Bending the wall of fire

[Hussar]

Here is why the wall has to be straight: S-bends could be used to catch a great horde of enemies in the AoE.


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Meh, it's smaller than a fireball and deals less damage. Not a big deal to me for a higher level spell.

 

[Mouseferatu]

I ran into a bending wall of fire.
Tried to save, save, save, but the DC's higher.
I lost turns, turns, turns...
Damn wall of fire... damn wall of fire.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Meh, it's smaller than a fireball and deals less damage. Not a big deal to me for a higher level spell.

Actually, it would deal considerably more damage than a fireball. As a straight wall, any target that isn't immobilised can move out of the wall, only taking the initial 5d8 damage. However, if you could bend the wall as I have illustrated, it would be impossible to step out of the wall without stepping back into it and taking an additional 5d8. So damage would be 10d8 (55) minimum, compared to 9d6 (32) for an equal level fireball.

Also, if a bent wall where allowed, rather than tight packing it could snake through a group of enemies whilst avoiding intermingled allies, reproducing the effect of Sculpt Spells/Careful Spell without needing to be an Evoker or use that metamagic.

 

[Hussar]

Actually, it would deal considerably more damage than a fireball. As a straight wall, any target that isn't immobilised can move out of the wall, only taking the initial 5d8 damage. However, if you could bend the wall as I have illustrated, it would be impossible to step out of the wall without stepping back into it and taking an additional 5d8. So damage would be 10d8 (55) minimum, compared to 9d6 (32) for an equal level fireball.

Also, if a bent wall where allowed, rather than tight packing it could snake through a group of enemies whilst avoiding intermingled allies, reproducing the effect of Sculpt Spells/Careful Spell without needing to be an Evoker or use that metamagic.

Ahh, I see what you mean. I wouldn't interpret it like that. You step through the wall of fire, you step through the wall of fire. End of story. So, you take the 5d8 for starting in the wall, step out (regardless of how many layers you step through) and take no more damage.

Why would I interpret it your way? That would be ridiculously overpowered. You only take damage from a wall spell once per turn. Seems a pretty simple solution to me rather than trying to futz about with how many times did you walk through a "layer". It's all one wall. It only takes damage when "it enters the wall for the first time on a turn or ends its turn there." Note that "first time on a turn" bit.

You can jump back and forth through a wall of fire multiple times on your turn but you only take damage once for entering the wall. And, even a bent wall is still all one wall, so, you only take damage once.

 

[KarinsDad]

Huh. It never occurred to us that walls couldn’t turn corners.

Why not? If I want to drop, say, a “c” shaped wall, what’s the reason I can’t?

I think this is a case of RAI instead of RAW. Technically speaking, Wall of Fire isn't a Line AOE because it doesn't state that it is. It isn't a Cone, Cube, Cylinder, or Sphere either. I think that the designers meant it to be a Line, but they didn't state it. Wall of Ice and Wall of Stone resolve these issues with their "panel" verbiage.

On the other hand, since it must be an AOE, one could argue that Line is the only reasonable AOE shape. YMMV.

 

[KarinsDad]

Actually, it would deal considerably more damage than a fireball. As a straight wall, any target that isn't immobilised can move out of the wall, only taking the initial 5d8 damage. However, if you could bend the wall as I have illustrated, it would be impossible to step out of the wall without stepping back into it and taking an additional 5d8. So damage would be 10d8 (55) minimum, compared to 9d6 (32) for an equal level fireball.

Also, if a bent wall where allowed, rather than tight packing it could snake through a group of enemies whilst avoiding intermingled allies, reproducing the effect of Sculpt Spells/Careful Spell without needing to be an Evoker or use that metamagic.

Creatures only take damage the first time on a turn that they enter the Wall of Fire. After that, they can enter the wall as many times as they want on the same turn without taking damage.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Ahh, I see what you mean. I wouldn't interpret it like that. You step through the wall of fire, you step through the wall of fire. End of story. So, you take the 5d8 for starting in the wall, step out (regardless of how many layers you step through) and take no more damage.

Targets take damage twice: 5d8 when the spell is first cast and 5d8 on their own turn. However, if the wall is straight the target can normally avoid the second 5d8 by stepping out of the wall. However, if the wall can be bent it can be made very difficult for the target to step out of the wall, even if you interpret "enters the wall for the first time on a turn" as not applying if the target starts it's turn in the wall, leaves, then enters.

 

[Hussar]

Targets take damage twice: 5d8 when the spell is first cast and 5d8 on their own turn. However, if the wall is straight the target can normally avoid the second 5d8 by stepping out of the wall. However, if the wall can be bent it can be made very difficult for the target to step out of the wall, even if you interpret "enters the wall for the first time on a turn" as not applying if the target starts it's turn in the wall, leaves, then enters.

Umm, how difficult is it for the target to walk 15 (ish) feet? Because, with your example, that's the maximum he'd have to move. And, since he's already taken damage upon casting, he doesn't take damage for entering the wall, he's already entered it. Now, if for some reason, he cannot move, then, sure, he takes damage at the end of his turn for remaining in the area of effect. But, in most cases, the target takes the 5d8 when the spell is first cast, and then simply moves out of the area.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

And, since he's already taken damage upon casting, he doesn't take damage for entering the wall, he's already entered it.

Can you enter a room if you are already inside it?

 

[Hussar]

Can you enter a room if you are already inside it?

Can you be inside a room without entering it?

Look, if it was a straight line, it would work the same. Wall of Fire drops, target is on the burny side and takes 5d8 damage. On the target's turn, it doesn't take damage if it moves through the wall - it's already started its turn in the wall. So, it moves through to the cold side and no problems. The same principle holds here.