Line Spells / Lightning Bolt

[CleverNickName]

See, if people stop using grids this wouldn't be a problem.

Grids *are* optional...

 

[Azzy]

As if totm without grids doesn't have a plethora of problems.

Who says use TotM? Get out a measuring device, use templates, and go freeform like many wargames. The grid is a cage, keeping your soul tied to artificial contraints.

Go to the bathroom and you're suddenly clueless.

Either you're playing TotM incorrectly, or there are bigger problems afoot.

 

[KarinsDad]

Who says use TotM? Get out a measuring device, use templates, and go freeform like many wargames. The grid is a cage, keeping your soul tied to artificial contraints.

Yeah. Artificial constraints like measuring devices or templates? Got it. Some people just don't like it when their melee PC can only move 30 feet, but the grid shows the enemy at 35 feet. They'd prefer to not use grids so that their melee PC gets an attack in every round. Meh.

 

[Azzy]

Yeah. Artificial constraints like measuring devices or templates? Got it. Some people just don't like it when their melee PC can only move 30 feet, but the grid shows the enemy at 35 feet. They'd prefer to not use grids so that their melee PC gets an attack in every round. Meh.

I can't help it if people play the game wrong. Maybe they need to take a Snickers break. Meh.

 

[Oofta]

I think one of the issues I have with the ruling that you can "split the line" with a lightning bolt is that a grid and minis is misleading. Most minis fill up most of a grid square which gives the impression that their adjacent.

So do an experiment. Draw a 5 ft square on the ground. Stand somewhere in the square. Notice that there's quite a bit of room, it's as wide or wider than most hallways. It's a decent (if arbitrary) space for an individual to control in combat, but it's also mostly unoccupied space.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

So do an experiment. Draw a 5 ft square on the ground. Stand somewhere in the square. Notice that there's quite a bit of room, it's as wide or wider than most hallways. It's a decent (if arbitrary) space for an individual to control in combat, but it's also mostly unoccupied space.

Sure, but the same is true whether you fire the bolt directly at someone, or between two people. Unless the face of the lightning bolt is literally a 5-foot-square cross-section, it should be possible for it to pass directly through the five-foot-cube where you're standing, and possibly not hit you; similar to how you might describe an arrow as sailing over the target's shoulder. If you spend your action to Dodge, then it's easier to avoid being hit, which is represented as Advantage on your save.

It's just that, for whatever reason, not getting hit will still cause you to take half damage.

 

[Oofta]

Sure, but the same is true whether you fire the bolt directly at someone, or between two people. Unless the face of the lightning bolt is literally a 5-foot-square cross-section, it should be possible for it to pass directly through the five-foot-cube where you're standing, and possibly not hit you; similar to how you might describe an arrow as sailing over the target's shoulder. If you spend your action to Dodge, then it's easier to avoid being hit, which is represented as Advantage on your save.

It's just that, for whatever reason, not getting hit will still cause you to take half damage.

The bolt does average 5 ft wide, so if it's fired in your space you probably won't be able to avoid it completely. Hence half damage. Seems logical to me.

 

[WhosDaDungeonMaster]

If you spend your action to Dodge, then it's easier to avoid being hit, which is represented as Advantage on your save.

It's just that, for whatever reason, not getting hit will still cause you to take half damage.

The idea is the save took you out of the direct line, or avoided the full brunt of the damage, so you only took half.

If that bothers you, a good house-rule would be:

If you are Dodging, make your Dexterity save, and have an adjacent unoccupied space within 5 feet, you can choose to move into that space and take no damage. Otherwise, you still take half on a successful save.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

The bolt does average 5 ft wide, so if it's fired in your space you probably won't be able to avoid it completely. Hence half damage. Seems logical to me.

So, making the save means you move from the center of the effect to the edge of the effect, which is as far as you can get without leaving the square? by that logic, if the bolt was aimed such as to only cover the half of your square, then moving to the far edge of the square would allow you to avoid the effect entirely.

I'd be fine with a DM ruling that an oblique hit from a lightning bolt grants the benefit of Evasion.

 

[Oofta]

So, making the save means you move from the center of the effect to the edge of the effect, which is as far as you can get without leaving the square? by that logic, if the bolt was aimed such as to only cover the half of your square, then moving to the far edge of the square would allow you to avoid the effect entirely.

I'd be fine with a DM ruling that an oblique hit from a lightning bolt grants the benefit of Evasion.

I'd be okay with that as well, but probably make it half damage for everyone that failed their save by less than 50% (or just by 5 or less to make it easy) because they were only hit by part of the direct blast.

Of course the other problem is that people aren't usually lined up with mathematical precision unless they're in a marching band. So personally I'd just do the 50% chance of being hit and call it good.