Clarification on Push needed

[Hypersmurf]

But you have to concede that the opposite is also true; it doesn't state that you choose the direction.

It states that there is a restriction on the direction you can push someone, and tells you what that restriction is. If there was a further restriction on the direction, that's where it would be stated, and it isn't.

Determine whether the square you want to push someone into is farther from you or not. If it is, you've satisfied the restriction on the direction of a push.

Someone is adjacent to me, to the north; he is 1 square away. If I want to push him SW, SE, E, or W, he will end up 1 square away; this does not satisfy the restriction on the direction of a push. If I want to push him NE, NW, or N, he will end up 2 squares away. This is farther from me; it satisfies the restriction on the direction of a push.

Your DM is introducing an additional restriction, that says if he is north of me, I can only push him north. This is not found anywhere in the rules.

It doesn't say I may only push targets who are wearing red cardigans. Neither does it say I can push targets who aren't wearing red cardigans. But if I weren't allowed to push non-red-cardy-wearers, it would appear in the restrictions on Forced Movement or on a Push; I don't need a specific statement that non-red-cardy-wearers are valid targets in order to know that the restriction which isn't written anywhere isn't actually a rule.

-Hyp.

 

[Jhaelen]

There are rules that govern forced movement; he has added one that is not there.

Which is, naturally, his prerogative as DM... but the restriction he is imposing is not one that the rules impose.

Yup. However, I definitely agree with the DM's added restriction. To me it makes zero sense that the RAW allows for a push along a zig-zag path. A push should always be in a straight line.

 

[icarusfallz]

And for the record, you can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped. You can not offer advice to someone who wants facts (that may or may not exist)

 

[Xzylvador]

RAW clearly permits zig-zag pushes.

Me: "Is white white?"
Poster 1: "No, blue is red."
Me: "I asked about white, not blue."
Poster 2: "Yes, but blue is still red."
Me: "But what is white?"
Poster 3: "Actually, blue is orange."
Me: :suicide:

You: Does white have A?
We: Every color has A. White is a color, so white has A.
You: But I wasn't asking about colors! I only asked about white!
We: *sigh*

Further, while in disagreement with RAW, I can see why a DM would rule that push is only in a straight line. If something explodes next to you, it won't toss you left, then halfway in the flight have you turn right, only to turn left again, just straight away.
Another way to interpret (most of) the pushing powers is that well... PC's know how to control their exploits/spells.
Thunderwave for example could be seen as a thunder exploding at the origin point and pushing everyone straight away; but could also be seen as the wizard exerting more control over the sound/shockwave: it knocks you of your feet and the waves, controlled by the wizard, drag you along in the direction the wizard chooses. Of course it's away(push), turning the wave 180degrees around would nullify its blast.

 

[sukael]

Using forced movement to pull, push, or slide a creature onto ice, or into a pit, or into a cloud of daggers is a clever tactic.

This note doesn't make much sense if the slidee is the one who decides where to go.

A creature that enters a whirlwind moves a distance and direction determined by the strength of the whirlwind. An affected creature can fight against the wind by spending squares of movement to reduce the distance the wind slides it.

There would be no reason to have the "spending squares of movement" clause if the whirlwind isn't what dictates the original direction of slide.

EDIT:

When you slide a creature, there's no restriction on the direction you can move it.

Note the "you" there.

 

[DracoSuave]

As for pushing 'making sense' for being in a straight line...

Golfers, Billiards players, Dart throwers, Baseball Pitchers and even Military Snipers deal with pushing things in curving paths as part of their repertoire. Pushes do not always result in straight lines in Newtonian Physics, toss in magical telekenetic force (thunder) and all bets are off.


You control the enemy's movement. The only restriction is each successive square has to be one further away from you than the last.

If it's good enough to pass the RPGA 4th Herald's test, it's good enough for you.

 

[Shabe]

This thread amused me no end, I have the exact opposite problem, I DM and the wizard in my group has thunderwave, he uses it to only push things in a straight line away from him even though i've said he can zigzag it if he wants.

chuckle, ain't life funny

 

[Kzach]

Wizard's Customer Service reply:

Thank you for contacting us. If you use a power that allows you to Push your target, such as the Battle Mage power Forceful Retort, when the power hits, it will be the battle mage's choice where to push the creature. The attacker must choose where the target moves to when a power allows you to Push, Pull, or Slide a target. I hope this information is useful.

 

[lukelightning]

Regarding pushing in directions other than "directly opposite", do you think it is impossible to shove someone sideways?

 

[Azurecrusader]

Uh oh, they included slide in their answer...