Not necessarily - if I have to target 17 creatures, and 12 of them make their saves, the spell have targeted 17 creatures but only affected 5 creatures (since it has save negates). This is kind of open to interpretation.
Actually, this is a problem with the English language. Affect and Effect do not mean the same thing. To affect (a verb) something means to interact with it , even if that interaction is forcing a saving throw. Effect (a noun) is what it does.
I'm done here. Ad hominim attacks everywhere. People not understanding what ad hominem really means. Interpretations of RAW that are just... mind boggling. The way I read the spell, everything is crystal clear. Apparently I apply too much logic (or not enough) to even understand where the confusion stems from.
A player at my table has to be watched constantly or he will lie about dice rolls. Or snatch the die up, claiming that one was a "test roll". Or roll multiple dice one at a time to bump other dice to something more favorable.
Did I mention he's 28 and thinks he's the best roleplayer EVAR. Actually, all of his characters are basically the same, with different mechanics. Sometimes he's a fighter. Other times he's a cleric. They all have an unhealthy fascination with Holy vs Evil themes and are almost always healers in some capacity. None of them have any personality beyond that.
WotB seems pretty clear cut to me. The spell inflicts 10 points of damage per caster level, starting with the creature nearest the caster. If the spell does enough damage to kill the first creature, it moves on to the next nearest creature, inflicting whatever remaining damage it can.
Let's say there are two enemies, one 5' away (A), the other 10' away(B), and an ally 15' away(C). Let's assume the caster to be level 10, thus doing a total of 100 damage, starting with the creature nearest the caster. Creature A, assuming no resistances, has 50 hp. He goes down. Next creature B, who only has 30 hp gets targeted because he's the next nearest thing. He goes down, leaving 20 dmg for ally C, the next closest creature.
Wail of the Banshee as per PRD:
School necromancy [death, sonic]; Level sorcerer/wizard 9
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one living creature/level within a 40-ft.-radius spread
When you cast this spell, you emit a terrible, soul-chilling scream that possibly kills creatures that hear it (except for yourself). The spell affects up to one creature per caster level, inflicting 10 points of damage per caster level. Creatures closest to the point of origin are affected first.
I dont see what you mean about the spell listing "targets", and the spell description has a clearly defined radius of 40'. What exactly are you confused about?
