Wall spell placements


Rules Questions


I have a question that I've never thought about, but just realized I might have been doing this wrong for years.

Regarding the various wall spells ( wall of fire, ice, force, iron, etc.) - how should those be placed on a grid? Should they be placed on the grid lines between squares, or should they be placed IN the squares (in other words, taking up space?) The Magic chapter doesn't give clear "wall" area of effect guidance that I can find, and the individual spells dont specify thickness in most cases, only length. (giggity.) Further, googling conversations about wall spells didnt get me much either -- only discussions about how overpowered or underpowered they were.

In particular, wall of fire is the one I'm focused on, as it might come up in a future game, but I was hoping i'd just missed some clear rulings somewhere.

Thanks in advance!

EDIT: ok, cant believe i missed the part in wall of fire that mentions "casting it where a person is standing" :o but still wish there was a mention of wall placements explicitly in the magic chapter.


The only text I can think of is the spell placement text where you work on grid intersections.

I don't know of many exceptions to that (summon monster), and none that explicitly apply to wall of fire.

You could still cast it 'on' a creature if it is Large or larger and you cast it on an intersection inside the creature's space. Doesn't feel like the intent to me though.


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

I've always treated them as line effects. IE they start and end on intersections and effect whatever squares they pass through.

If its a circle effect. I treat it as a radius effect (starting from a grid intersection again) with only the outer most squares being effected.

If the wall is a physical object (ice, stone, iron etc) its only inches thick so I let people occupy whatever half is larger.


I always thought it gets placed on the borders of squares? I am surprised after all these years the Wall spell issues hasn't been addressed.


I think wind wall specifies a thickness, a couple feat if I recall.

That's a spell I've seen used to disperse areas in a fog spell, tough I'm not sure if that's intended.

The Exchange

I too have used the grid lines and hated blade barrier spell for it. It is weird shaped. running Wrath of Righteousness and they put Illusory wall through the middle of square. The grid line dosnt really work for wall of fire where you can place it on someone or even blade barrier. other spells like ice and stone, it makes more sense though.


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Jeff Morse wrote:
The grid line dosnt really work for wall of fire where you can place it on someone or even blade barrier. other spells like ice and stone, it makes more sense though.

It does work, because the wall of fire andblade barrier spells may have been talking about large or larger creatures, whose space includes grid lines.

Placing the wall in the square doesn't make much sense, and you take damage from passing through the wall. If you end your movement in the square with the wall, you don't pass through. You are surrounded by a wall of fire or whirling blades but not taking damage. Placing the walls on grid lines prevents that, and works with the part of the spells about conjuring the wall inside a creatures space (if large or larger).


Typically I run them along grid lines for ease of playing on a map, however, I don't see any reason a caster cannot create a wall of fire that specifically bisects a square occupied by creature (most wall spells will fail in that case, but not all). They may take damage, based on what the spell says happens to creatures caught when it forms.

In that case, I just have the wall's line running through the middle of squares. Most creatures can stand in a half square and if that's the case, the creature can decide which side of the wall they are standing on on their turn (possibly taking damage if they choose the side emanating heat, though no more than once per round).

Similarly, if a creature wanted to run up to and into the square that was bisected by the wall of fire. They can say they are not passing through it, just next to it. Obviously if they choose to be standing on the opposite side of the wall than they started, then they are considered to have passed through it, and whatever is appropriate to the spell applies (ie fire damage).

Can it cause mapping problems in some cases? Yes, but a grid map will always cause problems, be it this or suddenly having 4 people who were standing next to a door stretch out along 20 feet of corridor just because there was a monster behind it and they need to fit onto a map.

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