In my experience people want to use nets in 3.5. Nets are terrible, and don’t really scale past level 2. And thats for low powered games. I’ve got a couple rules tweaks to help with usability, a couple of new nets to help with scaling, and an easy, cheap magic item that should extend the viability of nets from level 3 when you can afford one, until level 10 or so when your game falls apart anyway.
RAW, a net is a ranged touch attack with a max range of 10ft. If it hits they are entangled, if they are within 1 size category of you, and they can spend a full round action with a DC 20 escape artist or strength check to break free. Then, to throw a net you have to fold it. After you do so, you have to spend 2-4 rounds refolding it or you get a -4 to hit. So you are carrying 45 nets and quick drawing them, or you are sucking up -4 on every attack.
To fix the “big monsters” one would need to make nets of mithril that have break DCs of 40, and elastic nets that work on bigger creatures. To fix folding, you can just house rule that part out.
Updated Net Rules
Mix and match these to fix the problems your game has.
- Nets have a range of 50ft with a 10ft incriment. 10ft is in melee and it sucks.
- Nets take a move action to fold back up, that can be reduced with rapid reload as you’d expect.
- Nets can be used on creatures of up to one size category bigger than you. But it can be used on any creature smaller than you, regardless of size.
New Nets
- Mithril Net: A Mithril net is made from mail rings of mithril formed into a light chain. As such, it can be thrown tremendous distances. A mithril net has a range of 60ft with an incriment of 20. A mithril net is also has 30 hit points, and the strength check to burst is 30. 1,000gp.
- Adamantine Net: The Adamantine Net is near unbreakable, made from ultrahard links of adamantine forged by the most delicate of dwarven netters. An adamantine net is considered unbreakable, with 40 hit points, and a burst DC of 40. 3,000gp.
- Cold Iron Net: Cold iron nets are favorites for pixie hunters, and other magicians who wish to keep their magical crops free from the fey pests. A creature captured in a cold iron net is affected by the Dimensional Anchor spell (CL 10) until they break free. Their magic is also greatly hampered, and the concentration check to cast a spell is DC 25. 100gp.
- Silver Net: Silvered nets are favored by monster hunters everywhere. These nets are made from poured alchemical silver, which is then hardened under the light of a full moon. Any creature trapped in a silver net does not benefit from regeneration so long as they are bound. 200gp.
- Trollgut Net: A trollgut net is simple, but invaluable to the fledgling netter. A trollgut net repairs itself 1 hp per round, so long as all its pieces are touching. This is especially valuable when fighting someone you know is going to burst free from your net. 30gp.
- Ghost Touch Net: The ghost touch net is a classic tool of the supernatural hunter. This net is made from weaving the ectoplasmic remnants of destroyed ghosts into a net capable of restraining them. This net stretches across the material plane, and works normally against incorporeal creatures. 2,000gp.
- Expanding Net: Through the use of clever elastics, this net can contain a creature of any size, even a shapechanger who grows or shrinks rapidly. Additionally, the escape artist DC is increased to DC 40 as the net flexes and shifts rather than getting loose. 2,000gp.
The Gnome Gnet Glauncher
This gnomish contraption is a simple 3ft tube, 6 inches in diameter, with a complex clockwork housing at the near end and aiming scope on the far. When the clockwork piece is activated (free action) a new net is loaded from the chamber and is ready for use. The Gnet Glauncher can be used to store up to 20 medium sized nets, all prefolded and stored for use. Loading a single new net into the Glauncher is a move action, but the rapid reload feat can reduce it as normal. As a standard action, a character can tap the clockwork mechanism, to make a net attack using all their normal feats, features, and abilities for that net. If the character is eligible for multiple attacks, such as with a full attack, they can hold the clockwork mechanism, and make all the attacks they would normally be eligible for. For example, an 8th level ranger with rapid shot, would have an attack routine of 6/6/1 (+8BAB, -2 for rapid shot).
Minor Transmutation; CL 7th: Craft Rod; Haste; 3,000gp.
The TTRPG Factory 