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Old 15th January 2009, 05:22 PM   #1 (permalink)
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Zones, eternal or no?

PHB 59 Definition of Zone: (with a few things left out that are for examples)
"The zone keyword applies to powers that create lingering effects that extend over an area... Unless otherwise specified, a zone fills a power's area of effect. Use the standard rules for areas of effect to determine which square it fills. If a zones creator is slain, the zone immediately ends."

Paladin Powers in question:
PHB 93 Hallowed Circle - No Sustain listed
PHB 93 Sacred Circle - No Sustain Listed
PHB 97 Righteous Inferno - Sustain Minor

The top two mention until end of encounter, but do not say that the zone persists around the paladin, meaning that either A: It does persist and allies only gain the bonuses while within the "aura", or B: It does not persist and the allies that happened to be within the "aura" when the prayer was cast get the bonuses while others do not.

The third one has a sustain, which I understand. But further complicates/confuses the issue...

Can anyone explain this to me? or perhaps has sage been asked? or something?
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Old 15th January 2009, 06:20 PM   #2 (permalink)
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The answer is A. Option B is a burst.

Not familiar with the 3rd power and I am at work so I can't quote anything out of the PHB right now.
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Old 15th January 2009, 07:10 PM   #3 (permalink)
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abyssaldeath Goblin Sharpshooter (Lvl 2)
Quote:
Originally Posted by -Avalon- View Post
PHB 59 Definition of Zone: (with a few things left out that are for examples)
"The zone keyword applies to powers that create lingering effects that extend over an area... Unless otherwise specified, a zone fills a power's area of effect. Use the standard rules for areas of effect to determine which square it fills. If a zones creator is slain, the zone immediately ends."

Paladin Powers in question:
PHB 93 Hallowed Circle - No Sustain listed
PHB 93 Sacred Circle - No Sustain Listed
PHB 97 Righteous Inferno - Sustain Minor

The top two mention until end of encounter, but do not say that the zone persists around the paladin, meaning that either A: It does persist and allies only gain the bonuses while within the "aura", or B: It does not persist and the allies that happened to be within the "aura" when the prayer was cast get the bonuses while others do not.

The third one has a sustain, which I understand. But further complicates/confuses the issue...

Can anyone explain this to me? or perhaps has sage been asked? or something?
When you use those powers they create a zone as large as the burst. The zone persists in the spot that it was cast. Even if the Paladin were to move the zone stays put.

There are no aura's for PC's. So unless a power with the zone keyword tells you that you can move the zone it stays exactly where it was first cast.

If a power allows you to move a zone, at least 1 square that the zone covers must remain within the power’s range. If you move far enough away from a zone that it is no longer in range, its effects immediately end.
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Old 15th January 2009, 07:15 PM   #4 (permalink)
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I think you're confusing Zones and Auras. An aura follows a creature around. A zone doesn't. Once a zone is created, it stays in that specific place (e.g. "the paladin is inscribing a circle on the ground").

I also don't have my books handy, but if you're asking about duration I believe the first two powers last until end of encounter (as you noted) or 5 minutes if for some reason you use it outside of an encounter. The 3rd power lasts until the end of the characters next turn, unless it is sustained using a minor action.

Does that answer your question?
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Old 15th January 2009, 08:55 PM   #5 (permalink)
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Thanks for all the info! Really helps!
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Old 15th January 2009, 11:26 PM   #6 (permalink)
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Sustain powers go for a maximum of five minutes/one encounter by default.

Zones only travel if they say they do. So a close burst zone stays where it is persistantly even if the user moves.
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Old 15th January 2009, 11:37 PM   #7 (permalink)
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Originally Posted by abyssaldeath View Post
If a power allows you to move a zone, at least 1 square that the zone covers must remain within the power’s range. If you move far enough away from a zone that it is no longer in range, its effects immediately end.
This is pretty legalese indeed...

Okay so the first sentence is really only saying "the zone can't move beyond its original boundaries", right?

And the second has nothing to do with that. Instead it seems to only say "move outside the zone and its effects on you disappear". But how is that special for movable zones?

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Old 15th January 2009, 11:51 PM   #8 (permalink)
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Originally Posted by CapnZapp View Post
This is pretty legalese indeed...

Okay so the first sentence is really only saying "the zone can't move beyond its original boundaries", right?

And the second has nothing to do with that. Instead it seems to only say "move outside the zone and its effects on you disappear". But how is that special for movable zones?

Let's say the wizard creates a zone (a cloud of energy, perhaps), burst 1, range 5, and he can spend a move action to move the zone 6 squares.

He creates the zone centred three squares north of himself, so it occupies squares that are 2, 3, and 4 squares away.

He spends a move action to move the zone. He can move it another three squares north - which would leave squares 5, 6, and 7 squares away - because at least one square is still in range. But he can't move it four squares north, because then the zone would be 6, 7, and 8 squares away, so there are no squares within the 5 square range.

Or, instead of moving the zone, he walks south. He can walk three squares south, and the zone will remain. But if he walks four squares south, the zone is now out of range, and the cloud of energy vanishes.

-Hyp.
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Old 16th January 2009, 12:22 AM   #9 (permalink)
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Ah, thanks! So both these sentences really only say there's an "invisible cord" between Wizard and Zone that will "snap" if stretched outside the power's range.

For movable zones, now.
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Old 16th January 2009, 01:03 AM   #10 (permalink)
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Ok, so a zone that is Burst 1 within 10, must always be within 10 squares of the "caster"?

In that case, a Close Burst 3 has to remain with the "caster"... wouldn't it? Otherwise we have a contradiction...

the range of the power is 10 on the first, and immediate on the second...
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Old 16th January 2009, 01:39 AM   #11 (permalink)
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Originally Posted by -Avalon- View Post
Ok, so a zone that is Burst 1 within 10, must always be within 10 squares of the "caster"?

In that case, a Close Burst 3 has to remain with the "caster"... wouldn't it? Otherwise we have a contradiction...

the range of the power is 10 on the first, and immediate on the second...
The zone only has to stay in range if it is a movable zone. It matters not if it is a burst 1 within 10 or a close burst. Only if the power gives you the ability to move it does it have to stay in range.

Movable zones have to work that way to keep them balanced with other ranged spells. IMO
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Old 16th January 2009, 02:34 AM   #12 (permalink)
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Originally Posted by abyssaldeath View Post
The zone only has to stay in range if it is a movable zone. It matters not if it is a burst 1 within 10 or a close burst. Only if the power gives you the ability to move it does it have to stay in range.

Movable zones have to work that way to keep them balanced with other ranged spells. IMO
Not necessarily.
Quote:
If a power allows you to move a zone, at least
1 square that the zone covers must remain within the
power’s range. If you move far enough away from a
zone that it is no longer in range, its effects immediately
end.
These two sentences can be viewed separately. The condition of "a power allows you move a zone" applies to the first sentence, but not the second one. Therefore, if the caster moves out of range of the zone/conjuration, the zone/conjuration goes poof.
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Old 16th January 2009, 04:29 AM   #13 (permalink)
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abyssaldeath Goblin Sharpshooter (Lvl 2)
That could be possible, but I believe that since they are both part of the same paragraph they are both referring to movable zones. The first sentence is about the zone moving and the second sentence is about you moving away from the zone. The second sentence is there so you know that not only do you have to make sure that zone is in range when you move it, but also when you move yourself.
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Old 16th January 2009, 01:17 PM   #14 (permalink)
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Agreed on both counts.

Dalzig, you could interpret it that way. But you could also realize that would be an especially bad and misleading case of formatting, were it the case.

Cheers,
Zapp
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Old 17th January 2009, 08:52 AM   #15 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by -Avalon- View Post
PHB 59 Definition of Zone: (with a few things left out that are for examples)
"The zone keyword applies to powers that create lingering effects that extend over an area... Unless otherwise specified, a zone fills a power's area of effect. Use the standard rules for areas of effect to determine which square it fills. If a zones creator is slain, the zone immediately ends."

Paladin Powers in question:
PHB 93 Hallowed Circle - No Sustain listed
PHB 93 Sacred Circle - No Sustain Listed
PHB 97 Righteous Inferno - Sustain Minor

The top two mention until end of encounter, but do not say that the zone persists around the paladin, meaning that either A: It does persist and allies only gain the bonuses while within the "aura", or B: It does not persist and the allies that happened to be within the "aura" when the prayer was cast get the bonuses while others do not.
Option C: Hallowed Circle and Sacred Circle persist until the end of the encounter in the location where they were initially cast. If the paladin moves, the zone does not. Sacred Circle grants its bonus to allies when they're inside the zone. Hallowed Circle has been errata'd and now does the same.

What's the problem with Righteous Inferno?
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