AOE spell - Same or different damage


Rules Questions

Scarab Sages

A fire ball or any other AOE spell does 1d6/caster level, Is this result is the same for each creature or we roll damage individually?

So 6d6 for PC 1 = 24
6d6 for PC 2 = give 18
and 6d6 for PC 3 give 12
or they all take the same result?

Sczarni

Same result, unless some save and some don't.


I think RAW is silent on the issue, but every table I've ever seen uses one die roll for simplicity. It would be a nightmare otherwise.


I'm not going to look at every spell, but here's one example, parsed with the English language:

Pathfinder SRD, Spells, Fireball wrote:
A fireball spell generates a searing explosion of flame that detonates with a low roar and deals 1d6 points of fire damage per caster level (maximum 10d6) to every creature within the area.

I bolded the word that matters. There is a bid difference to how we parse "every" vs. "each".

Every/Each:
From this English grammar website:

The determiners each and every have similar but not always identical meanings.

each = every one separately
every = each, all

Sometimes, each and every have the same meaning:

Prices go up each year.
Prices go up every year.
But often they are not exactly the same.

Each expresses the idea of "one by one". It emphasizes individuality.

Every is half-way between each and all. It sees things or people as singular, but in a group or in general.

Consider the following example sentences:

Every artist is sensitive.
Each artist sees things differently.
Every soldier saluted as the president arrived.
The president gave each soldier a medal.

Consider the difference:

1d6 per level to every creature
vs.
1d6 per level to each creature

In the first case, it says "do 1d6 per level to every creature as a group" and in the second case it says "do 1d6 per level to the first creature, do 1d6 per level to the second creature, do 1d6 per level to the third creature, etc., one by one".

As you can see, Fireball uses the language "every" so that literally means roll once and apply to every creature in the area as a group. Had it said "each", we would roll separately for each target.

Sure, it's nit-picky grammar, but the English language is a toolbox and it's incumbent upon game developers to select the right tool for the job. In this case, I think they did.

Scarab Sages

The least we can say it's the definition is lacking consistency...

...A fireball spell generates a searing explosion of flame that detonates with a low roar and deals 1d6 points of fire damage per caster level (maximum 10d6) to every creature within the area. Unattended objects also take this damage.

...You generate an arc of lightning between two targets. The lightning deals 1d6 points of electricity damage per caster level (maximum 15d6) to both targets and any creatures in a line connecting them.

...You release a powerful stroke of electrical energy that deals 1d6 points of electricity damage per caster level (maximum 10d6) to each creature within its area.

...Negative energy spreads out in all directions from the point of origin, dealing 1d8 points of damage + 1 point per caster level (maximum +25) to nearby living enemies.

...Any other creature within the area takes 1d6 points of fire damage per caster level (maximum 20d6). Creatures that fail their Reflex save catch on fire, taking 4d6 points of fire damage each round.


The difference is irrelevant.
Ask your GM. I generally roll once for speed but on some occasions I roll individually. Statistically it comes out as the same average

Scarab Sages

GM Eretas, do you roll damage separably for each PC or take the same result for each for AOE spell?

Oh, it's a good question, I will post a question on Paizo messageboards! :p


It's all the same fireball. It makes sense for each creature to get it's own save, but the damage itself is the same because it's the same fireball hitting each individual.

Silver Crusade

According to all the D&D video games I've played, each monster has damage rolled for it separately. If I have a dice generator that will roll 7d6 for me x number of times, I might do it individually, but generally it hits all of them the same, simply because it's easier.


D&D video games are rarely that accurate when compared to the source rules.

The damage dice are rolled once.
Each creature makes a save to halve (or negate) the damage.

I'll admit that I can't immediately find a rules source to support this, but I have rarely seen even an attempt to deviate from this standard way of handling damage.

The Exchange Owner - D20 Hobbies

If I had a Wizard casting 10d6 fireballs and wanted to roll for each monster hit, I'd glare at him until he just gave me one total to apply to all. I'm just saying ...

-----

Without trying to be funny. No, AoE should not be rolled per affected target.


It's a single source of damage (one fireball) and applied the same damage to everyone. It's a single fireball that takes up an area, why would it deal different damage to people? Ignoring saves for half.


The real truth is that the rules aren't clear enough to give a definitive answer, but why would you want to roll for each individual? It would just bog the game down a considerable amount and statistically it averages out.

So in short: Rules aren't clear, but roll once per AoE for speed!

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