Knight of Argenis
Corim Danex
Warlord
6614 Posts
    
West Valley City, Utah
 | | 05/10/2006 12:05 AM |
| Duration is one round.
My understanding is this: the wizard casts the spell on an area, and all creatures in that area take the damage (except for spell resistance). It keeps going until the wizard's next round. Every creature that is in the area that activates would take damage again and have their movement cut in half until they get outside of the area of effect. My question is, does the creature take damage when it is cast and on their turn? Or do they just take damage when the spell is cast and if they move into the area before the spell wears off? Sorry, I have never used this spell in 3.5 before. | |
"Look to God and live." Alma 37:47
Vindicated Champ of Hippogriff (Arcadian Hippogriff) and Uncommon Horse | |
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Dragon Snack
Warrior
285 Posts
| | 05/10/2006 12:44 AM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Corim Danex
Or do they just take damage when the spell is cast and if they move into the area before the spell wears off?
I would rule it worked this way. Since it also hampers movement and listen checks, it seems to be more of a battlefield control spell than a straight up damage dealer. | |
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maijstral
Underboss
2105 Posts
| | 05/10/2006 1:15 AM |
| | They take the damage when the caster casts the spell and only once. but because the spell lasts for a full round anyone entering the spell area of effect will also take damage during that round.Imagine a brief hailstorm, it pops up pummels everybody and the area for 6 seconds then vanishes. | | | |
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nyjastul69
Commander
2710 Posts
Rhode Island
| | 05/10/2006 8:28 AM |
| | When dealing damage to someone entering after the initial damage, do you re-roll damage or use the initial amount? | |
You know, I keep thinking that after the new design team gets done with D&D 4e, D&D won't stand for Dungeons and Dragons anymore, because well, that's just not fun. It's old and stuffy. - Originally Posted by BabWryter on Kenzerco.com | |
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The Great
Choco Monster
Ghendar
Warlord
11197 Posts
The Dark and Forbidding Lands of The Necromancer.
| | 05/10/2006 10:19 AM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Corim Danex
Every creature that is in the area that activates would take damage again and have their movement cut in half until they get outside of the area of effect.
Creatures "activate" in D&D? I think you're getting skirmish mixed up with D&D RP rules. | |
Ghendar - Bringin' the snark!
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I actually love to be swallowed. - Posted By gss_000 on 09/04/2007 2:32 PM
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The Great
Choco Monster
Ghendar
Warlord
11197 Posts
The Dark and Forbidding Lands of The Necromancer.
| | 05/10/2006 10:20 AM |
| quote:
Originally posted by nyjastul69
When dealing damage to someone entering after the initial damage, do you re-roll damage or use the initial amount?
I'd use the initial damage total myself. | |
Ghendar - Bringin' the snark!
Champion of the Spider Eater with rider.
I actually love to be swallowed. - Posted By gss_000 on 09/04/2007 2:32 PM
How many times in life do you get to eat your own Cthulhu? - Posted By Pedro on 03/31/2008 2:29 | |
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nyjastul69
Commander
2710 Posts
Rhode Island
| | 05/10/2006 10:50 AM |
| quote:
Originally posted by Ghendar
quote:
Originally posted by nyjastul69
When dealing damage to someone entering after the initial damage, do you re-roll damage or use the initial amount?
I'd use the initial damage total myself.
That's how I currently rule on it as well. | |
You know, I keep thinking that after the new design team gets done with D&D 4e, D&D won't stand for Dungeons and Dragons anymore, because well, that's just not fun. It's old and stuffy. - Originally Posted by BabWryter on Kenzerco.com | |
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yack
Commander
3162 Posts
Ottawa, Canada
| | 05/10/2006 11:00 AM |
| | Myself also, I believe its from the cast and then anyone who moves into the effected area within a round. | |
Champion of the Peryton
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madda
Sergeant
714 Posts
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Skyscraper
Sergeant
659 Posts
Montreal
| | 05/15/2006 4:55 PM |
| This is a pretty good question.
If, like some suggest, the damage is taken initially only on the wizard's turn, then creatures entering the area of effect after the spell is cast but while the hail is still pounding, would not be damaged, which seems counter-intuitive. It seems to me that entering the area of effect should yield damage while the spell lasts.
This is what others suggest: that damage is taken both initially on the wizard's turn and when a creature enters the area of effect. I'm unsure whether ruling that entering the area of effect should yield a punctual, automatic damage however, because someone going in and out of the area repeatedly would be damaged more than someone who stays put inside the area, while the latter would in fact be subjected to the spell's effect for a longer time period. Also, how about a creature stepping in the "corner" of the area of effect and out immediately (i.e. stepping in single affected square)? Shouldn't that creature barely be damaged since it is an ongoing spell?
Furthermore, although a round is segmented into sequential actions for the purpose of game mechanics, everyting actually occurs in a relatively simultaenous fashion. So, for those that don't feel challenged by the burden of calculating percentages of time spent by each creature in the area of effect, how do you apply that to the actual continuous flow of time in the round? This third alternative simply appears too complex to be used.
Hehe. So, i have no answer :-) I think i'll use the rules question service at WotC to see what they have to say, if you don't mind me copying your question to them.
Sky | |
The wise man doubts often. The ignorant, sometimes. The fool, never. | |
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Skyscraper
Sergeant
659 Posts
Montreal
| | 05/16/2006 2:13 PM |
| Okay, so i got an answer from WotC. Essentially, their answer is that the spell deals damage initially when it's cast and also when anyone enters the area of effect.
I admit that i find it is only half-satisfactory, but it's as good a way to handle the spell than another that i can see right now.
Entire email exchange reproduced below.
Sky
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Hi! We're having a discussion about the 4th level wizard spell "ice storm".
Our understanding is this: Duration is one full round. The wizard casts the spell on an area, and all creatures in that area take the damage (except for spell resistance). It keeps going until the wizard's next turn, since movement and listen checks are impeded and thus the spell lasts during the other creatures' turn.
So: when is damaged dealt? Or in other words, what triggers damage to a creature?
1) Initially, when the spell is cast? (In which case entering the area of effect after it's been cast doesn't damage a creature?)
2) When a creature "activates" (as per skirmish rules) in the area of effect? (In which case entering the area of effect after the spell is cast allows the creature not to be damaged.)
3) When a creature enters the area of effect? (Thus a creature entering and leaving the area of effect multiple times gets damaged multiple times, but in effect stays for a shorter time period in the ice storm than a creature that remains in the ice storm for the entire duration of the spell)
4) when at any time a creature touches the area of effect, be it at the beginning of its turn and for its entire turn, or simply because that creature stepped through a single square of affected area? (Which also sounds absurd since the spell hails for a full round, why would half a second of being subjected to the storm deal full damage?)
Thanks for your help,
Louis
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Hello Louis,
It would do damage initially to all creatures within the spell's area of effect. If, during the spell's duration a creature moved into the area of effect, it would take damage at that point.
Good Luck and Game On!!
Brandon
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Hi Brandon,
Thank you for your reply.
So someone entering the area of effect multiple times is damaged multiple times? And someone crossing a single affected 5’x5’ square as part of his movement, gets full damage - the same than someone who remains in the area of effect for the full duration of the spell? Don’t those two occurrences appear weird?
Louis
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Hello again Louis,
If you would like to create a house rule, you are more than welcome! Otherwise them's the rules. :)
Good luck and Game On!!
Brandon
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The wise man doubts often. The ignorant, sometimes. The fool, never. | |
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