Combat Rules Question [Archive] - Wizards Community

Combat Rules Question [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Jarjaxle
03-09-05, 06:01 PM When a PC casts a area of effect spell like Fireball on a Large (10'x10') or larger creature. How much of its area or body has to be within the area of effect in order for it to be affected by the spell?
Colmarr
03-09-05, 08:15 PM The SRD says this about area spells:

Area: Some spells affect an area. Sometimes a spell description specifies a specially defined area, but usually an area falls into one of the categories defined below.
Regardless of the shape of the area, you select the point where the spell originates, but otherwise you don’t control which creatures or objects the spell affects. The point of origin of a spell is always a grid intersection. When determining whether a given creature is within the area of a spell, count out the distance from the point of origin in squares just as you do when moving a character or when determining the range for a ranged attack. The only difference is that instead of counting from the center of one square to the center of the next, you count from intersection to intersection.
You can count diagonally across a square, but remember that every second diagonal counts as 2 squares of distance. If the far edge of a square is within the spell’s area, anything within that square is within the spell’s area. If the spell’s area only touches the near edge of a square, however, anything within that square is unaffected by the spell.

(My emphasis added). If any part of the subject creature is in a square affected by the spell, the creature is affected. There may be specific spells with different rules to this, but Fireball isn't one of them. :)
Bewildered DM
03-09-05, 09:45 PM What is the "SRD" and the "RAW" and any other acronyms I should know?

Thanks! :confused:
scwolf
03-09-05, 10:03 PM SRD is the System Reference Document, the core of the D20 system that's licensed out under the Open Gaming License (because it is OGL material, it's often what gets quoted when a rules question comes up).

RAW is Rules As Written (i.e. "the letter of the law").

As for anything else, check here (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=46916)/

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Jarjaxle 03-09-05, 06:01 PM	When a PC casts a area of effect spell like Fireball on a Large (10'x10') or larger creature. How much of its area or body has to be within the area of effect in order for it to be affected by the spell?
Colmarr 03-09-05, 08:15 PM	The SRD says this about area spells: Area: Some spells affect an area. Sometimes a spell description specifies a specially defined area, but usually an area falls into one of the categories defined below. Regardless of the shape of the area, you select the point where the spell originates, but otherwise you don’t control which creatures or objects the spell affects. The point of origin of a spell is always a grid intersection. When determining whether a given creature is within the area of a spell, count out the distance from the point of origin in squares just as you do when moving a character or when determining the range for a ranged attack. The only difference is that instead of counting from the center of one square to the center of the next, you count from intersection to intersection. You can count diagonally across a square, but remember that every second diagonal counts as 2 squares of distance. If the far edge of a square is within the spell’s area, anything within that square is within the spell’s area. If the spell’s area only touches the near edge of a square, however, anything within that square is unaffected by the spell. (My emphasis added). If any part of the subject creature is in a square affected by the spell, the creature is affected. There may be specific spells with different rules to this, but Fireball isn't one of them. :)
Bewildered DM 03-09-05, 09:45 PM	What is the "SRD" and the "RAW" and any other acronyms I should know? Thanks! :confused:
scwolf 03-09-05, 10:03 PM	SRD is the System Reference Document, the core of the D20 system that's licensed out under the Open Gaming License (because it is OGL material, it's often what gets quoted when a rules question comes up). RAW is Rules As Written (i.e. "the letter of the law"). As for anything else, check here (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=46916)/