Spread vs. Burst - Can you give gameplay examples?

[Torek]

Hi,

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

It says in Reading Spell Descriptions (Part Five) that

wizards wrote:

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):

wizards wrote:

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?

[Bocklin]

If you cast a spell in a small room and a door is open would be an exemple.

A burst expanding beyond the door's threshold would only go straight, leaving people hiding beside each side of the door unscathed.

A spread spell would mean that the "fire" not only goes beyond the threshold, but "turns around" (goes around the corner), affecting those who were hiding behind the wall in which the door is.

Difficult to put down in word...

Bocklin

[Bocklin]

To choose two cinematic exemples:

1) Burst = movie explosion

The hero throws a handheld grenade in a room, runs to the door and hides behind the wall just in time to avoid the damage. Schrapnels fly past him as he did not close the door.

2) Spread = lava flow

The same hero would not run out of a room and step aside the doorframe to avoid a flow of lava: he knows that the flow is going to spread around once it passed the door's threshold.

[The Black Bard]

Cloudkill will teach people real fast about burst vrs spread. Real fast. Remember kids, if you're going to bug-bomb with Cloudkill, always shut the door immediately after casting!