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<blockquote data-quote="Hriston" data-source="post: 8263029" data-attributes="member: 6787503"><p>This is completely bizarre. The rules aren't creating these so-called gaps. I'll try to explain why. I'll have to de-construct your ridiculously long list to do so, so apologies if there are any formatting errors.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Of course not. You know what <em>opaque </em>means. That isn't a gap in the rules. The rules don't have to contain definitions of common words to be complete.</p><p></p><p></p><p>This is confused. Opacity is not a component of whether an area is heavily (or lightly) obscured. If you're positing that there is something opaque (like a wall or a tree trunk) in a heavily obscured area, then that is something additional to the heavily obscured area.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Are you serious? Of course! Again, you know what <em>opaque </em>means. You know how light interacts with opaque objects. You know what a shadow is. The rules don't have to answer these questions for you to be complete.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Yes, I think it's clear in the rules that categories of illumination are available to the DM to apply as they see fit. Do you disagree?</p><p></p><p></p><p>No, the answer doesn't change under any of these circumstances. Opaque objects cast shadows when light is shined on them. This is taken as a given part of the fictional in-game situation, and it's part of the DM's job of designing the adventure.</p><p></p><p></p><p>I'm not sure what work the word <em>normally </em>is meant to be doing here, but I think it's clear that the observer would see neither the opaque object nor the thing behind it, line of sight to the thing being obstructed by the opaque object which itself cannot be seen.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Creatures are not objects as defined in the rules and, as I've already said, opacity is not a component of what constitutes a heavily obscured area, so yes, the answer changes because there is no rules-based reason for saying that line of sight is blocked by a creature and if there is an opaque object in the heavily obscured area, then that is what is blocking line of sight, not the heavily obscured area itself.</p><p></p><p></p><p>First. it would depend on whether the obstacle providing cover is opaque or translucent, and to what degree. Again, this is a matter of adventure design. The categories of illumination are there for the DM to place accordingly.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Remove the word <em>only, </em>and the answer is <em>both</em>.</p><p></p><p></p><p>This would depend on whether such interactions were part of the illusion being cast.</p><p></p><p></p><p>This gets into how the DM chooses to describe the environment, but for ease of gameplay, I'd say that the boundaries of such areas are discernable. The area looks like whatever is providing the obscurement, e.g. darkness, fog, foliage, etc.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Same as above. Presumably in the fiction, the categories of illumination around a light source would transition gradually, but for ease of gameplay, I would expect them to be described in a way that's discernable. This, however, is dependent upon there being surfaces for the light to be reflected from. If there are no such surfaces, as in your example, I would say that there would be no way to discern the areas, although the light could be described as twice as bright as a normal torch to get the same point across.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Presumably, a bullseye lantern casts its light in a cone because it is radiating from a circular opening. I'd say the shape of the torchlight emerging from the recess would depend on the shape of the recess.</p><p></p><p></p><p>It doesn't need to. "DM decides" is an explicit part of the rules. Most of what you've posted here is a misunderstanding of the purpose of the rules. They don't tell you what fiction to establish. They provide a framework for adjudicating changes to the established fiction.</p><p></p><p></p><p>You're welcome!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Hriston, post: 8263029, member: 6787503"] This is completely bizarre. The rules aren't creating these so-called gaps. I'll try to explain why. I'll have to de-construct your ridiculously long list to do so, so apologies if there are any formatting errors. Of course not. You know what [I]opaque [/I]means. That isn't a gap in the rules. The rules don't have to contain definitions of common words to be complete. This is confused. Opacity is not a component of whether an area is heavily (or lightly) obscured. If you're positing that there is something opaque (like a wall or a tree trunk) in a heavily obscured area, then that is something additional to the heavily obscured area. Are you serious? Of course! Again, you know what [I]opaque [/I]means. You know how light interacts with opaque objects. You know what a shadow is. The rules don't have to answer these questions for you to be complete. Yes, I think it's clear in the rules that categories of illumination are available to the DM to apply as they see fit. Do you disagree? No, the answer doesn't change under any of these circumstances. Opaque objects cast shadows when light is shined on them. This is taken as a given part of the fictional in-game situation, and it's part of the DM's job of designing the adventure. I'm not sure what work the word [I]normally [/I]is meant to be doing here, but I think it's clear that the observer would see neither the opaque object nor the thing behind it, line of sight to the thing being obstructed by the opaque object which itself cannot be seen. Creatures are not objects as defined in the rules and, as I've already said, opacity is not a component of what constitutes a heavily obscured area, so yes, the answer changes because there is no rules-based reason for saying that line of sight is blocked by a creature and if there is an opaque object in the heavily obscured area, then that is what is blocking line of sight, not the heavily obscured area itself. First. it would depend on whether the obstacle providing cover is opaque or translucent, and to what degree. Again, this is a matter of adventure design. The categories of illumination are there for the DM to place accordingly. Remove the word [I]only, [/I]and the answer is [I]both[/I]. This would depend on whether such interactions were part of the illusion being cast. This gets into how the DM chooses to describe the environment, but for ease of gameplay, I'd say that the boundaries of such areas are discernable. The area looks like whatever is providing the obscurement, e.g. darkness, fog, foliage, etc. Same as above. Presumably in the fiction, the categories of illumination around a light source would transition gradually, but for ease of gameplay, I would expect them to be described in a way that's discernable. This, however, is dependent upon there being surfaces for the light to be reflected from. If there are no such surfaces, as in your example, I would say that there would be no way to discern the areas, although the light could be described as twice as bright as a normal torch to get the same point across. Presumably, a bullseye lantern casts its light in a cone because it is radiating from a circular opening. I'd say the shape of the torchlight emerging from the recess would depend on the shape of the recess. It doesn't need to. "DM decides" is an explicit part of the rules. Most of what you've posted here is a misunderstanding of the purpose of the rules. They don't tell you what fiction to establish. They provide a framework for adjudicating changes to the established fiction. You're welcome! [/QUOTE]
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