Abusing Cloudkill

[Sanackranib]

When a cloudkill hits a barrier, assuming the barrier is impermeable, such as a wall of force, it stops, obviously unable to travel anywhere, being a gaseous cloud and all. Eventually, it will come to a hemispherical clump against the wall.

As for non-perpendicular barriers, that's an application of physics. You have a 20 foot high heavier than air "cloud". It trundles along at 10 feet per round, a round being 6 seconds, which gives us a speed of 1.67 ft/s. Gravity is 32 ft/s^2. Gravity will overcome any part of the cloud attempting to "climb" at its 1.67 ft/s rate in less than a second. This means that any barrier the cloud runs into that is in excess of 20 feet in height will basically stop cold, and a barrier of less than that will result in the top of the cloud piling over it, moving over the barrier, and then dropping to the ground on the other side, presumably hauling the rest of the cloud with it by magic. The cloud then piles up against the barrier. What form it takes upon piling up against the cloud is open to interpretation, depending on whether you wish to consider the fact that the cloud is obviously forced to retain a certain density and mass by magic, or else it would disperse radially in the absence of wind, rather than travelling as a cohensive cylindrical burst, or whether it's forced to maintain its cylindrical shape, and the parts which intersect with solid objects are simply truncated.

Ok I'm suitably impressed. that was a concice if scientific answer.

 

[andargor]

I got myself thinking...dangerous business, I know.

Would a cloudkill that hits the end of a wall of force split and move on both sides?

If so, what if the wall was at an angle to the direction of the cloud's direction of travel, would the cloud form two pieces that are now travelling in different directions?

If not, would it shift entirely to one side of the wall or the other, so as to take up the same space as before? Or would it get stuck?

What if a wall of force is cast into an area containing a cloudkill?

Cloudkill is a Spread Effect centered on a point. The cloud would follow the point. It will spill around corners and such, but in your example it would be completely to one side once the center is more than 20' away for the edge of the Wall of Force.

Andargor

 

[Paragon]

my head now hurts.

 

[Norfleet]

my head now hurts.

*kicks Paragon in the nads*

Your head still hurt now?

 

[Jhyrryl]

Cloudkill is a Spread Effect centered on a point. The cloud would follow the point. It will spill around corners and such, but in your example it would be completely to one side once the center is more than 20' away for the edge of the Wall of Force.

Andargor

I'll buy that for a gold piece. Amazing how overlooking those defined terms can make a difference in one's perception of the game.