Actually, per RAW in DMG, all combat is simultaneous. It's up to the DM to adjudicate these types of situations with that rule.
Valid use of Wall of Ice?
- Thread starter Hawken
- Start date
Actually, per RAW in DMG, all combat is simultaneous. It's up to the DM to adjudicate these types of situations with that rule.
PHB trumps DMG for combat.
PHB pg 138
"When a character's turn comes up in the initiative sequence, that chracter performs his entire rounds worth of actions. (For exceptions, see Attacks of Opportunity and Special Initiative Actions)."
Now the Rules Compendium also has the information on Simutaneous Activity - but it includes
"The combatants' acting in turn according to the initiative count is a situation necessary for order in game play, but its an abstraction."
Which is pretty much what D&D combat is all about anyway - an abstration. But all character actions are handled in sequence and all of a character's actions are resolved on that character's turn in the initiative order - by game mechanic necessity (not logic).
So "technically" things happen in parallel but "mechanically" they must be resolve sequentially following initiative order.
)DMG trumps all for instructions to DM on how to apply all rules.
akbearfoot
First Post
Do wall spells have to be centered on a grid? If so, why does wall of fire have rules for casting the spell so it goes 'through' creatures? I'm going on the assumption they didnt go through the trouble of coming up with those rules just for the odd group of people lined up on a diagonal.
If they have to be centered on a grid, then the 15ft radius would still seem to allow a save, even for a medium creature. If not, then you could trap a single creature, if they were out in the complete open...probably only for 1 round given the expected challenge ratings.
If they have to be centered on a grid, then the 15ft radius would still seem to allow a save, even for a medium creature. If not, then you could trap a single creature, if they were out in the complete open...probably only for 1 round given the expected challenge ratings.
frankthedm
First Post
Well, the rules are kinda quiet when it comes to walls.
To me a straight wall can be worked like a line, though it seems a wall with a radius may be caught by the rules for radial areas. But that doesn't work well for wall of ice at certain caster levels{noted above] Area
Some spells affect an area. Sometimes a spell description specifies a specially defined area, but usually an area falls into one of the categories defined below.
Regardless of the shape of the area, you select the point where the spell originates, but otherwise you don’t control which creatures or objects the spell affects. The point of origin of a spell is always a grid intersection. When determining whether a given creature is within the area of a spell, count out the distance from the point of origin in squares just as you do when moving a character or when determining the range for a ranged attack. The only difference is that instead of counting from the center of one square to the center of the next, you count from intersection to intersection
Yes, if the DM really felt the outermost edge counted as adjacent.
Attachments
PHB trumps all rules for how to run combat.
DMG trumps all rules for magic item creation and general gaming information - but not combat.
And how to referee the whole game.
But not, specifically - how to overrule rules that are written in the rules precednet books.
PHB - anything to do with character design, skils, feats, spells, combat
MM - anything to do with "monsters"
DMG - anything to do with magic item creation, setting, environment and NPCs. The part about ejuducating the game is "guidelines" and not specific rules. These do not trump the specific rule - without making it house-rules (which are covered in the DMG by the section on the DM changing the rules) - but we are talking about RAW and not changing existing rules.
The section on combat in the PHB is very detailed and clear on how things work.
and adjudicating all rules and outcomes.
