The radius "stays the same". You need to read the PH chapter on Magic again (assuming you actually read it the first time). Particularly the sections describing spell targets, effects, areas, and line of effect. [pp. 175-176 in the 3.5 PH.] You probably ought to also re-read the spell itself which fairly clearly notes that the effect does not expand beyond its stated area of effect, though if it can burn through confining barriers it will do so and expand UP TO that area limit. But the area limit is still just 20' radius.tennyson said:If a fireball is cast in a hallway that is smaller than the spell's radius, do the flames shoot down the hallway, or does the radius stay the same, with the walls taking damage?
it is different in the points of damage it does but is not described as having any different effects. Being fire it does logically consume fuel but the rules simply don't go into the deeper physics of how much solid fuel or oxygen is consumed and thus how much wind is created with an initial "blast" or the subsequent rush to fill the created void. Generally fiery spell effects aren't going to be massive enough anyway to need to think about associated air movement and doing so is mostly just complication that the game flows much better without. Damage to the environment within the area of effect is otherwise in the rules and easy to determine. It is possible for a rogue to "evade the middle" of an explosion with a reflex save just as it is possible to save versus many area-effect spells. If spell stats state otherwise then it's implying otherwise, but at least as far as magic is concerned it's less important to know WHY spell effects can be at least partially saved against than to simply know that they CAN be saved against. If you need an explanation, well then the clear, unspoken, default assumption is that the effects ARE at least partially avoidable if a character can move so apparantly a "fireball" is not a solid ball of fireThat also brought our group to another question: how is the magical fire of a fireball spell different from normal fire? Does it consume air as fuel, creating gusts of wind? How is it possible for a rogue to evade the middle of a large explosion with a successful reflex save?
I'm sort of guessing that you may be holding over notions from 1E/2E, which for example gave items different saving throws for normal versus magical fire and specifically stated that magical fire was greatly higher in temperature. That might have been alright were it not for the fact that it leads to confusion, creates needless complication, and leads to questions like yours. 3E draws no special distinction based on origins. Fire is fire and has the same effects unless it's stated otherwise, generally that it does more/less damage and how the effects can be saved against.Our group is divided not only on whether the properties of magical and real fire are different, but also on what those specific properties are. Thanks in advance!
Delemental said:The fireball in the picture isn't a solid block of fire; it's a globe shape filled with streaks and bursts of fire. I could easily see how a rogue or monk could avoid the damage by simply avoiding the flames.
tennyson said:That's what I had thought a fireball spell was like, although I couldn't remember where i had heard that. Thanks for confirming it.
Speaking of, does this also apply to items worn/held by people caught in the area of effect? If they take damage, do you start applying damage to all of their equipment?The_Fan said:And yes, the walls do take damage. Odds are not much, since the most a fireball can do is 10d6 (10-60, average 35), masonry walls have hardness 8, 90 HP, and fire damage is halved to objects. At most, you are looking at 22 points of damage to the wall, enough to blast through about two inches of material. Doors, on the other hand, have 5 hardness and 10-20 hp, meaning on average you could blow through most wooden doors, with the fireball area expanding to fill the space previously blocked by the door.
Octal40 said:Speaking of, does this also apply to items worn/held by people caught in the area of effect? If they take damage, do you start applying damage to all of their equipment?
I've never played in a game where we did this. I'm just wondering if others do.
Patryn of Elvenshae said:Nope; items that people are carrying only take damage on a roll of 1 on the save, and even then not every item will take damage.