Widen feat for "Mass/Greater" spells

[czak808]

Would the widen spell feat work for charm monster (mass) or Command (greater)?
The spell effect is based on an area (.....no two of which can be more than 30 ft apart)...
Where widen spell feat ........."any numeric measurement of the spell's area increases by 100%"

 

[pawsplay]

Well, that's a distance, not an area.

 

[pallandrome]

I think of it as an exclusive, rather than inclusive, area. A property of poorly wording one's spells, I suppose. But I don't see how a widened Mass Enlarge Person would be in any way broken for the level, so I would most certainly allow it.

 

[Zaister]

The Widen Spell feat specifically states: "You can alter a burst, emanation, line, or spread shaped spell to increase its area." So unless, the area of a spell is described as a burst, spread, line, emanation, or spread, you cannot apply the feat. The spells you mentioned usually don't even have an area effect, but targets.

As an aside, I still wonder what a widened line area is supposed to be.

 

[pawsplay]

Maybe they just thought Wider (or Lengthen) Spell sounded kind of awkward. Or maybe it does something weird.

 

[frankthedm]

As an aside, I still wonder what a widened line area is supposed to be.

A Longer line. Don't get hung up on the 'widen' name.

 

[moritheil]

As an aside, I still wonder what a widened line area is supposed to be.

You need not wonder: the line is wider as well as longer. (If its initial dimensions are 5' x 120', widened, it should be 10' x 240'.)

 

[IanB]

You need not wonder: the line is wider as well as longer. (If its initial dimensions are 5' x 120', widened, it should be 10' x 240'.)

This is incorrect; line spells do not have a width, just a length. Widening a line will not change the method you use to determine which squares are affected, just the length of the line.

 

[Zaister]

Still, it doesn't seem to me to make sense to widen a Lightning Bolt, for example. Lightning Bolt has a range of 120 ft. and originates from the caster. Even if the Widen Spell feat doubles the length of the line, the spell still can't affect anything beyond its range, so this seems rather pointless, and in effect the bolt remains quite the same.

 

[frankthedm]

Still, it doesn't seem to me to make sense to widen a Lightning Bolt, for example. Lightning Bolt has a range of 120 ft. and originates from the caster. Even if the Widen Spell feat doubles the length of the line, the spell still can't affect anything beyond its range, so this seems rather pointless, and in effect the bolt remains quite the same.

Very good catch.