AM
They vary in size from a bit more than an inch across (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Caltrop_from_Vietnam_1968.jpg) Note that the small twisted wire ones are only effective against barefoot persons, which was the norm for Vietnamese peasants, and many Vietcong soldiers, in 1968 (the cited reference). D&D assumes footwear will be worn; even a peasant's outfit includes foot coverings.

Raum
2008-11-04, 11:24 AM
Note that the small twisted wire ones are only effective against barefoot persons, which was the norm for Vietnamese peasants, and many Vietcong soldiers, in 1968 (the cited reference). D&D assumes footwear will be worn; even a peasant's outfit includes foot coverings.They were usually twisted nails rather than wire. The one pictured was created by the Viet Cong for use against booted US soldiers. It doesn't take a lot of pressure to put a nail through a boot sole.

Curmudgeon
2008-11-04, 06:02 PM
They were usually twisted nails rather than wire. The one pictured was created by the Viet Cong for use against booted US soldiers. It doesn't take a lot of pressure to put a nail through a boot sole.
That doesn't jibe with that Vietnam war twist construction being described as iron, rather than steel. Iron nails aren't generally smooth cylinders unless they're very thick, and then they're called spikes rather than nails. They're usually hand-forged into tapered pyramids:
http://www.thetrunkshoppe.com/hw/forgednails.jpg
The basic problem is that unalloyed iron is just too soft to work for caltrops when it's thin. Steel nails work fine, but that's not the construction of D&D caltrops.

Subotei
2008-11-04, 06:30 PM
They were usually twisted nails rather than wire. The one pictured was created by the Viet Cong for use against booted US soldiers. It doesn't take a lot of pressure to put a nail through a boot sole.

Amen to that - thats why you wear boots with steel midsoles if you go onto landfills and the like.

Back on subject:
Bag of caltrops + plus a pile of Halfling corpses = worlds sickest Meccano [insert alternative local construction kit toy] set?

golentan
2008-11-04, 06:44 PM
My favorite use is similar to the taffy one: tiny caltrops used with spells that alter plants to get the most dangerous apple you'll ever bite into.

Poisoned caltrops are also fun against high level enemies, since the feel they can soak the 1 damage so they charge right in.

Animate objects and order them to follow your enemy everywhere.

Use against enemies w/ invisibility: the creature remains invisible, but the caltrop stays stuck in their foot until they remove it. At least you can then trace it's movement, even if it retains most bonuses.

Invisibility on the caltrops to screw up sporting events. That one got a PC thrown in jail for a couple days in one of my games. :smallwink:

Firestarter: toss one in among firewood and cast heat metal.

Throw a few thousand of them into an air elemental ally in whirlwind form for a whirling vortex of pointy death (also good with daggers).

Raum
2008-11-04, 07:26 PM
That doesn't jibe with that Vietnam war twist construction being described as iron, rather than steel. Iron nails aren't generally smooth cylinders unless they're very thick, and then they're called spikes rather than nails. They're usually hand-forged into tapered pyramids:Nails weren't usually hand forged in the 20th century. Most are made from wire (http://www.wiremesh-china.com/wire-mesh/iron-nails.htm).


The basic problem is that unalloyed iron is just too soft to work for caltrops when it's thin. Steel nails work fine, but that's not the construction of D&D caltrops.It's worth noting I wasn't speaking of or linking to D&D caltrops. :) The one you seem to be objecting to was probably made in the late 1960s - it's labeled 1968.

You did get me interested enough to find this article on nail forging techniques (http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/mechanics/Engineer-Mechanic-Encyclopedia-Vol2/Nails.html) - it's an interesting read.

As for D&D nail / caltrop construction, you may well be correct. Probably depends on the world and how the players view engineering.

Back to the OP and the subject of caltrops, are you looking for caltrops specifically or similar items such as punji sticks? Or even modern spike strips? The ancient caltrop has evolved into a few different items these days...

Tengu_temp
2008-11-04, 07:35 PM
Caltrop pies! A perfect gift for the unsuspecting villain.

xPANCAKEx
2008-11-04, 08:42 PM
Animate objects and order them to follow your enemy everywhere.



jumping caltrops did almost that - they would try and move under peoples feet

Coidzor
2008-11-04, 09:09 PM
Use it to booby trap a climbing rope so that when they reach to grip the knots while climbing they squeeze the nail with their unprotected hands?

Use as the basis of a monkey's fist to make an impromptu rope club/morningstar.

Make a length of rope into a "spiked chain," or a torture device to give flesh-tearing lashings.

Impromptu dreidels for dice-like gambling.

Caltrop roulette (with the improvised weapon and sundry penalties), making a game out of who can last the longest in a caltrop-throwing fight.

Tacks for holding up wanted posters/keeping maps open.

Paperweights.

monty
2008-11-04, 09:19 PM
Caltrop roulette (with the improvised weapon and sundry penalties), making a game out of who can last the longest in a caltrop-throwing fight.

Put some kind of strong poison on one of the points. Persist Lesser Vigor or something similar, throw it in the air, and you have to stab yourself with whatever point lands on top.

Prometheus
2008-11-04, 10:20 PM
A test for quicksand or other soft ground surfaces (if it sticks in rather than bounces)

bed of needles, sundial, improvised spiked armor, epic house of cards

cast magic aura on bag of caltrops and then use the bag of caltrops as breadcrumbs for finding your way via detect magic or tie them to a doorway to blind/screen anyone who attempts to see in with detect magic.

Lich's phylactery - who would suspect?

"Have you heard the lost legend of the tetrahedral ioun stone? Well of course not, it's a lost legend! This may look like an ordinary caltrop but I can see that you are a wise man and are not easily fooled by that ruse. No sir, you know a treasure when you see it, and I can see this treasure in your hands for the low, low price of 2,600 gp. But since your such a nice guy, I'll half the price just for you..."

For breaking a mill or other machine that involves gears or rollers pressing together (throw the caltrops in and watch it break).

Caltrops of Sundering to damage dangerous magical shoes.

Gamgee
2008-11-04, 10:34 PM
Depending on shape, tip each point with a different but deadly poison. Now you have improvised thrown weapons of random poison. Actually.. these sounds rather fun. It would work equally well if you were to toss them on the ground or use them in the traditional method. Hah picture some sucker getting hit by two or more poisons at once.

Studoku
2008-11-05, 08:05 AM
Fabricate someone's armour into caltrops.

rayne_dragon
2008-11-05, 01:33 PM
I'd like to take a quick moment to thank everyone whose posted so far, definitely a lot of good stuff and quite a bit of it is stuff I hadn't thought of.


Back to the OP and the subject of caltrops, are you looking for caltrops specifically or similar items such as punji sticks? Or even modern spike strips? The ancient caltrop has evolved into a few different items these days...

Specifically D&D issue caltrops, designed to be used against medium sized opponents (so no dragon's teeth). I'm also assuming they're designed to puncture regular boots. Mind you people are welcome to use them for non-D&D settings. I have a few Call of Cthulu, modern, fururistic and around the gaming table uses for them already.

Studoku
2008-11-05, 07:55 PM
Fill a bag of holding with caltrops, then think of a cunning plan that involves someone hiding in the bag.

monty
2008-11-05, 07:56 PM
Fill a bag of holding with caltrops, then think of a cunning plan that involves someone hiding in the bag.

How exactly do you plan to stop the bag from getting poked and losing all your precious caltrops?

Copacetic
2008-11-05, 08:57 PM
Make a huge bed of them. Cast a llusion to make the whole thing look like a swimming pool. Then Loot the corpses.

erikun
2008-11-05, 10:47 PM
Animate objects and order them to follow your enemy everywhere.

Darn it, that's my idea! :smallsmile: Well, as soon as my Wizard designs an arcane version of the spell.

One fun version is to fill a portable hole with them, then pick it up. If you need to make an escape, slap the hole on a wall or ceiling, and BAM! instant caltrop field.

Raum
2008-11-05, 11:15 PM
How exactly do you plan to stop the bag from getting poked and losing all your precious caltrops?"Shh, don't worry! You can fit in there with the caltrops. Now hide fast! The guard is coming!"

Chas the mage
2008-11-05, 11:20 PM
I beleive that the caltrops are supposed to slow movement by 10 feet within the area of affect, and for a few rounds shortly after, maybe do 1d3 damage.
(your D12 cries itself to sleep)
they could also probably be used well as a tranfer for poison into ones enemies.

Speaking of animating objects, i remember once i animated a rope and used it as a whip, and it functioned as its own party member, but it had 1 hp. how sad. all it could do was 1d4 non-lethal damage, or strangle someone.

metalbear
2008-11-05, 11:56 PM
Enchant them with some enchantment such as exploding, and you have landmines.

Guinea Anubis
2008-11-06, 06:25 AM
Enchant them with some enchantment such as exploding, and you have landmines.

Darn it I was coming to post that :smallfrown:


O well here is what I was going to post.

Buy some masterwork caltrops. Since they are master work you can now add enchantments to them. Add the Spell storing enchantment to them .You now have a ton of things you can do with them, heck I can think of at lest a doz. spells to use.

xPANCAKEx
2008-11-06, 07:50 AM
pg13

"love bead" sex aids, for when you really have to ensure success on that diplomacy roll against a sadist NPC

i think of bad thing :(

charl
2008-11-06, 10:15 AM
For the villain or the morally ambiguous adventurer that can't be bothered with waiting to get opponents henchmen to talk, caltrops make excellent torture tools.

And if you ever find yourself in an underground temple of an ancient cosmic horror, and the architecture makes you go insane, having a trusty caltrop to take out of your pocket and look at is a great way to regain your belief in geometry.

Ever found yourself in a situation where you need to ward of some fairyfolk? Why, medieval caltrops are made of iron! Just take one out and way it around like a mad man and the crazy elves will go away.

Not only that, but if you ever end up being hunted by a pack of psychotic werewolves, then the brand new caltrop silver will be of great help. Watch as your lupine enemies stop dead in their tracks when their feet start burning from the silver-plated caltrops. Then when they are dead, take back your caltrops. Silver is expensive, man.

rayne_dragon
2008-11-06, 11:35 AM
pg13

"love bead" sex aids, for when you really have to ensure success on that diplomacy roll against a sadist NPC

i think of bad thing :(


Yes, yes you did.

That was not pg13 at all. It's a good thing I have a resiliant mind or I'd be scrubbing the image from my brain with a caltrop onna stick.

Tengu_temp
2008-11-06, 11:36 AM
Eh, I wasn't even phased. There are much, much worse things you can do with caltrops in this field.

Draz74
2008-11-06, 01:04 PM
Backscratcher (be careful)

Maybe for a character with DR? Like a mid-level Barbarian?

Telonius
2008-11-06, 02:37 PM
Reusable toothpick for a giant.
Decorative candle-holder.
Table-leg for a very small table.
Compass (circle-drawing compass, not direction-finding compass)
Corkscrew
Steering wheel

AKA_Bait
2008-11-06, 02:47 PM
Railroad spikes for tiny creatures.
Marital Aides (don't ask)
Decorations for large scary looking doors.
Torture Implements

More might come to me later.

Haikiah
2008-11-06, 10:09 PM
Crude facial ornamentation (Probably a result of the Grease + Caltrop idea from a while back).
Toothpick.
Something to throw, as you soar above commoners.
Fabricate them onto someones armor... on the INSIDE.
Use as a means to slow down rapidly approaching enemies.

...Last ones a little bit too crazy, I guess.

Jothki
2008-11-07, 02:31 AM
Strap one to each boot, hold one in each hand, and use them to climb up a rough surface.

turkishproverb
2008-11-07, 03:56 AM
1: Put in Cardboard Box.
2: Label as fictional Kobold Flakes Cereal.
3:??????
4: Profit (or death and XP)

Drakefall
2008-11-07, 04:22 AM
Enlarge and use as a makeshift exotic weapon... halflings of the world rejoice!

Quietus
2008-11-07, 06:43 AM
Fabricate someone's armour into caltrops.

Wow. Insult to injury much?

Insane yet clever wizard : "Haha! Now not only do you no longer have armor, which I ignore anyway, but you ALSO are surrounded by annoying metal tacks!" *Flies away*

Celeres
2008-11-07, 07:08 AM
adjustable earplugs.

put squishy stuff on each prong, each different sized, so there's one for all ear shapes.

similarly, a Q-tip caltrop comes to mind (A q-trop, if you will). for those who's earwax content is too much for 2 swabs.