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> Question About AoE Spells, Confusion...
Dragoonkin
post Sep 18 2006, 12:14 AM
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QUOTE (Shadowrun - 4th Edition Rulebook @ page 173, SPELLCASTING)

Area Spells: Some spells target areas or points in space, in this case the caster must be able to see the center of the area affected;...


QUOTE (Shadowrun - 4th Edition Rulebook @ page 173, SPELLCASTING)

All visible targets within the area are affected;...


QUOTE (Shadowrun - 4th Edition Rulebook @ page 173, SPELLCASTING)

Area spells affect all valid targets within the radius of effect, friend and foe alike...



See, this is kind of goofballs to me...this means if I have a three-meter manaball and cast it into a doorway, it'll extend 3m front and back, but to the doorframes sideways on the far side of the door?

The very idea of an area of effect spell at least to me implies that I'm not having to make individual tests against each person in that area, so the idea that I CAN'T hit out-of-sight targets on an area-of-effect spell seems rather backwards.

If the spell requires me to be able to see all targets for some type of...mental focus or whatevernot on them, either it should:

a) ...hit all targets within the range, regardless of line of sight, or...

b) ...require a modifier for each target I'm hitting, as I'm forced to "concentrate" on every person to include them...as they're in my line of sight.

Something I'm missing here, that makes more sense?
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Walknuki
post Sep 18 2006, 12:21 AM
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That's just how magic works. Direct and AoE spells require line of sight. to hit things. If three guys are in a line and you cast a spell that can engulf all three, but the middle one ducks behind a trash can, he'll be fine while he buddies are toast.

However Indirect AoE spells like Fireball or Ball lightning will hit targets in the area but out of sight. So if you want to hit someone around a corner toss a fireball down there.
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Dragoonkin
post Sep 18 2006, 12:33 AM
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Yeah that's getting errata'd in my game right away...the Drain is only two more boxes on an AoE version of a spell than the single-target, yet the damage potential is infinitely higher...increasing multiplicatively with each target in the AoE, for zero additional cost to the caster.

That's wholly broken.

*rummages through spell lists* Looks like Direct AoE spells (Manaball, etc) are going to get a damage reduction, and Indirect AoE are going to get a drain increase.

Because in one case, you're channelling a finite amount of Mana into all those targets, as you're "forced" to concentrate on them all for being in your line of sight.

And in the other, because of the potential to hit "everybody"...the damage is too high compared to the minor increased Drain cost over the single-target spell. Even two targets is twice the damage for only 2 boxes more Drain than a single target.

This post has been edited by Dragoonkin: Sep 18 2006, 12:40 AM
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Walknuki
post Sep 18 2006, 12:36 AM
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QUOTE (Dragoonkin)
Yeah that's getting errata'd in my game right away...the Drain is only two more boxes on an AoE version of a spell than the single-target, yet the damage potential is infinitely higher...increasing multiplicatively with each target in the AoE, for zero additional cost to the caster.

That's wholly broken.

True, but the effect doesn't discriminate. If you've got some wacked out ganger in your face swingin' his beat stick and you cast Mana Ball on him, he, your two buddies that were with you, and the sweet little redhead waiting for the schoo bus, all get caught in the effect.

I'm fairly certain though that it doesn't effect you. I may be wrong though.
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Dragoonkin
post Sep 18 2006, 12:40 AM
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QUOTE (Walknuki)
True, but the effect doesn't discriminate. If you've got some wacked out ganger in your face swingin' his beat stick and you cast Mana Ball on him, he, your two buddies that were with you, and the sweet little redhead waiting for the schoo bus, all get caught in the effect.

I'm fairly certain though that it doesn't effect you. I may be wrong though.

See my edited above post for some reasoning behind things.
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Walknuki
post Sep 18 2006, 12:53 AM
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QUOTE (Dragoonkin)
QUOTE (Walknuki @ Sep 17 2006, 07:36 PM)
True, but the effect doesn't discriminate. If you've got some wacked out ganger in your face swingin' his beat stick and you cast Mana Ball on him, he, your two buddies that were with you, and the sweet little redhead waiting for the schoo bus, all get caught in the effect.

I'm fairly certain though that it doesn't effect you. I may be wrong though.

See my edited above post for some reasoning behind things.

Do what you gata do. We all gata throw some house rules in there somewhere. I house rule that if you win the vehicle test in Chase combat you can only increase or decrease distance by one incriment (Long to medium, medium to short).
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