Lightning Bolt and Sage Advice...

[kreynolds]

Anybody else see the lightning bolt question answered in Sage Advice (issue 305)?

 

[AuraSeer]

Yes.

(That was the easiest question I've answered all day. )

 

[kreynolds]

 

[Shard O'Glase]

no.

Also what was the advice that would bring on the question?

 

[Crothian]

Does a chacter block a lightning bolt or does the bolt effect everything in it's range.

Answer: Depends. Basically as long as there is at least 1 sq ft of open space in a given 25 sq ft area the bolt is not blocked.

 

[kreynolds]

Answer: Depends.

Yup. Here's a snip...

Forty Medium-size creatures could stand single-file in an area that size, and a bolt with those dimensions would affect them all. Furthermore, the creatures at the front of such a line do not provide cover against the effect to the creatures behind them.

 

[Pax]

... "depends" ... ?!?

...

The Sage said it DEPENDS ....... ?!?!?!?!?

...

WHAT.

AN.

IDIOT !!!

Never mind the lunacy of making the spell effect blockable fy CREATURES ... never mind the lunacy of not considring how much would conduct RIGHT THROUGH those creatures.

What's next? Hide behind a bigger characetr and get cover against a FIREBALL ... ?!?!?

I say again ...

WHAT.

AN.

UTTER.

BLITHERING.

IDIOT !!!!!!!!!!!!!

... it's stupidity like this that makes me GLAD "the Sage" is no longer a WOTC-direct employee. THAT ruling goes *whoosh* ... right out the window ... I mean ... lightning bolt being stopped cold by creatures ... FFS ... how dumb can he GET ... ?!?

 

[Dash Dannigan]

Oh dear, one too many hits of the silly bottle for you. *waves fingers in the air* think puppy dogs, puppy dogs...

besides I think you need to re-read that one more time. You misunderstood it. *bap* Try again bongo. Bad bongo bad!

 

[AuraSeer]

Holy crap. Conniption much?

The bolt is only blocked when line of effect is blocked. So a creature doesn't stop it, unless it's big enough to fill the entire space without a one-square-foot gap. (Gelatinous cube stops the bolt, a giant does not.)

 

[Hypersmurf]

I mean ... lightning bolt being stopped cold by creatures ... FFS ... how dumb can he GET ... ?!?

As I read it, he's actually ruling in direct opposition to the text of the Cover section of the PHB, in favour of your position.

I can't see anything in the PHB to support creatures not providing cover against a Lightning Bolt or Fireball.

Skip, however, is ruling that they don't provide cover, which seems to be what you agree with.

Why are you yelling at him?

-Hyp.