Line Spells / Lightning Bolt

[WhosDaDungeonMaster]

Squares aren't even in the base game, they are a variant. Who cares about them? I don't, that's why I don't "snap to grid" areas of effect.

I used to roll to see how many targets could be affected, using a d8 (1 = 1, 2-4 = 2, 5-7 = 3, 8 = 3 + roll again for more targets, repeat until an 8 is not rolled). It worked well back in the day of 1E and 2E.

 

[Blue]

Bah. I reject your imaginary lightning bold and substitute my own reality!

Medium creatures are also defined as being 5ft by 5ft cubes. Unless you're in a weird variation of Minecraft world, I suspect that's not meant to be taken literally.

You brought that up before, no one was saying medium creatures is a 5'x5' block. The PHB says that's the creature's space is the area they control in combat, not their physical dimensions. But it is the area needed to fight effectively. (All on PHB 191.)

And there are rules to squeeze into smaller spaces. So, if you're fighting and not squeezing, you're effectively taking up the space given by your size. And it's used for various evaluations, such as cover or if you are in area of effect.

 

[Yunru]

You brought that up before, no one was saying medium creatures is a 5'x5' block. The PHB says that's the creature's space is the area they control in combat, not their physical dimensions. But it is the area needed to fight effectively. (All on PHB 191.)

And there are rules to squeeze into smaller spaces. So, if you're fighting and not squeezing, you're effectively taking up the space given by your size. And it's used for various evaluations, such as cover or if you are in area of effect.

Right, so going down the middle is only going to affect half that space.

I'd let it hit both squares, but at reduced effectiveness (half damage on a hit, none on a miss).

 

[S'mon]

A
It's made very clear it's actually 5 feet wide, there's no way for it to pass between two adjacent creatures and miss both.

Humans are only about 6"-12" deep, they don't occupy most of a 5x5x5 volume, so yes if you are aiming between them it can easily miss two humans who appear adjacent on a battlegrid.

 

[Blue]

I used to roll to see how many targets could be affected, using a d8 (1 = 1, 2-4 = 2, 5-7 = 3, 8 = 3 + roll again for more targets, repeat until an 8 is not rolled). It worked well back in the day of 1E and 2E.

Not 100% sure I understand. Was this for theater of the mind play (not that I knew that term back then)? If so, seems reasonable.

 

[CleverNickName]

It's made very clear it's actually 5 feet wide, there's no way for it to pass between two adjacent creatures and miss both.

It seemed pretty clear at the time that it couldn't HIT both either, so I made the player choose a target. (Which he did, since he didn't want to change position to target both.)

I take a pretty hard line on spell rules, and I recognize that not all DMs do.

 

[Blue]

Right, so going down the middle is only going to affect half that space.

I'd let it hit both squares, but at reduced effectiveness (half damage on a hit, none on a miss).

Sure, DMs can (and should) always adjudicate. [MENTION=6976296]James Grover[/MENTION] suggested advantage on the saves earlier which hits me as a way I might represent it.

Just be consistent - do the same for a fireball radius that covers a square only partially.

 

[Oofta]

You brought that up before, no one was saying medium creatures is a 5'x5' block. The PHB says that's the creature's space is the area they control in combat, not their physical dimensions. But it is the area needed to fight effectively. (All on PHB 191.)

And there are rules to squeeze into smaller spaces. So, if you're fighting and not squeezing, you're effectively taking up the space given by your size. And it's used for various evaluations, such as cover or if you are in area of effect.

I'm confused. Either a creature is 5 ft wide, or not. If not (which obviously we agree on) they can be anywhere within that 5 ft cube. If I'm standing, I take up less than 2 ft. If my back is against the wall for example, it's just a little over a foot. Sideways I guess it might be 2 ft.

So if two people are in a 10 ft wide hallway something 5 ft wide might hit them both or might miss both. You're also assuming that the person casting the lightning bolt in the middle of combat can aim with laser-like precision.

In any case, an exploit to try to double the number of targets would not fly in my game. You want to run it that way, I'm not gong to report you to the gaming police.

 

[Blue]

Humans are only about 6"-12" deep, they don't occupy most of a 5x5x5 volume, so yes if you are aiming between them it can easily miss two humans who appear adjacent on a battlegrid.

Humans frozen in place may be that size. A human moving, fighting, getting their Dex bonus is assumed to be within the space as listed in the PHB. It is explicitly called out as the amount of space needed to fight effectively. There are rules for squeezing if you only want to fit into a smaller space next to one wall, and those rules give penalties.

 

[Blue]

I'm confused. Either a creature is 5 ft wide, or not. If not (which obviously we agree on) they can be anywhere within that 5 ft cube. If I'm standing, I take up less than 2 ft. If my back is against the wall for example, it's just a little over a foot. Sideways I guess it might be 2 ft.

*shrug* It's in the rules in the PHB, page 191. I'm not adding value by repeating them to you.