Cones [Archive] - Wizards Community - Pages Merged by Solauren

Cones [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Rizzit
09-24-05, 02:57 PM our group is having one of those frequent player - GM "discussions", this time about the area covered by cone spells. In this case we are using detect magic to find an invisible mage.

Now we all believe the cone has an angle of 90 degrees as clearly shown on page 307 of the DMG. The DM is using a cone that seems to have an angle of 60 degrees, the only real arguement he puts forward is something about the length being the same as the width.

Can anyone put in there opinions on this as it is in danger of ripping apart out online game.

Cheers

Rizzit
Kobold Sorcerer and gobshite
Jaid
09-24-05, 03:52 PM aren't there diagrams in the books that show how to handle cones on a grid?
Rizzit
09-24-05, 04:03 PM There are on page 307 of Dmg but all I got in response was that must be a mistake :rolleyes:
Ske
09-24-05, 04:09 PM A cone-shaped spell shoots away from you in a quarter-circle in the direction you designate. It starts from any corner of your square and widens out as it goes. Most cones are either bursts or emanations (see above), and thus won’t go around corners.

Notice it says quarter-circle. That's 90° for you. This is from the Area section of Magic in the PHB (About page 225 or something, my book is not at hand).
Nom
09-24-05, 06:50 PM Previous editions used to have 60 degree cones, which incidentally work better on hex grids. 3rd Ed has a square grid, and 90 degree cones.

As a houserule, 60 degree cones is rather wooly thinking, unless you are using a hex grid (at which point it makes perfect sense). In fact, your DM isn't even correct that a 60 degree cone will have a base width the same as the height; rather, half the base will equal half the hypotenuse (the cross section is two triangles with top angle 30, thus the base - hypotenuse ratio is sin 30 or 0.5), and thus the base diameter will equal the side length. To have the base equal the height you would need base/2 = side, which resolves to atan 0.5 or about 26.5 degrees for each triangle (thus 52.1 degrees for the cone).
Rizzit
09-25-05, 05:14 AM I will have to try and get him to post on this and put his opinion up for counter discussion.
smrtgmp
09-25-05, 05:57 AM I agree with the other posters (and the PHB). Cones are quarter circles, at least as far as the grid is concerned.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Rizzit 09-24-05, 02:57 PM	our group is having one of those frequent player - GM "discussions", this time about the area covered by cone spells. In this case we are using detect magic to find an invisible mage. Now we all believe the cone has an angle of 90 degrees as clearly shown on page 307 of the DMG. The DM is using a cone that seems to have an angle of 60 degrees, the only real arguement he puts forward is something about the length being the same as the width. Can anyone put in there opinions on this as it is in danger of ripping apart out online game. Cheers Rizzit Kobold Sorcerer and gobshite
Jaid 09-24-05, 03:52 PM	aren't there diagrams in the books that show how to handle cones on a grid?
Rizzit 09-24-05, 04:03 PM	There are on page 307 of Dmg but all I got in response was that must be a mistake :rolleyes:
Ske 09-24-05, 04:09 PM	A cone-shaped spell shoots away from you in a quarter-circle in the direction you designate. It starts from any corner of your square and widens out as it goes. Most cones are either bursts or emanations (see above), and thus won’t go around corners. Notice it says quarter-circle. That's 90° for you. This is from the Area section of Magic in the PHB (About page 225 or something, my book is not at hand).
Nom 09-24-05, 06:50 PM	Previous editions used to have 60 degree cones, which incidentally work better on hex grids. 3rd Ed has a square grid, and 90 degree cones. As a houserule, 60 degree cones is rather wooly thinking, unless you are using a hex grid (at which point it makes perfect sense). In fact, your DM isn't even correct that a 60 degree cone will have a base width the same as the height; rather, half the base will equal half the hypotenuse (the cross section is two triangles with top angle 30, thus the base - hypotenuse ratio is sin 30 or 0.5), and thus the base diameter will equal the side length. To have the base equal the height you would need base/2 = side, which resolves to atan 0.5 or about 26.5 degrees for each triangle (thus 52.1 degrees for the cone).
Rizzit 09-25-05, 05:14 AM	I will have to try and get him to post on this and put his opinion up for counter discussion.
smrtgmp 09-25-05, 05:57 AM	I agree with the other posters (and the PHB). Cones are quarter circles, at least as far as the grid is concerned.