Wall of Force question

[Dandu]

I said that creatures inside one could breathe normally, by whatever mechanism, despite the fact that neither air nor anything else can pass through. How? It's magic.

I think the chief contention is that interpreting "normally" to mean "generates air in a vacuum" and "dispels the Cloudkill that was surrounding you" is unwarranted. Especially not for Cloudkill, which doesn't rely on inhalation.

A living creature with 6 or more HD takes 1d4 points of Constitution damage on your turn each round while in the cloud (a successful Fortitude save halves this damage). Holding one’s breath doesn’t help, but creatures immune to poison are unaffected by the spell.

 

[Greenfield]

I interpret "Normally" to mean, well, normally. As in the way one usually breathes. Not just the mechanics of working the lungs, which you can do in a vacuum or under water, but normally, like we do all day, every day, supporting life.

That means that there's somehow air to breathe, and it's breathable.

How? It's magic. The exact mechanism doesn't matter, it's "Special Effect" as they say in the super-hero games.

Now, all the math you threw at this proves that, for the most part, we don't have to worry about it. The spell says we don't have to worry about it.

So why are we worrying about it?

 

[Deset Gled]

I interpret "Normally" to mean, well, normally. As in the way one usually breathes. Not just the mechanics of working the lungs, which you can do in a vacuum or under water, but normally, like we do all day, every day, supporting life.

That means that there's somehow air to breathe, and it's breathable.

How? It's magic. The exact mechanism doesn't matter, it's "Special Effect" as they say in the super-hero games.

You are interpreting normal to mean "under ideal circumstances" or "under average circumstance". Normal could also mean "normal for the conditions before the spell was cast; there are no added effects resulting from this spell". The simple text "the subject can breathe normally" is ambiguous. But there's other information in the spell description that explains "how" the magic works.

Note that the spell is an Evocation. If the magic worked like Water Breathing to convert other material to breathable air, it would be a Transmutation spell. If it created air, it would be a Conjuration. If it was a protection spell it would be an Abjuration. It's none of these, implying that all it does is evoke a gas-permeable field of force and nothing else.

Furthermore, Resilient Sphere has an effect, not a target. Consider the case where two subjects are caught in the Sphere, one which breathes air and one which breathes water. Under your interpretation, the spell has a different effect on both subjects (one is supplied air, the other supplied water). This is not in line with a spell that has single Evocation effect.

Your interpretation also has other ambiguities that require further interpretation. For example, if the Sphere is cast in an area filled with poison gas, what happens to the poison gas? Is it suppressed/removed inside the sphere, or merely ignored by the subject? If cast in a vacuum, can a subject in the sphere subsequently light a candle? Can a subject in a vacuum use their breath to blow a leaf across the sphere? If a character has a permanent malady (birth defect, alternate biology, etc) that causes them to suffer a penalty for normally breathing air, does the sphere remove that penalty even though it is "normal" for them to experience that penalty?

 

[Dandu]

I interpret "Normally" to mean, well, normally. As in the way one usually breathes. Not just the mechanics of working the lungs, which you can do in a vacuum or under water, but normally, like we do all day, every day, supporting life.

That means that there's somehow air to breathe, and it's breathable.

How? It's magic. The exact mechanism doesn't matter, it's "Special Effect" as they say in the super-hero games.

If an indevidual with tuburulosis were to be subject to a Resilient Sphere, would he be temporarily cured?

To put it simply, you are attempting to apply exploitative Iron Heart Surge logic to the Resilient Sphere.

Your fighting spirit, dedication, and training allow you to overcome almost anything to defeat your enemies. When you use this maneuver, select one spell, effect, or other condition currently affecting you and with a duration of 1 or more rounds. That effect ends immediately. You also surge with confidence and vengeance against your enemies, gaining a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls until the end of your next turn.

One could interpret "effect" and "condition" to refer to status effects such as nausea, shaken, level drain, etc.

One could also interpret it as refering to dermatitis, sunburn, and gravity. How? It's magic!

 

[Greenfield]

"Normally" doesn't mean "like the average person under common circumstances", and I never suggested that it did.

It means "like you, under common circumstances". I would have used the word "normal" in place of "common", but using a word to define itself is bad form.

Not clear on why this is so hard. You keep trying to read the spell, and my statements, to say the exact opposite of what the words mean.

Are you arguing just to argue?

Here's a new phrase to consider and debate the meaning of: "In good faith".