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<blockquote data-quote="DreamChaser" data-source="post: 4127829" data-attributes="member: 1190">Because Force Orb has a target and not an area, you cannot shoot it blindly. You cannot say, I shoot into the darkness so that it bursts in 20 feet. It must be aimed at something. You must be able to see it (or perceive it in whatever way the character in question perceives.That does not mean that one cannot target the ground but it does mean that the cast must be ABLE to target the ground. (according to the standard rules for targeting).As an example, in 3e, I could aim a fireball down a pit and have it burst in 150 feet. If it does not hit the bottom (or other object) in that time, it will do so. Anything in the area takes damage.Also in 3e, I cannot do this with magic missile. As a targeted spell, it require that I choose an acceptable target. So, I cannot shoot into the pit in the hopes that a target presents itself.Carrying this back, if a caster doesn't know whether a viable creature is within an area (perhaps due to invisibility), there is nothing wrong with targeting a rock (or conceivably) the ground. In doing so, the caster forgoes the larger initial damage to gain the chance of dealing less damage to other opponents (including ones that he may not have been aware of). If the target of force orb were limited to creatures (as magic missile is) this strategy would not work.DC</blockquote>

[QUOTE="DreamChaser, post: 4127829, member: 1190"] Because Force Orb has a target and not an area, you cannot shoot it blindly. You cannot say, I shoot into the darkness so that it bursts in 20 feet. It must be aimed at something. You must be able to see it (or perceive it in whatever way the character in question perceives. That does not mean that one cannot target the ground but it does mean that the cast must be ABLE to target the ground. (according to the standard rules for targeting). As an example, in 3e, I could aim a fireball down a pit and have it burst in 150 feet. If it does not hit the bottom (or other object) in that time, it will do so. Anything in the area takes damage. Also in 3e, I cannot do this with magic missile. As a targeted spell, it require that I choose an acceptable target. So, I cannot shoot into the pit in the hopes that a target presents itself. Carrying this back, if a caster doesn't know whether a viable creature is within an area (perhaps due to invisibility), there is nothing wrong with targeting a rock (or conceivably) the ground. In doing so, the caster forgoes the larger initial damage to gain the chance of dealing less damage to other opponents (including ones that he may not have been aware of). If the target of force orb were limited to creatures (as magic missile is) this strategy would not work. DC [/QUOTE]

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