D&D 3E/3.5 friendly fire 3.5

[Luigiana]

hey

how does friendly fire works? more specifc AoE effects. if i use fire ball against 2 melee targets and one of them are my friend. is he then hit?

 

[Ashtagon]

hey

how does friendly fire works? more specifc AoE effects. if i use fire ball against 2 melee targets and one of them are my friend. is he then hit?

Yes, your friend is hit. If you are inside the area of a fireball you cast, you are also hit. Generally, everything within the designated area is hit.

Some spells affect a number of creatures within a 30-foot diameter. In this case, you choose which creatures in that area are affected.

I believe certain splatbook feats allow you to shape the area affected.

4e changes the rules completely in this area. Don't assume 4e rules apply to 3e area spells.

 

[Luigiana]

Yes, your friend is hit. If you are inside the area of a fireball you cast, you are also hit. Generally, everything within the designated area is hit.

Some spells affect a number of creatures within a 30-foot diameter. In this case, you choose which creatures in that area are affected.

I believe certain splatbook feats allow you to shape the area affected.

4e changes the rules completely in this area. Don't assume 4e rules apply to 3e area spells.

your spells NEVER hit urself that much i do know. .

 

[Dandu]

AOE spells can hit the caster if he is capable of placing himself in the affected area.

 

[Luigiana]

AOE spells can hit the caster if he is capable of placing himself in the affected area.

can u tell me where in the rulues that stands?

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

can u tell me where in the rulues that stands?

Where in the rules does it say the caster isn't affected by AoE? There is a feat (I forget its name) that allows the caster to shape the AoE to exclude himself. A fellow wizard-player uses it all the time when he casts Anti-magic.

If there is a WotC-published feat designed to shape AoE around the caster, that is a good hint that AoE normally includes the caster.

 

[Dandu]

can u tell me where in the rulues that stands?

Area

Area

Some spells affect an area. Sometimes a spell description specifies a specially defined area, but usually an area falls into one of the categories defined below.
Regardless of the shape of the area, you select the point where the spell originates, but otherwise you don’t control which creatures or objects the spell affects.

 

[Greenfield]

can u tell me where in the rulues that stands?

Well, here's an example...

Fireball
Evocation [Fire]
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area: 20-ft.-radius spread
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes
A fireball spell is an explosion of flame that detonates with a low roar and deals 1d6 points of fire damage per caster level (maximum 10d6) to every creature within the area. Unattended objects also take this damage. The explosion creates almost no pressure.
You point your finger and determine the range (distance and height) at which the fireball is to burst. A glowing, pea-sized bead streaks from the pointing digit and, unless it impacts upon a material body or solid barrier prior to attaining the prescribed range, blossoms into the fireball at that point. (An early impact results in an early detonation.) If you attempt to send the bead through a narrow passage, such as through an arrow slit, you must “hit” the opening with a ranged touch attack, or else the bead strikes the barrier and detonates prematurely. The fireball sets fire to combustibles and damages objects in the area. It can melt metals with low melting points, such as lead, gold, copper, silver, and bronze. If the damage caused to an interposing barrier shatters or breaks through it, the fireball may continue beyond the barrier if the area permits; otherwise it stops at the barrier just as any other spell effect does.
Material Component: A tiny ball of bat guano and sulfur.

As the highlighted text suggests, the spell affects every creature in the area.

Unless your characters is either:
A) Not in the area, or
B) not a creature, and
C) not an unattended object,
you're hit by the spell.

To answer the original question, your fellow PC falls under those same conditions.

Fun note: 4e leaves off the text that says "Unattended objects also take this damage.", and as far as I know, there's never been an errata on that.

Is there someplace in the rules where it suggests that the caster is immune to his or her own spells? I'm curious, and it would make an interesting discussion.

 

[Rhun]

I concur with the "if the caster or his allies are in the area of effect, they get blasted too" crowd.

 

[airwalkrr]

Where in the rules does it say the caster isn't affected by AoE? There is a feat (I forget its name) that allows the caster to shape the AoE to exclude himself. A fellow wizard-player uses it all the time when he casts Anti-magic.

If there is a WotC-published feat designed to shape AoE around the caster, that is a good hint that AoE normally includes the caster.

I agree with Eric. Some other posters have already pointed out the salient points of area effects so I don't think I need to add much here. Greenfield's highlighted quote is probably best. You would have to add "except the caster" to the highlighted yellow text in order for a caster to be able to escape the effects of his own spells. That said, there ARE some spells that say the caster is unaffected by the spell, but those spells state so explicitly.

Strategically, area effects are ridiculously over-powered if you allow them to "wash over" allies, including yourself. It requires a significant expenditure of character-building resources and high level to get to the point where you can do that.