Flaming Sphere... again.

[Kzach]

Has there been any clarification on the limitations and abilities of Flaming Sphere?

For instance, does it count as a combatant for flanking purposes? Can you do OA's with it? Is it an impassable object? Do enemies take damage if moving through it's square?

 

[eleran]

Has there been any clarification on the limitations and abilities of Flaming Sphere?

For instance, does it count as a combatant for flanking purposes? Can you do OA's with it? Is it an impassable object? Do enemies take damage if moving through it's square?

These are purely my rulings in my own game and in no way officious...er...official.

No
No
No
Yes, as do allies

 

[Nebulous]

Has there been any clarification on the limitations and abilities of Flaming Sphere?

For instance, does it count as a combatant for flanking purposes? Can you do OA's with it? Is it an impassable object? Do enemies take damage if moving through it's square?

Per the errata (i think), you can't flank with it, you can't OA with it, it is passable by allies and enemies alike, and no one takes damage moving through it. Damage is dealt specifically as the spell outlines and no other way.

 

[Kzach]

Per the errata (i think), you can't flank with it, you can't OA with it, it is passable by allies and enemies alike, and no one takes damage moving through it. Damage is dealt specifically as the spell outlines and no other way.

I can't find that in the errata. Is there some other source?

 

[Plane Sailing]

Even if you just run flaming sphere without allowing flanking, OA and such like it is still a hugely powerful spell. Allowing those additional things would make a powerful spell much more powerful.

It makes sense to follow the general rule (for all powers and monster abilities) that a spell does what it says it does and no more.

I wouldn't expect Errata to increase its power still further.

Cheers

 

[Aloïsius]

The errata says that it occupy a square (exception to the conjuration rule). So it blocks enemy but not ally.

However, it does not flank, make OA and enemies don't take damage when passing through it because they can't.

 

[keterys]

Conjurations do not flank or OA unless they say so - this is actually true of all powers, but a conjuration being a pseudo creature _seems_ to confuse the issue, but it's quite clear when you look at the conjurations that specifically do give OAs or flank, etc.

I think you can't actually move through a flaming sphere at all, since it counts as a Medium creature in an unoccupied space, but I'll concede some confusion due to the errata changing how conjurations fill an area.

 

[Chen_93]

The errata says it occupies a square so I'd rule you cannot move through it (being neither an ally or an enemy). The other stuff such as flanking, OAs etc are mentioned nowhere in the spell and thus it cannot do those things.

 

[deleteme123456]

The errata says it occupies a square so I'd rule you cannot move through it (being neither an ally or an enemy). The other stuff such as flanking, OAs etc are mentioned nowhere in the spell and thus it cannot do those things.

I'd let an ally move through it but the sphere gets a free attack. It's only fair. Completely a house rule though.

 

[Gort]

I think I'd give it a free attack as well. Walking through a ball of magic fire should hurt.