Zones/Powers that Block Line of Sight

[Markn]

It's getting late and my brain is not thinking straight - need help.

The wizard in my game has cast Stinking Cloud. Among other things it blocks line of sight. How exactly does that work in the following situation?

The party fighter is just outside the Area of Effect while the bad guy is on the edge but inside. Assuming the bad guy is a melee guy and so is the fighter, do each have a -5 to attack the other due to total concealment or is the penalty only applied to the guy in the cloud?

I'm sure I read somewhere in the PH how it works but for the life of me I just can't find it right now.

Thanks in advance for your help. I'm off to bed, so I will check in on the morrow.

 

[Oompa]

Out of my head, with no books:

Both get the -5..

The badguy can't see the fighter and the fighter can't see the badguy..

 

[Oompa]

Page 281:

✦ Total Concealment (–5 Penalty to Attack Rolls):You can’t see the target. The target is invisible, ina totally obscured square, or in a heavily obscuredsquare and not adjacent to you.

 

[Nytmare]

The fighter isn't in an obscured square in that instance though, is he?

 

[Tremorsense]

The fighter isn't in an obscured square in that instance though, is he?

No he isn't, but the bad guy simply doesn't have line of sight to the fighter, so he has to attack a square (see PHB1 page 281, "Targeting what you can't see") [Note that section got an official Update when stealth was changed].

 

[Nytmare]

Ah, the part I missed is in the line of sight rules on 273.

Even if you can see a target, objects and effects can still partially block your view. If you can see a target but at least one line passes through an obstruction, the target has cover or concealment.

I thought that concealment worked like line of sight, and that you only needed one line to not pass through the fog.

 

[Toriel]

Page 281:

✦ Total Concealment (–5 Penalty to Attack Rolls):You can’t see the target. The target is invisible, ina totally obscured square,>>> or in a heavily obscuredsquare and not adjacent to you.<<<

Emphasis mine, if the target is in a heavily obscured square but adjacent to you, it is considered light or partial concealment (-2 to hit).

 

[Markn]

Emphasis mine, if the target is in a heavily obscured square but adjacent to you, it is considered light or partial concealment (-2 to hit).

I'm assuming if you are in an AoE that blocks line of sight, being next to someone would still provide full concealment. At least that would be my take. I see your point though, if it talked about concealment then that would make sense.

Thanks.

 

[Caliban]

I'm assuming if you are in an AoE that blocks line of sight, being next to someone would still provide full concealment. At least that would be my take. I see your point though, if it talked about concealment then that would make sense.

Thanks.

I agree - "blocks line of sight" means exactly that. If it was normal concealment, it would say so.

 

[evilbob]

Frankly, the whole "line of sight" issue regarding Stinking Cloud is a complex and varied one, and there are lots of opinions that have been shared by many on how this is supposed to work. Ultimately: it's the DM's call, because it's possible to justify it in many different ways.

That said, our game uses the same interpretation many have offered in this thread: namely, that in your example, both would have a -5 to hit (effectively invisible) and have to pick a square to attack. (One thing my DM does is to pick up minis in the cloud so we are reminded that we have no idea where they are.) Note that a fighter can't take OAs against things he can't see, so the creature, if marked, could shift/move away without penalty.