Grasping weeds and vines sprout from the ground in a 20-foot square starting from a point within range. For the duration, these plants turn the ground in the area into difficult terrain.
A creature in the area when you cast the spell must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be restrained by the entangling plants until the spell ends. A creature restrained by the plants can use its action to make a Strength check against your spell save DC. On a success, it frees itself.
When the spell ends, the conjured plants wilt away.
How Entangle plays
Pick a point up to 90 feet away and a 20-foot square of weeds and vines erupts from the ground there. Every creature in the square makes a Strength saving throw, and each one that fails is restrained until the spell ends, for up to a minute while you concentrate. The whole square is difficult terrain for as long as it lasts.
Restrained is a strong condition for a 1st-level spell: the creature’s speed drops to 0, attacks against it have advantage, and its own attacks and Dexterity saves have disadvantage. It doesn’t get a new save at the end of each turn. To get free it has to spend its action on a Strength check against your spell save DC, which is an action it isn’t spending on you.
When to pick Entangle
Druids at low levels should nearly always have it prepared. It can lock down a whole group of goblins, wolves or bandits on the first turn of a fight.
Aim at the brutes. Big, strong creatures like ogres and bears pass Strength saves easily; archers, spellcasters and small skirmishers usually fail them.
Mind your allies. The spell doesn’t let you leave anyone out, so place the square before your fighter charges in, not after.
Outdoors is its home. The vines need ground to grow from, so it does nothing to flying creatures and little on a ship’s deck or in a stone corridor where your DM may rule nothing can sprout.
Common questions
Does Entangle affect creatures that walk into it later?
No. Only creatures in the area when you cast the spell make the saving throw. Anything that enters afterwards just treats the square as difficult terrain.
How does a creature escape Entangle?
It uses its action to make a Strength check against your spell save DC. On a success it’s free, but it’s still standing in difficult terrain. Anything that ends your concentration also frees everyone.
Can Entangle catch flying creatures?
The vines grow from the ground in a flat 20-foot square, so a creature flying above it isn’t in the area. A flier that lands in the square later isn’t affected either, because the save only happens when you cast it.
Does Entangle hit my allies?
Yes. Every creature in the square makes the save, including friends and, under the 2014 rules, you. The 2024 version leaves out only the caster.
Did the 2024 rules change Entangle?
Only slightly. In the 2024 Player’s Handbook the caster is never affected, the escape is a Strength (Athletics) check rather than a plain Strength check, and rangers can prepare it as well as druids.
2nd level: a 20-foot cube of webs that restrains on a Dexterity save, including creatures that walk in later. Needs something to anchor to, and it burns.
1st level: a 10-foot square that knocks creatures prone on a Dexterity save, again each time they enter or end a turn there. No concentration, but prone is far weaker than restrained.
The 2024 Player’s Handbook revised many spells, and the SRD 5.2 carries the new text. What changed from the 2014 version above:
Added to the Ranger spell list.
Casting time
Action
Range
90 feet
Components
V, S
Duration
Concentration, up to 1 minute
School
Conjuration
Level
1
Classes
Druid, Ranger
Tags
concentration
Grasping plants sprout from the ground in a 20-foot square within range. For the duration, these plants turn the ground in the area into Difficult Terrain. They disappear when the spell ends.
Each creature (other than you) in the area when you cast the spell must succeed on a Strength saving throw or have the Restrained condition until the spell ends. A Restrained creature can take an action to make a Strength (Athletics) check against your spell save DC. On a success, it frees itself from the grasping plants and is no longer Restrained by them.
2024 version from the SRD 5.2. Most tables settle on one edition, so check which one yours uses.
