Rolling damage for area effect spells.

[Chroma]

Something came up that I hadn't thought about in 3rd Edition, since none of the spellcasters in the game I DM have used damage dealing area of effect spells (and I've tried to avoid them as well).

For example, when a 6th level wizard throws a fireball that engulfs 3 ogres, do you roll one set of 6d6 and apply the damage rolled to each ogre, or do you roll three sets of 6d6, applying one set of results to each ogre?

I had always assumed, and used, the later, but in a game a recently played in, the DM just wanted one set rolled. I'm not sure I like that method, as it really increases the unpredictablity of the utility of a damage dealing spell: for our wizard above, it might just be a pffft of flame that barely singes the ogres or a mighty BLAST that BBQs them all. Now, for a wild magic user, I'm sure that would be fine, but how do dedicated invokers feel about it?

Does anyone know where this might be addressed in the rules?

P.S. Arrrrr! I know I be late, but I couldna find me wooden leg!

 

[Fundin Strongarm]

Been playing since.....well, forever. We've always just rolled once. Never had any problems. If it's a dud, then it's a dud for all of them. If it's a mighty blast then it should burn them all equally well.

 

[Crothian]

Ya, the fireball or whatever it is gets rolled once and it does that much damage to everything in the area.

 

[dcollins]

In the PHB ch. 10 (3.0 p. 148) under "Burning Hands" there's an example where dice are rolled once and applied to all creatures in the area.

 

[Chroma]

How I visualized it...

I always thought of a fireball as a roiling sphere of flame, so some spots were hotter than others, as well as allowing "safer zones" for those with Evasion to duck into. Same thing with lightning bolts, crackling and snapping through the blast zone, some targets suffering the full force while others just have their hair stand on end.

The thought of the wimpy lightning bolt barely registering a zot, while humourous, just isn't how I see those spells operating, but it looks like most people do.

I'd really like to hear from the people (person?) who voted for the many rolls.

(I voted for rays... *laugh*)

 

[Norfleet]

From a technical perspective, everyone is supposed to have damage rolled individually. In practice, this can rapidly become tiresome, and many people will simply shortcut it by rolling once and applying the base results to everyone.

It's like critical hits: Although you're SUPPOSED to reroll the results, not multiply, combats already can take forever: People frequently use the expedient of throwing damage dice along with attack dice, and having to rethrow the damage for a critical impedes the flow, so I, personally, if running a game, would simply multiply unless people really cared.

It really comes down to this: Do you feel the exact preservation of the damage probability curve for every attack and spell is something worth upholding, or would you rather just get on with it?

 

[Zaruthustran]

It really comes down to this: Do you feel the exact preservation of the damage probability curve for every attack and spell is something worth upholding, or would you rather just get on with it?

Rather just get on with it.

I always thought of a fireball as a roiling sphere of flame, so some spots were hotter than others, as well as allowing "safer zones" for those with Evasion to duck into. Same thing with lightning bolts, crackling and snapping through the blast zone, some targets suffering the full force while others just have their hair stand on end.

What you describe is the difference between a failed save and a successful save. Some get hit harder than others. But you just roll once for damage.

I always though spell descriptions are pretty clear. For example, everything in the spell's area of effect takes 6d6 damage. So you roll 6d6, get a result, and apply that result to the affected creatures. Easy.

I've never heard of anyone rolling damage individually for each affected creature. What if the caster sends a fireball at an army of Tiny creatures that's running and flying--really filling up the area of effect? Assuming they're sharing squares, you'd catch at least 60 creatures in the blast... that's 360 dice rolls. Boooooring.

-z

 

[Staffan]

I think that "realistically", damage should be rolled separately for each target. That takes way too long, however, so I just make one roll for the lot of them. If I was making a computer game or something like that where the time it takes to roll isn't an issue, I'd probably use separate damage.

 

[shilsen]

My group has always rolled just once, not so much because that's what the rules say, but because it would waste a lot of time to roll individually.

 

[Thanee]

How can one even think about rolling the damage individually!?

Bye
Thanee