I am using a grid and templates for my fights. The following rule questions have arisen.
Picture the following situation. The party’s fighter engages some goblins a few meters in front of the party’s wizard and to his right. The party’s wizard argues that he can cast his color spray so precisely as it to only hit the goblins and not the fighter though the latter is in H-t-H. Do you think it is fair?
Another example. My wizard casts a web spell so precisely so that only its foes are taken into the area of effect, not the fighters fighting them. Is that correct as well?
I am using a grid and templates for my fights. The following rule questions have arisen.
Picture the following situation. The party’s fighter engages some goblins a few meters in front of the party’s wizard and to his right. The party’s wizard argues that he can cast his color spray so precisely as it to only hit the goblins and not the fighter though the latter is in H-t-H. Do you think it is fair?
Another example. My wizard casts a web spell so precisely so that only its foes are taken into the area of effect, not the fighters fighting them. Is that correct as well?
Color Spray: Depending on the exact layout of the minis, and which corner of his square the wizard casts from, yes it is possible.
Web: Definitely possible, make the wizard choose a grid intersection, and use the template patterns from the back of the DMG to determine what gets hit.
Just remember that those patterns in the back of the DMG are what determines which squares are hit. Make the wizard choose his target or direction of attack for the cone, and then apply. I have made wire templates of the spells out of simple electrical wire, not as nice as Steel Squires products, but works none-the-less. (You can check out the Steel Squire stuff in the store here).
good luck!
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While I allow exact precision for cone spells, I actually use a variant rule on area-effect spells (suggested on the Wizard's D&D home page awhile back, perhaps in the "Proud Nails" section?) wherein the caster must suceed on a DC 15 Intelligence check for exact placement of their spell, with a 10-14 resulting in a single grid shift, a 5-9 resulting in two grid shifts, and a 1-4 resulting in 3 grid shifts.
The shifts can be adjudicated by a d4 roll, with the four ordidnal directions (NW, NE, SW, SE) tied to a face, and one roll per shift.
So far, my wizard (Int 19) has been quite good in making the DC 15, but the party enjoys the step toward realism and the element of strategy it provides.
Yeah, I just use the d4 for any area effect things. Decide a square, rathe than intersection, to center your effect on, then roll a d4 to determine which corner serves as the real point of origin. This allows accuracy within 5 feet of the target area, which is pretty good, but makes those precision aims much more difficult. I think it adds a lot more realism, representing the heat of battle. Actually, I've had players enjoy that added randomness and the (sometimes comical) effects it produces (a close-range entangle spell that was just a bit closer than was intended, for example).
No Intelligence checks, aiming checks, or anything. Too many rolls, too much time. Just a d4. I haven't thought about cones before, but I might apply the same rule- roll a d4 and determine which edge of your square the cone originates from.