Targets: One creature/level, no two of which can be more then 30ft. apart.

[Thanee]

I often wondered what WotC gains by using this moderately complicated statement above and beyond a simple "30ft diameter" or "30ft cube" area.

I can actually answer that, it's very easy. Selectable targets.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Corlon]

I often wondered what WotC gains by using this moderately complicated statement above and beyond a simple "30ft diameter" or "30ft cube" area.

I remember in one of my first campaigns, for some reason we actually calculated it like that, and believe me, alot more people die!

 

[Jarrod]

I would agree with everyone here. But...

This is from mass invisibility (SRD):

Targets: Any number of creatures, no two of which can be more than 180 ft. apart

This spell functions like invisibility, except that the effect is mobile with the group and is broken when anyone in the group attacks. Individuals in the group cannot see each other. The spell is broken for any individual who moves more than 180 feet from the nearest member of the group. (If only two individuals are affected, the one moving away from the other one loses its invisibility. If both are moving away from each other, they both become visible when the distance between them exceeds 180 feet.)

So the targets says "no two of which". But then the text says "if you can't find someone within 180'"...

ARGH.

 

[Thanee]

That are simply two different conditions. The one during targeting (as above) and the other is when the effect ends. Normally, there is no such limit (i.e. Slow, where once the spell is cast, targets can be any distance apart and will still be slowed).

Bye
Thanee

 

[Knight Otu]

I can actually answer that, it's very easy. Selectable targets.

You could propably just say "Up to 1 creature/level within a 15-ft. burst," though. Similar to the way sleep is handled.

 

[DaveStebbins]

I think they wanted to make sure people knew these were 'targeted creatures' type spells. If they put in both targeted creatures and an area of effect, it could also be confusing. This way, without the '30 foot diameter' wording, it cannot be expanded by the widen spell feat.

 

[Thanee]

And Sleep is a bit different, too, as it is not freely selectable, which targets get affected.

Bye
Thanee

 

[hobgoblin]

hmm, no target can be more then x distance from any of the other targets. how does that sound? less fancy wording but a bit more understandable maybe.

and (atleast in 3.0) lighting is given as a area affect and chain lighting only cares about the distance between the primary target and the rest...

funny thing is that i think this puts a needless limit on magic missile and similar spells. if you can see the target the projectile should be able to hit it in my view...

 

[Knight Otu]

And Sleep is a bit different, too, as it is not freely selectable, which targets get affected.

Yep, it handles it with a sentence to describe how to select the targets (that's why I said similar). The same might be done for freely selectable targets, even though area spells normally do not allow freely selectable targets in this format.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I can actually answer that, it's very easy. Selectable targets.

But basically the same effect could have been achieved much more simply by saying something along the lines of "1 target per level within a 15ft radius spread" (or burst or whatever). Selectable targets within an easy template area.

I've not seen any half-way convincing arguments that the way it is currently stated makes it substantially easier to understand or adjudicate, or gives something unexpectedly extra in some way.

Cheers