I think RAW is 1 creature/round. I'd say if you used your move action to move it into the square with the 4 creatures, you get to choose which one it damages, if it was not moving, whichever creature moved into its square first gets the damage instead.
RAW isn't explicit. I'd say the same creature as the previous round, or determine it randomly. Or the caster can spend his move action to decide which one it is.
From the spell I read that it deals the damage to each creature in the square. The effect is a 5ft diameter square. Sweet. That means from one side to one side it occupies the space, albeit at a different amount per "step"( lets avoid calculus ).
"If it enters a space with a creature, it stops moving for the round and deals 3d6 points of fire damage to that creature, though a successful Reflex save negates that damage."
Like Jiggy said, which one is that specifically? It also does not call out that it only effects 1 single creature. It effects the creature who is in its space.
From the swarm trait I would say that this spell is a type of AOE whose area is the 5 foot square it occupies. So it would take the damage plus 50% if it failed the throw.
It is not an area affect and I think the RAI is for it to tag one creature and stop. The RAW of "that creature" supports that.
Every rule has RAI. It is just a matter of whether or not they are the same.
I hate the spell in general due to the fact that if you roll the sphere into a creature that makes it's save, you have the unfortunate situation of that creature standing in a giant ball of flame while not be effected in the slightest. Then your buddy attacks said creature and takes 3d6 damage from the sphere. But that's a different issue...
Sorry, but why does your buddy take any damage? He never shared the same square as the flaming sphere.
I don't think RAW states either way. I'd say RAI, it would damage any creature in that 5' square. The only line you could use for RAW would be the plural usage in:
"A burning globe of fire rolls in whichever direction you point and burns those it strikes"
The unfortunate part of using that part of the spell as your reasoning, is that under the damage, it states, "If it enters a space with a creature, it stops moving for the round and deals 3d6 points of fire damage to that creature"
So even though the fluff text of what it looks like says creatures the actual crunchy part of the text with the damage dice say a singular creature.
I think it should damage swarms. To be able to do that it has to have the ability to harm several (not numbered) creatures at once.
The sentence "If it enters a space with a creature, it stops moving for the round and deals 3d6 points of fire damage to that creature, though a successful Reflex save negates that damage" does not prevent it affecting more than one creature in a 5' square, assuming you are equating "space" with "5' square". If you are going to claim that "a creature" and "that creature" only apply to a single creature, then the flaming sphere wouldn't stop moving when entering a space with more than one creature! It would just roll on through, without having any effect on them (or they on it) at all. But we don't have to take that stance, since in this context "a creature" actually stands for "one or more creatures", in normal English usage. So, each creature in the space causes the sphere to stop, and each creature in the space saves or takes damage from the sphere, regardless of the presence (or otherwise) of any other creatures.
The sentence "If it enters a space with a creature, it stops moving for the round and deals 3d6 points of fire damage to that creature, though a successful Reflex save negates that damage" does not prevent it affecting more than one creature in a 5' square, assuming you are equating "space" with "5' square". If you are going to claim that "a creature" and "that creature" only apply to a single creature, then the flaming sphere wouldn't stop moving when entering a space with more than one creature! It would just roll on through, without having any effect on them (or they on it) at all.
Alternatively you could even claim that it stops as soon as it enters a square with any size of creature in it. In natural environments that would be at once because insects are everywhere.
Alternatively you could even claim that it stops as soon as it enters a square with any size of creature in it. In natural environments that would be at once because insects are everywhere.
Unfortunately, that seems to be true. Every other piece of the spell falls into place, if you assume the creature(s) affected can be of any size, and that moving into a space with any amount of creatures triggers its damage. Otherwise, you'd need to somehow figure out exactly which creature becomes the target of the effect, and the spell doesn't seem built to handle that.
...Perhaps, at the very least, you'd omit most any creature so negligible it's not found in any bestiary. But that truly seems to be the spell's hard downfall.
At least we know it's not alone in the Effect=area department. Think Telekinetic Sphere, and Whirlwind. They're not exactly Area spells either... they just conjure up a spell effect that you can manipulate and move.
My gripe is whether or not the sphere damages anyone entering the same space as It... or anyone it shares a space with, more than once. -THAT- mandates a rewrite.
My gripe is whether or not the sphere damages anyone entering the same space as It... or anyone it shares a space with, more than once. -THAT- mandates a rewrite.
I have no RAW to back me up but I handle it in a way that it is only dangerous while moving and stops moving after having damaged creatures it shares a square with. So entering a square with a sphere would not be dangerous. Nor would remaining in the same square. At least no until it tries to move next round, is in the same square with you and at once stops after damaging you again.
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Is this an area spell?
No, it's an effect spell.
Can it affect more than 1 creature?
Yes - if more than one creature is in a 5-ft. space that the sphere enters, it will affect each of them.
And would it do extra damage against swarms?
No, as it doesn't "affect an area". It would do its normal damage against swarms, though, as it doesn't target a specific number of creatures.
Two things. First:
The spells states that it continues to burn throughout, so in part, it's saying there should be damage to those who enter/stay in a square with a FS.
"The sphere moves as long as you actively direct it (a move action for you); otherwise, it merely stays at rest and burns."
Adding in this sentence from the description:
"It ignites flammable substances it touches and illuminates the same area as a torch would."
And you would, by RAW, at least have to have the FS "ignite flammable substances" that enter/stay in the 5' square with it.
Ah, good point. So, it'd be a typical DC 15 reflex save, or catch fire, so long as you are exposed to it or come in contact with it, yes? Well, that at least makes the spell a Bit more useful... Of course, it's still one interpretation of an otherwise badly worded spell.