Attacks with Area Burst 1?

[Dave Turner]

In another thread here on ENWorld, a 30th level warlock is statted up by someone with the books. A power called "Tendrils of Thuban" is described as an area attack with burst 1. Here's my question.

Isn't a burst supposed to be a box with X number of squares per side, where X is the number after "burst"? If so, isn't burst 1 a box with 1 square per side, i.e. a single 5' square? A burst 2 would be a box with two squares per side, for a total area of four squares. A burst 3 would be a box with three squares per side, for a total area of nine squares. Why bother calling something an area burst 1 when you could just call it a regular ranged power?

Is there a nuance I'm missing?

 

[Gort]

You've mixed up burst and blast.

Blast 3 is a 3 by 3 box, thus:

xxx
xxx
xxx

Burst 3 is an explosion that starts in a square and emanates out 3 squares from the origin, thus:

xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx

Hence, burst 1 is an explosion that starts in a square and emanates out 1 square from the origin, thus:

xxx
xxx
xxx

 

[theredrobedwizard]

It's an area power, as such it affects certain creatures differently than a regular Ranged attack. Swarms, for instance, take 5 extra damage from Area and Close attacks.

-TRRW

 

[Dave Turner]

You've mixed up burst and blast.

Blast 3 is a 3 by 3 box, thus:

xxx
xxx
xxx

Burst 3 is an explosion that starts in a square and emanates out 3 squares from the origin, thus:

xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx

Hence, burst 1 is an explosion that starts in a square and emanates out 1 square from the origin, thus:

xxx
xxx
xxx

Arrgh! This is it!

Nothing to see here; move along!