The description for caltrops says "The first creature that moves into that square must..." before describing the saves that caltrops require the and the possible damage they can inflict. The description goes on to say "Once a creature takes damage from caltrops, enough are ruined that other creatures moving into the square are safe. Deployed caltrops can be salvaged and reused if no creatures took damage from them."
This is different from the description for marbles, which explicitly says that any creature entering their space scatters them and makes the space safe for later creatures.
So are caltrops capable of forcing a second creature to make a save against damage after a first creature has saved? Or are they consumed in the act of forcing a save, before a second creature enters their square?
1 Answer1
Yes, multiple creatures may be required to make the Acrobatics check.
Specifically,caltrops state that:
The first creature that moves into that square must succeed at a DC 14 Acrobatics check or take 1d4 piercing damage and 1 persistent bleed damage. ... Once a creature takes damage from caltrops, enough are ruined that other creatures moving into the square are safe.
Critically, the caltrops are only ruined "once a creature takes damage". A creature who makes their check successfully takes no damage, thus they avoid stepping on enough of the caltrops to matter, thus they're present for the next character who steps into that square.
Presumably, a creature with sufficient resistance (or immunity) to piercing damage and bleed to not actually take any damage from the caltrops could walk through a caltrop-infested square without ruining the caltrops, thus requiring another creature entering the square to make the check or take damage themselves. This GM would be inclined to rule that on a case-by-case basis, likely ruling that (eg.) anadamantine golem would flatten the caltrops while awraith would simply float by, leaving them undisturbed.
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