Silence spell vs. a closed door

[Infiniti2000]

What happens if you center the spell on the ground under the door? Most doors have about a half inch of space under them so they dont scrape on the ground. Couldnt you center it directly under the door so it emanates from that spot on both sides? Target is the point in space directly under the door.

I wouldn't think you'd have line of effect to underneath the door. You need 1ft-square opening for that, as Hyp. pointed out. The lesson to be learned here is not to have open doggy doors. Make sure there's a working flap.

 

[anon]

No, it wouldn't.

A burst, cone, cylinder, or emanation spell affects only an area, creatures, or objects to which it has line of effect from its origin (a spherical burst’s center point, a cone-shaped burst’s starting point, a cylinder’s circle, or an emanation’s point of origin).

An otherwise solid barrier with a hole of at least 1 square foot through it does not block a spell’s line of effect. Such an opening means that the 5-foot length of wall containing the hole is no longer considered a barrier for purposes of a spell’s line of effect.

A doggy door causes the 5-foot length of wall (and door) to not be considered a barrier for the purpose of a spell's line of effect. It doesn't emanate 'through the doggy door'; it emanates through the 5-foot length of wall (and door) containing the doggy door. Their ears are silenced just fine.

-Hyp.

Doesn't this opinion imply that the emanation is bending around the corners of the doggy door to effect the 2nd set of guards as if it was a spread?

Wouldn't the guards on the other side of the door be considered to have total cover?

 

[Hypersmurf]

Doesn't this opinion imply that the emanation is bending around the corners of the doggy door to effect the 2nd set of guards as if it was a spread?

No, it means it's going straight through the door, because the presence of the 1' square hole means the door does not block line of effect.

Wouldn't the guards on the other side of the door be considered to have total cover?

An emanation affects an area to which it has line of effect from the point of origin; there is a line of effect from this side of the door (the point of origin) to that side of the door (where the guards are), and so the guards are in an area affected by the emanation.

-Hyp.

 

[anon]

I think the trouble I'm having with this is basically one of granularity.

I would prefer to determine "exactly" where the emanation's direct line of effect is (in this example the volume of space extruded through the doggy hole) and the game, it appears, dictates that once a minimum amount (1sq ft) breaches a barrier then the barrier is ignored and the whole 5ft square beyond the barrier is filled.

So let's say there's another door beyond our door with a doggy hole which has a (1sq ft) horse feeding hole cut out of the top of it. Assuming the silence had the range to reach past the horse feeding door, does the silence effect the 5ft square on the other side of the horse feeding door too?

 

[Hypersmurf]

the game, it appears, dictates that once a minimum amount (1sq ft) breaches a barrier then the barrier is ignored and the whole 5ft square beyond the barrier is filled.

Exactly.

So let's say there's another door beyond our door with a doggy hole which has a (1sq ft) horse feeding hole cut out of the top of it. Assuming the silence had the range to reach past the horse feeding door, does the silence effect the 5ft square on the other side of the horse feeding door too?

The first door does not block line of effect, because it has a hole of at least one square foot.

The second door does not block line of effect, because it has a hole of at least one square foot.

Like Infiniti2000 said two years ago, if you want to block line of effect, close the one-square-foot hole.

-Hyp.

 

[anon]

The first door does not block line of effect, because it has a hole of at least one square foot.

The second door does not block line of effect, because it has a hole of at least one square foot.

Thanks for the clarification. I played it wrong last session.

Like Infiniti2000 said two years ago...

What can I say--I'm a slow reader.