
'Rixx |

I notice that all the barrier spells have a restriction to the "line" target word, which is understandable.. however, do they work like dragon's breath-style lines, where they have to originate from the caster?
If so, this could limit the effectiveness of those spells immensely - you won't be able to seal off a hallway or anything like that.
However, if you get to originate the line from wherever you please, does that mean you can make a spell like lightning bolt that can just shoot out of thin air somewhere?
There might need to be some clarification, or perhaps even a "wall" style target word that allows for flexible origin points and shaping.

Zurai |

Yeah, I noticed that, too. I think there does need to be a "wall" target type, because one of the neat things with a lot of wall spells is that they're shapeable (or at least, not restricted to a 5' wide line). Wall of ice, wind wall, wall of fire, heck, all the walls except for iron and force are at least somewhat malleable in form. And it is very important for barriers to be able to be created away from the caster.

'Rixx |

Instantaneous damaging or other effects in shapeable walls could be really fun, though! Perhaps just make them more expensive than lines to account for the increased flexibility (and lower the cost of the wall-only words to balance it out).
A wall of fog comes to mind, or a suddenly flashing wall of electricity. Mixing this with the "lingering spell" metamagic from the APG could lead to some fun as well.

Zurai |

I thought long and hard about including a wall target word. Problem is that is serves only one group of spells that can only use that particular word....
Hmm...
Jason
Nah, there's all kinds of uses for a Wall target type other than just the barriers, especially if it's more expensive than a similar-length line. Even just with evocations, it'd be neat to be able to put down a shapable winter's wrath or the like (again, so long as the wall version is more expensive than a line of the same length).
EDIT: 'Rixx is a ninja robot.

Mad Beetle |

I thought long and hard about including a wall target word. Problem is that is serves only one group of spells that can only use that particular word....
Hmm...
Jason
One could include a Shape taget word, a shapeable area, to be used for walls and other effects, like fires or acid and the like.

'Rixx |

Adding a meta word that acts like the Lingering Spell feat would make walls of other effects very useful:
You may cause an instantaneous spell that affects an area to persist until the beginning of your next turn. Those already in the area suffer no additional harm, but other creatures or objects entering the area are subject to its effects. A lingering spell with a visual manifestation obscures vision, providing concealment (20% miss chance) beyond 5 feet and total concealment (50% miss chance) beyond 20 feet. A lingering spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell’s actual level.

Saedar |

Adding a meta word that acts like the Lingering Spell feat would make walls of other effects very useful:
APG wrote:You may cause an instantaneous spell that affects an area to persist until the beginning of your next turn. Those already in the area suffer no additional harm, but other creatures or objects entering the area are subject to its effects. A lingering spell with a visual manifestation obscures vision, providing concealment (20% miss chance) beyond 5 feet and total concealment (50% miss chance) beyond 20 feet. A lingering spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell’s actual level.
Can't you just apply metamagic feats as normal?

Saedar |

Could a word category like "Border" or "Boundary" be used, to make it a bit broader than wall? For Walls, Protection from X, dimensional anchor, hallow/unhallow type effects?
+1. This seems like a nifty way to handle those different effects, especially where they don't fit easily into other thematic groups.

pad300 |
How about area - given everything is defined in 5' squares anyway...Make it a shapeable area of contiguous squares). You could do pixelated circles. You could do walls as line of squares. You could do perimeters around something. You could do v-shapes on the map, whatever...
Small area - up to 4 5' squares (2x2) (a 20' wall/line or 10X10 square)
Medium Area -up to 16 5' squares (4x4)(a 80' wall/line or 20X20 square)
Large Area - up to 25 5' squares (6x6)(a 180' wall/line or 30X30 square)

Freesword |
How about area - given everything is defined in 5' squares anyway...Make it a shapeable area of contiguous squares). You could do pixelated circles. You could do walls as line of squares. You could do perimeters around something. You could do v-shapes on the map, whatever...
Small area - up to 4 5' squares (2x2) (a 20' wall/line or 10X10 square)
Medium Area -up to 16 5' squares (4x4)(a 80' wall/line or 20X20 square)
Large Area - up to 25 5' squares (6x6)(a 180' wall/line or 30X30 square)
Except some of us hate the grid, do not use it, and detest the idea of any new rules relying on it.
My character's movement is in feet, not squares!
My reach and threatened area are in feet, not squares!
Areas of effect are in feet, not squares!
Fireball does not have corners!
This rant is brought to you by curves, circles, and spheres.
Back on topic, I can see how having wall effects be a line originating from the caster could be severely limiting.
At the same time, would it really be a bad thing if one could select the origin point of a line effect within close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) range?
Perhaps an increased point cost (+2?) to have a line effect origin be single target other than self (single target being any 5 ft. space within close range).