Obscuring mist clarifiation

[Zeke]

Our group needs some clarification on this.

The spell description is as follows:
"A misty vapor arises around you. It is stationary. The vapor obscures all sight, including darkvision, beyond 5 feet. A creature 5 feet away has concealment (attacks have a 20% miss chance). Creatures farther away have total concealment (50% miss chance, and the attacker cannot use sight to locate the target)."

Now, the point of contention is a creature standing at the edge of the spell and being targeted (ranged) from outside the spell. I contend that this creature is only partially concealed, thus allowing the 20% miss chance while the other person holds to the point that it should be total concealment, thus allowing the 50%.

While the attack in question was ranged, the same situation would apply for a melee attack (non-reach).

The spell description doesn't address those attacking from outside to inside the spell, just those inside the effect.

[Owen K. C. Stephens]

Zeke wrote:

Now, the point of contention is a creature standing at the edge of the spell and being targeted (ranged) from outside the spell. I contend that this creature is only partially concealed, thus allowing the 20% miss chance while the other person holds to the point that it should be total concealment, thus allowing the 50%.

I agree with you. The spell has no effect outside of its area. So the question is, how much of the spell's area is being used? 5 feet. Then you use the spell's rule for 5 feet of mist, which is 20%. It doesn't matter if it's 5 feet of mist and 0 feet of clear air, or 5 feet of mist and 115 feet of clear air.

[Charender]

You are correct.

The key line is this.
"The vapor obscures all sight, including darkvision, beyond 5 feet."

Thus more than 5 feet of mist completely obscures all vision, as it is the vapor that does the concealing not the distance.

The line after that is not very well written, but it you take it in the context of the previous line, then you get that anything less than 5 feet of vapor between you and the target grants 20% concealment.

[walter mcwilliams]

Zeke wrote:

Our group needs some clarification on this.

The spell description is as follows:
"A misty vapor arises around you. It is stationary. The vapor obscures all sight, including darkvision, beyond 5 feet. A creature 5 feet away has concealment (attacks have a 20% miss chance). Creatures farther away have total concealment (50% miss chance, and the attacker cannot use sight to locate the target)."

Now, the point of contention is a creature standing at the edge of the spell and being targeted (ranged) from outside the spell. I contend that this creature is only partially concealed, thus allowing the 20% miss chance while the other person holds to the point that it should be total concealment, thus allowing the 50%.

While the attack in question was ranged, the same situation would apply for a melee attack (non-reach).

The spell description doesn't address those attacking from outside to inside the spell, just those inside the effect.

Agreed, that's why it is a great tactic to use the spell and stand at the edge, you make all attacks out of it at 0% miss and all in coming have 20% miss. Additionally, you can take a 5' step back be completely out of LOS and heal up if needed. Area effect spells like fireball can target any deeper than the edge as there is no LOS. Overall it is a great tactical spell.

[walter mcwilliams]

Zeke wrote:

Our group needs some clarification on this.

The spell description is as follows:
"A misty vapor arises around you. It is stationary. The vapor obscures all sight, including darkvision, beyond 5 feet. A creature 5 feet away has concealment (attacks have a 20% miss chance). Creatures farther away have total concealment (50% miss chance, and the attacker cannot use sight to locate the target)."

Now, the point of contention is a creature standing at the edge of the spell and being targeted (ranged) from outside the spell. I contend that this creature is only partially concealed, thus allowing the 20% miss chance while the other person holds to the point that it should be total concealment, thus allowing the 50%.

While the attack in question was ranged, the same situation would apply for a melee attack (non-reach).

The spell description doesn't address those attacking from outside to inside the spell, just those inside the effect.

[Keldan Marr]

The way I see it, if you are in the area of effect of a spread style spell, you get the full benefit of the spell. Just as Fireball deals the same damage whether you are at the target intersection, or on the edge of the effect, if you are in it, you get 1d6/level. Not 1d6 / level unless you happen to be at the edge of the area.

The spell description states a creature 5 feet away has concealment. Any creature more than 5 feet away has total concealment ( 50 % miss ). This does not refer to the thickness of the mist, but specifically to the distance between attacker and target.

Page 214 describes spreads, and specifically states "if the far edge of a square is within the spells area, anything within that square is within the spell's area" Therefore, at the edge of Obscuring Mist, if I am in the area, I get the full benefit of the spell, otherwise the spell description would say "effect X in 15 ft and effect y in 20 feet."

[Zeke]

OK, let's try this from a different direction ...

You are within the cloud and you are in the space next to your attacker thus you gain partial concealment because they are looking ~through~ 5' of mist. Someone 10' away gains total concealment because you are looking ~through~ 10' of mist.

The rules do not specify that everyone within the mist gains total concealment because the further you try to look ~through~ the mist, the more difficult it becomes. If everyone in the mist gained total concealment (even at 5') then I would concede to the point that someone attacking from outside the mist to someone on the edge would also have the 50% miss chance.

But, since I am attacking from outside and I am only looking ~into~, not even ~through~, a space covered by the mist, that defender is only partially covered.