2024 changes to Evard’s Black Tentacles /u/IHere4MemesNotDreams DnD: Roll for Initiative!

There are a lot of creator videos etc. going through various spell changes, yet I have seen no one so far talk about Evard’s Black Tentacles.
The changes fundamental changes to me makes sense, but the changes to the wording, opens up for what seems to me like an odd functionality change, that I hope the community can let me know their understanding of.

Firstly, the fundamental change seems to simply change change the spell to a STR save, and you can now only escape using STR – and wording is changed to reflect the “start of turn” to “when cast and end of turn” rulings, makes sense so far, but the wording on how damage is applied, is where I am at loss.

The 2014 version states:
“When a creature enters the affected area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, the creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 3d6 bludgeoning damage and be restrained by the tentacles until the spell ends. A creature that starts its turn in the area and is already restrained by the tentacles takes 3d6 bludgeoning damage.”

Notably specifying that an already restrained creature will take the damage portion – no save, I.e. if you fail to escape, or simply ignore being restrained, you take damage – this is noticeably absent in the 2024 version, which has the following wording:

“Each creature in that area makes a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 3d6 Bludgeoning damage, and it has the restrained condition until the spell ends. A creature also makes that save if it enters the area or ends it turn there. A creature makes that save only once per turn.”

Regardless of how I read this, this seems like an overall nerf, personally I see 2 interpretations:
1: no save is made, since you are already being grasped by a tentacle
2: while being restrained, you get to save against just the damage on its own (this being worse in 2024, because the save is now str and not dex, so no disadvantage)

The reasoning behind the changes in wording, seems to me the same as how all these spell changes are – the save is now being made when cast, not on the creatures first turn in the area – so having the initial damage if restrained, would double dip on anyone failing the initial save. But how would you rule it – if a creature ends their turn, already restrained by the tentacles, do they get to save against the damage, or do they just take it because they are already restrained like the 2014 version?

There are a lot of creator videos etc. going through various spell changes, yet I have seen no one so far talk about Evard’s Black Tentacles.
The changes fundamental changes to me makes sense, but the changes to the wording, opens up for what seems to me like an odd functionality change, that I hope the community can let me know their understanding of.

Firstly, the fundamental change seems to simply change change the spell to a STR save, and you can now only escape using STR – and wording is changed to reflect the “start of turn” to “when cast and end of turn” rulings, makes sense so far, but the wording on how damage is applied, is where I am at loss.

The 2014 version states:
“When a creature enters the affected area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, the creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 3d6 bludgeoning damage and be restrained by the tentacles until the spell ends. A creature that starts its turn in the area and is already restrained by the tentacles takes 3d6 bludgeoning damage.”

Notably specifying that an already restrained creature will take the damage portion – no save, I.e. if you fail to escape, or simply ignore being restrained, you take damage – this is noticeably absent in the 2024 version, which has the following wording:

“Each creature in that area makes a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 3d6 Bludgeoning damage, and it has the restrained condition until the spell ends. A creature also makes that save if it enters the area or ends it turn there. A creature makes that save only once per turn.”

Regardless of how I read this, this seems like an overall nerf, personally I see 2 interpretations:
1: no save is made, since you are already being grasped by a tentacle
2: while being restrained, you get to save against just the damage on its own (this being worse in 2024, because the save is now str and not dex, so no disadvantage)

The reasoning behind the changes in wording, seems to me the same as how all these spell changes are – the save is now being made when cast, not on the creatures first turn in the area – so having the initial damage if restrained, would double dip on anyone failing the initial save. But how would you rule it – if a creature ends their turn, already restrained by the tentacles, do they get to save against the damage, or do they just take it because they are already restrained like the 2014 version?