Close Bursts and Zones

[MarkB]

It's been awhile since I last browsed the 4e Rules forums, but I seem to recall previous discussions about how close bursts interact with creatures larger than Medium size, which tended to conclude that the burst radius should be considered to emanate from all squares within the creature's space, to avoid messy positional issues and the possibility of a burst being entirely subsumed within a creature's space.

However, I'm wondering whether the same applies to a close burst centred on a Zone? You don't necessarily have the same issues here - a zone created as an area burst does have a clearly-defined origin point to use for subsequent effects, and since zones are intended to be occupied, a burst effect doesn't necessarily have to extend beyond its borders in order to be effective.

I'm not sure whether any of this has been clarified in the PHB2 as I don't have that book. For reference, the power that sparked this question is Visions of Avarice, a Wizard Daily 5 which initially creates an Area Burst 1 zone, then subsequently allows you to use a Close Burst 5 attack power centred on that zone. I'm wondering whether than power should affect everything within 5 squares of the zone's central square, or within 6 squares of it (5 squares out from the zone's outer squares).

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Dunno. The phrase "using the zone as the origin square" is literally a nonsense statement in 4e. Bursts originate from the origin space of the caster in the case of close bursts, but Area Burst simply has an origin square. The power claims the zone is the origin square, but zone's also occupy a space, not a square. The RAW is simply unparseable.

I believe it is normally interpreted as the close burst attack originates at the origin square of the zone.

 

[MarkB]

It seems the point may be moot, at least in the case of this particular spell. As I realised after someone pointed it out to me, I'd misread the spell entry - the zone isn't a Burst 1 within 10 squares, it's One Square within 10 squares - so there's no issue with burst radius for the subsequent Close Burst effect.