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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Greenfield" data-source="post: 6425330" data-attributes="member: 6669384">Okay.Although the rules specify that every spell has an origin point, and that that point of origin is always a vertice on the battle mat, and that spells with a range or length are always measured vertice to vertice, let's play it your way.  Absolute freedom in spell placement, and measure length on the battle mat with a ruler.Let's further concede, for the sake of argument, that a Medium creature may very well use less than their full 60 inches (five feet) of space.These rulings you've argued for effectively say that I can place those Walls of Force less than 5 feet apart.  (If we wanted to use a ruler, I could go vertice to vertice diagonally and leave less than a map inch (5 foot space) between them. but let's keep things simple.) Moving on, let's further concede that a blade is a fraction of an inch thick (we'll ignore pommel, grip and guard widths, they're all flat throwing knives.)  So now I place WoF at top and bottom of row A (even though I can select my spell placement to his narrowest orientation.  I have the "time", even if I haven't taken the moment to observe him/her ahead of time.) Since I can run my BB right up the middle, ignoring normal rules for point of origin and measure of range/length, let's do that.  The person standing on either side of that barrier has less than half a square of space to stand in.  How much less?  Half the thickness of a blade, since you've defined the spell as a plane, rather than the "wall" or "curtain" descriptors that the spell description actually uses.  But it's less, which is all that matters, in the strict rules sense.The Save you're counting on to displace to one side or the other may not be possible, under the rules.  (See my previous post.)And the rules do cover situations where the target can't move out of the way.  Think Hold Person, a Paralyzed person, or one who is simply unconscious.  There are many situations that keep someone from moving, and thus denying them a Reflex Save.  Having no free space to move to would have to be one.Consider this situation:  You're the DM.  My opponent is in a square right by the wall.  I decide to drop Blade Barrier right along that wall, just a finger's width or two away from the stone, to shred anyone who tries to enter through a door or other opening in that wall.Would you rule that the opponent can make the Save and decide to move into that finger's width of free space between the BB and the stone wall?  Can you rationalize their "abstract" position so abstractly that they can reside in a spot that isn't big enough for their hand to slide into?  If so then I concede your "abstract placement" point.  If not, then please accept your own ruling as a game-practical limit on how "abstract" that location can be.</blockquote>

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