Animate rope Animate rope , originally known as Vilate ' s restriction and later bind , was an arcane alteration / enchantment or transmutation spell that could animate a rope - like object to move or loop , coil , or tie knots as directed by the caster . Casters . In the time of Netheril , " Vilate ' s restriction " could be cast by arcanist s of the Variation specialization . " Bind " could be learned and cast by arcane magic - user s , namely wizard s of the enchantment school , and wu jen . " Animate rope " could be learned and cast by wizards with access to the transmutation school , and by sorcerer s and bard s , as well as wu jen . In Zakhara , elemental mage s and sorcerers could learn it as part of the universal province . " Animate rope " could be also be used by cleric s with access to the Craft domain — that is , those who worshiped Gond of the Faerûnian pantheon ; Geb or Thoth of the Mulhorandi pantheon ; Callarduran Smoothhands , Flandal Steelskin , or Garl Glittergold of the gnome pantheon ; or Dugmaren Brightmantle , Dumathoin , Laduguer , or Moradin of the dwarven pantheon . Effects . This spell was effective on unattended non - living rope and rope - like objects such as twine , string , yarn , cable , or cord . At a minimum , " bind " could animate 65 ft ( 20 m ) of standard rope , with more experienced casters able to affect longer segments . The length varied in inverse proportion to the diameter ; that is , if a roll of twine had half the diameter of a typical rope , then the caster could command twice the length , and only a short segment of heavy cable could be animated . After the Year of Wild Magic , 1372 DR , at least 55 ft ( 17 m ) of typical rope could be animated by " animate rope " . Increasing the diameter by 1 inch ( 2 . 54 cm ) reduced the maximum length by 50 % , while halving the diameter increased the maximum length by 50 % . " Bind " or " animate rope " could be cast at a rope up to 90 ft ( 27 m ) or later 110 ft ( 33 . 5 m ) away , but if the intention was to interact with a creature or an object , then the rope had to be in close proximity ( 1 ft or 30 cm ) with its intended target — the rope could not slither or fly any greater distance . For unwilling targets , this often required someone hurling the rope at them or maneuvering them close to a length of rope . After the spell was cast , the rope could be commanded to perform certain tasks for a minimum of three minutes ( longer for more experienced casters ) , but on the order of several or dozens of seconds after the Year of Wild Magic . The commands available with this spell were : " Coil " , " Coil & Knot " , " Loop " , " Loop & Knot " , and " Tie & Knot " . " Coil " caused the rope to form a neatly organized stack ; " Coil & Knot " bound the stack for convenient carrying . " Loop " wrapped a length of rope around an object , like a tree or the feet of an adversary ; " Loop & Knot " tied the rope to the tree or formed a lasso . " Tie & Knot " wrapped the object securely , like a present or a prisoner . The caster could also order the reverse of any of these commands ( " Uncoil " , " etc . " ) . The rope did no direct damage to a creature , so it could not be used to choke or strangle , but it could be used to trip or entangle , with the expected results . The intended victim got one chance to resist the magic of this spell or suffered the consequences . " Bind " did not enhance the rope in any way ; it remained a non - magical object that could be cut or manipulated like any other rope . The knots themselves were also not magical . A caster using an animated rope could use it to tie knots and perform other uses of rope a little more easily . Components . Both verbal and somatic components were required to cast this spell . The material component was the target rope , which was not consumed in the casting . History . This spell was invented by a Netherese variator named Vilate in 1664 NY ( −2195 DR ) and was known as " Vilate ' s restriction " . Eventually , it became known as simply " bind " and was used by the magical community of Faerûn , but as of 1358 DR it was uncommon to find it . The spell was known as " animate rope " after 1372 DR . Noted users . " Bind " was a favorite of the drow magic - user Kilili in the Year of the Prince , 1357 DR . She used it to trap and toy with the elven women that Imgig Zu and his chasme minions kidnapped for her to test . She later used it to tie up and gag Onyx the Invincible , largely to stop him complaining . Uniquely , her version required no rope at all , and instead conjured blue or green strands out of the air , and they dissipated at the end of the spell ' s duration . Noted spellbooks and items . The " Scrolls of Ha Rahni " , the spellbook of Ha Rahni of Shou Lung , included a copy of " bind " . The " Ky Trencha Ukang " , a magical staff of eldritch power created in Koryo , could be used to cast " bind " at will .