Torek's page

Hi,

I am a bit puzzled about the spread vs. burst aiming of spells.

It says in Reading Spell Descriptions (Part Five) that

A spread is similar to a burst, except that it can turn corners. When line of effect from the point of origin is blocked, just go around the obstacle, tracing a path that's as long as the spread's radius.

With line of effect specified as (emphasis mine):

When you aim an area spell, you must choose a point of origin (see Part One) for the spell. You must have line of effect to the point of origin you choose. If you cannot see the point of origin, you must specify the point of origin in some meaningful way. The best way to do so is select a distance and a direction from yourself or from another point of reference that you can see or touch (or that your DM agrees is well known to you).

I can't think of a gaming situation where the 'going around corners' makes a difference. You?