Does the Fireball spell expand in a narrow corridor?

[D+1]

If someone can find an official ruling citied somewhere that would be nice.

It does not expand as it did in 2E and earlier versions. The official ruling can be found in the 3E or 3.5 Players Handbook in the descriptions of magic and the Fireball spell specifically - or alternatively you can look it up in the SRD.

So let me get this straight. A mage casts a fireball down a 80 foot long by 10 wide by 10 high corridor and the fireball only fills the area of 40 feet length by 10 feet width by 10 feet high?

Yep.

That's utter crap! Can you say broken? Now mages don't have to worry about it casting it in confined areas.

That is not crap, nor is it broken by any possible definition. As with ANY spell that

• has an area of effect
• does not emanate from the caster himself but a targeted point
• does not have a minimum range that exceeds the maximum area of effect

it is perfectly possible for a spellcaster to still fry himself with his own fireball, even if it doesn't expand explosively in a confined space.

Who is the idiot who decided on that change? I think I'll stick to the old system, at least that made sense!

The responsible parties would be Monte Cook, Jonathan Tweet, and Skip Williams who were the Players Handbook design team.

Just because it doesn't work exactly like it used to it's now nonsensical? It is VERY sensible because it now conforms to a much more consistent and unified set of rules regarding spell effects. Now if you still want it to fill 33,000 cubic feet like it used to as a house rule, you go right ahead. Nobody stopping you from doing it but you. If you say you simply PREFER the older way I won't even argue with you (...much). But claims that it's "broken," or "nonsense," or "crap," or designed by idiots have not a whit of basis in fact and I note that you offer nothing in substantiatiation.

What I find particularly intriguing is that you post here asking if fireballs expand in d20, requesting REFERENCES to prove it, meaning that you were questioning in the first place whether it still expands in the newer rules as it once did . Then when given the answer do not say "thank you" but instead spout a pointless denouncement of the answer itself as foolishness. I'd almost call you a troll in that you apparantly don't care about the answer to your question in and of itself, but use the occasion to simply publicly deride the answer - except that it seems that you actually didn't KNOW the answer. Hmn... Troll, or merely ignorant? I'm just not sure...

 

[Elrik_DarkFury]

Take your attitude elsewhere, troll.

Oh plz ..You aren't serious are u?


_________________
The Wizard

 

[Sejs]

One hopes not. It seems like calling someone a troll has been tossed about a little too freely as of late. C'mon folks, we're better than that.


Anyway, yeah - blast channeling has been written out in 3e. However, if you wanted a fireball that actually does blow up, create pressure, and toss things (and people) around, you could always take the Explosive Spell metamagic feat found in Complete Arcane. Or research variant fireball that incorporates a similar effect - Explosive Spell normally carries a spell level adjustment of +2.

 

[Victim]

So let me get this straight. A mage casts a fireball down a 80 foot long by 10 wide by 10 high corridor and the fireball only fills the area of 40 feet length by 10 feet width by 10 feet high?

That's utter crap! Can you say broken? Now mages don't have to worry about it casting it in confined areas. Who is the idiot who decided on that change? I think I'll stick to the old system, at least that made sense!

An unimpressed Hannibal King

Everyone talks about backblasting in narrow corridors, but never considers the other advantages of expanding fireballs. Basically, a fireball used against ground targets will always be bigger than a 20ft radius because the lower half of the sphere will be forced above ground, so you can BBQ more guys. You can also take advantage of the backlash to kill a column of people in restricted terrain - which subverts much of the purpose of lightning bolt.

 

[Felnar]

Hannibal King, do you use the bouncing lightning bolt rules from 2nd ed too?

i always thought those were fun

 

[HellHound]

So let me get this straight. A mage casts a fireball down a 80 foot long by 10 wide by 10 high corridor and the fireball only fills the area of 40 feet length by 10 feet width by 10 feet high?

That's utter crap! Can you say broken? Now mages don't have to worry about it casting it in confined areas. Who is the idiot who decided on that change? I think I'll stick to the old system, at least that made sense!

An unimpressed Hannibal King

Yeah, now a 'mage' can't laucnh a fireball into a low-ceiling room and get it to blow up to be four times as big as normal to hit extra enemies.

In my experience, more often than not, the old expansion rules for fireballs made them more effective against enemies, not more dangerous for the caster.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Oh plz ..You aren't serious are u?

Dead serious. As soon as someone starts calling others "idiot" or using lines like "That's utter crap!", he has outlived his welcome, at least in my opinion. You can be angry at something, but if you get insulting, you can take it elsewhere.

 

[Elrik_DarkFury]

Dead serious. As soon as someone starts calling others "idiot" or using lines like "That's utter crap!", he has outlived his welcome, at least in my opinion. You can be angry at something, but if you get insulting, you can take it elsewhere.

Could't agree more with you but its all about style.
You should try talking in a more reserved manner .

___________________
The Wizard

 

[Hannibal King]

Wow! You use the word crap. Vent that you feel in you honest opionion that the change is idiotic and you get drawn and quartered! Geez I thought these boards we're one of the friendly ones around. People like Kae'Yoss could easily change that.

And yep Felnar my Lightning Bolts bounce and I will use expanding Fireballs, as you said "those were fun"

After yesterdays game HellHound, the party mage would have flash fried the party twice.

I was looking for an official ruling cause I was under the impression that d20 was the most clear D&D rules set so far. Personnally I didn't think "The fireball creates ALMOST no pressure" was clear enough to me. Now that I know, I'm dissapointed and IMHO it's a stupid change so I'll stick to the old rules.

My game, my fun.
Thanks guys.
HK

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

And yep Felnar my Lightning Bolts bounce and I will use expanding Fireballs, as you said "those were fun"

The problem, of course, is that the old method of fireball was never, ever ruled consistantly.

After all, how many DMs actually know the water volume of their dungeons, let alone are able to calculate spherical volumes in such on the fly?