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So my friends and I were playing a campaign. We were at 3rd level, and I was playing a sorcerer.

There was a flying creature that we wanted to get down, so I tried to catch it with the spell Web. When the creature made its save, the Web fell to the ground. On my next turn, I didn't want to waste my last 2nd level spell slot, so I tried using the spell Catapult.

We eventually ruled that the Web wouldn't weigh 5 pounds, but the DM said we could try it again if we could find an accurate weight for the Web.

Does anyone know what the weight of the spell Web would be if cast at 2nd level?

Someone_Evil
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Lay Z
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    Just to be clear, you're trying to use Catapult to throw the web at the creature? – Mark Wells May 02 '20 at 19:57
  • And are you also asking if the web will work as a web on impact? – NotArch May 02 '20 at 20:48
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    Related on Using a net with catapult – NotArch May 02 '20 at 20:50
  • Having seen the first answer, you might want to update the question that you are not looking for if this should work raw, but specifically the weight of the web because the DM has agreed to the strategy in a rules as fun manner. – SeriousBri May 02 '20 at 21:15
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  • yes i am trying to use catapult to throw it at the creature, i understand that it should collapse on itself but we ruled that it is now anchored to the floor, we also said that if it did hit the creature it would restrain it due to the fact that it is sticky – Lay Z May 04 '20 at 18:42

1 Answers1

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It doesn't work like that...

Per the spell description:

If the webs aren't anchored between two solid masses (such as walls or trees) or layered across a floor, wall, or ceiling, the conjured web collapses on itself, and the spell ends at the start of your next turn.

If the spell missed and fell to the ground, it has no anchor points, collapsed in on itself, and fades away.

It is possible to convince the DM to say that when it falls to the ground it become "layered across a floor", but more likely, it just become a bundled sticky mess for one round.

Since people want numbers:

Per wikipedia; based on the average spider silk, "a strand long enough to circle the Earth would weigh less than 500 grams (18 oz)". The Earth is 24,901 mi circumference and all of that silk is just over 1 pound.

The fully spread out webbing is about at most, a space 20' x 20' x 5'. And that is not solid (per the spell is causes light obscuring). So picture wadding up ~25,000 miles of silk, and draping it in 2000 ft3.

I don't think it would all fit, especially since you can't pack it in. So the webbing doesn't even meet the 1lb minimum to launch.

MivaScott
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  • The spell doesn't say that the web fades away when the spell ends. In any case, this doesn't answer the question of how much the web weighs. – Mark Wells May 02 '20 at 21:39
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    @MarkWells Web is a concentration spell. If the spell ends, so does the webs, otherwise what would be the point of concentrating? – MivaScott May 02 '20 at 21:43
  • We ruled that it was anchored to the floor, and i do have to remind you that it is a mass of "thick sticky webs" so i dont think it would follow the normal weight – Lay Z May 04 '20 at 18:44
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    @LayZ, why would its form change its weight? You weigh the exact same curled up in a ball as you do spread out flat on a floor? Or are you saying "thick sticky webs" weight more than normal webs? And so the final ruling was/is: A Web shot in the air, missed its target, fell to the ground in a way that it anchored itself to the ground still spread out, and then was able to be Catapult 'ed for a second attempt? That is to me an overload of "Rule of Cool" – MivaScott May 04 '20 at 19:16
  • yes i do think that thick webs would weigh more due to the fact that it can restrain quite large creatures and many at that, i know this is kinda hard to answer but i am hoping someone will have the time to get me the weight – Lay Z May 11 '20 at 15:49