Ten Foot Cones?

[heirodule]

What squares are affected by a ten foot cone? Both the ones shooting off a diagnoal centerline and those going straight out.

is it this? (O = affected, X= not affected, C= source)

Centerline:

XXXOOX
XXXOOX
XXXCXX
XXXXXX
XXXXXX

OR

XXXOOX
XXXOXX
XXXCXX
XXXXXX
XXXXXX

Diagnonal:

XXXXOX
XXXXOO
XXXCXX
XXXXXX
XXXXXX

OR

XXXXOO
XXXXOO
XXXCXX
XXXXXX
XXXXXX

or something else?

 

[shurai]

*snickers* Ten foot cones.

If I were you, I'd just cut out a paper triangle of the proper dimensions and let the caster point it any direction s/he likes. If there's enemies half-covered by the triangle when the caster lays it out, give them a bonus to their saving throw, say a +4, for being on the edge, since they've got an easier time escaping the cone. You could also use string or a tape measure for the same purpose.

I'm sure the 3.5 PHB has official rules about that stuff though, since it's reportedly strong on the miniatures play aspect of the game. Anyway good luck! Game on!

-S

 

[MerakSpielman]

Here's a thread I started on the subject of spell areas. I have areas for 3.0 and 3.5 cone rules.

Note that these don't exactly follow the rules. The rules state that, to be effected by a spell, the far edge of the square in question has to be within the area of effect.

I used the rule that, in order for a square to be effected by a spell, at least 50% of the square must be within the area of effect.

My way makes more sense to me, but increases the area of effect by a slight amount.

 

[Gez]

As far as I know, in 3.0 at least, a square was wholly affected if its center was in the cone, and wholly unaffected otherwise.

 

[kreynolds]

Here's something; rDMG, page 28-29, Area Spells, Bursts and Emanations...

"...if the majority of a grid square lies within that circle, the square is a part of the spell's area."

I would assume that cones follow the same rule, like cone of cold, which is a cone-shaped burst. Detect magic would be the same, as it's a cone-shaped emanation, so I'd think that both of these spells would follow the guidelines for bursts and emanations.

 

[jgsugden]

Someone should write a program to handle cones and lines. You'd enter a length and wheter the spell is a cone or line spell. Then, a circle would appear on a grid on screen with an icon on the edge of the circle. You could more the icon around the circle to represent the opposite end of the line or the center of the circle. While you moved it around, the program would display which squares were being included in the line/cone effect. That could either be printed out or copied from the screen.

 

[dcollins]

Here's my web page circa 3.0 providing templates for spell areas: www.superdan.net/spellar/spellar1.html

In 3.0 the text definitely mentioned "majority of a grid square", not the centerpoint of a square. However, as my page points out, the actual pictures in the DMG do not use the "majority of a grid square" rule, instead they use the "two diagonals equals three straight squares" rule, which is different.

 

[MerakSpielman]

Also, 3.5 specified that spell effects need to originate on a grid intersection. 3.0 failed to mention this, and some spells - most notibly straight-ahead cones - instead center on a point directly in front of the caster, most often the center of a line.

I've heard many times the suggestion for cutting out templates for area effect spells and just laying them on the grid to see what spaces are effected, but how does this work in practice? After all, there are all those minis in the way, especially for big spell effects. Do you move them, lay down the template, and then put them back? How is the best way to do it?

 

[dcollins]

Also, 3.5 specified that spell effects need to originate on a grid intersection. 3.0 failed to mention this, and some spells - most notibly straight-ahead cones - instead center on a point directly in front of the caster, most often the center of a line.

That's not the case.

Bursts and Emanations: To employ the spell using a grid, the caster needs to designate an intersection of lines on the grid as the center of the effect...

Cones: Determing the area of a cone spell requires that the caster declare whether she's casting it straight ahead or on the diagonal. In either case, the caster must pick an intersection where the cone starts.

(3.0 DMG, p. 69)

 

[heirodule]

In researching this I've coem to the conclusion that the straight ahead 15' cone template in the back of the DMG is wrong.

It looks like this

XOOOX
XOOOX
XXOXX
XXCXX

Right?

it should be

XXOOXX
XOOOOX
XXOOXX
XXCXXX

And the rule seems to be: if the ranged line from the intersection can't reach a "far edge of a square" then the square is not included.