Fire Ball is a AoE spell you dont need to hit the bad guy with it and you dont need to Roll to do it. If you want the shoot it in to a window or a arrowslid then you Can Roll of theGM tell you to.
Fireball is an area spell with a 20ft. radius spread. Under 'Magic' in the core rule book you will find the needed rules.
Area: Some spells affect an area. Sometimes a spell description specifies a specially defined area, but usually an area falls into one of the categories defined below.
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Burst, Emanation, or Spread: Most spells that affect an area function as a burst, an emanation, or a spread. In each case, you select the spell's point of origin and measure its effect from that point.A burst spell affects whatever it catches in its area, including creatures that you can't see. It can't affect creatures with total cover from its point of origin (in other words, its effects don't extend around corners). The default shape for a burst effect is a sphere, but some burst spells are specifically described as cone-shaped. A burst's area defines how far from the point of origin the spell's effect extends.
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A spread spell extends out like a burst but can turn corners. You select the point of origin, and the spell spreads out a given distance in all directions. Figure the area the spell effect fills by taking into account any turns the spell effect takes.
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To target a specific square (or intersection), you need to hit AC5.
To send it through windows, doors, arrowslits, between the legs/past the ear of the intercepting guard should all incur a cover penalty of varying severity.
Miss the target, you over/undershoot the intended square, or hit the cover, resulting in a far different outcome than intended.
Strictly speaking, all casters should be rolling to hit every time they plant a spell, but since so many encounters take place in an open field or featureless room, it's usually such an easy roll to make, that it gets handwaved to keep the game moving.
But throw intervening obstacles, or a few conditions on the caster, like dazzled, blinded, Dex damage, misfortune, or a low level PC overcasting from a scroll, and you could easily get a ranged attack bonus low enough to make missing the target point a real possibility.
I've always hated when players umm and aah, and debate the placement of spells during high-tension encounters, especially when the placement catches an NPC, but not the ally they're in melee with. When the effect stops an inch from their buddy's nose, despite that the round represents the time both combatants have been circling round each other.
Pick a damn square, already!
Funny how players really think they have inbuilt range finders,...
By RAW they have a range finder etc. In general these rules apply to all area spells (some have additional rules in their description)
Aiming a Spell
You must make choices about whom a spell is to affect or where an effect is to originate, depending on a spell's type. The next entry in a spell description defines the spell's target (or targets), its effect, or its area, as appropriate.
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Area: Some spells affect an area. Sometimes a spell description specifies a specially defined area, but usually an area falls into one of the categories defined below.Regardless of the shape of the area, you select the point where the spell originates, but otherwise you don't control which creatures or objects the spell affects. The point of origin of a spell is always a grid intersection.
Thats it. You choose a grid intersection and cast the spell. To choose a grid intersection you must have line of sight so the blind condition prevents you from casting most spells with a range greater than touch.
I dont like square counting in the middle of a fight. It is unrealistic and costs a lot of time to cast the perfect fireball. In my group i count from 5 to 0 when this comes up. On 0 the players delays with all disadvantages. My players know that and hurry up.
Short and simple.
There seems to be confusion here so ill try to clear some of it up. First spells in of have an accuracy ballistic missiles only dream of. Accept it and move on. Square counting is within the spell targeting rules.
A wizard can stand back and drop a fireball bead next to orc grunt #658 there is no role to hit the bead connects with pinpoint accuracy.
Second the line in fireball is an exception that allows a wizard to cast fireball when targeting ruleswould not allow. You want to put black tentacles in the space behind that 8" wide arrowslit? Bzzt no you cannot target there. But fireball has an exception that lets you do it 700" away if you hit a target ac. With no range penalty.
The other AoE spells allow you to choose the place, and fireball only calls for rolls in certain situations. Beyond those you don't have to roll by the rules.
If the discussion is now on "how things should be in my opinion", that is fine, but it should be noted so anyone reading does not confuse it with "this is what the rules are".
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Yes: RAW you almost never need to roll to hit with Fireball and similar spells - the extra line in the Fireball spell about special circumstances when you do need to roll to hit is actually an additional bonus feature of the spell: you can fire it through keyholes (or whatever) and have it detonate on the other side... with the downside being that it may detonate in your face if you happen to miss and hit the door instead...
The roll thing for fb is avoid thing it lets you cast in situations you otherwise could not. Lightning bolt has similar language otherwise it would be stopped by a glass window :p
Also the whole "A glowing, pea-sized bead streaks from the pointing digit and, unless it impacts upon a material body or solid barrier prior to attaining the prescribed range, blossoms into the fireball at that point. An early impact results in an early detonation." part can be used really well if you know you're going against a fireball loving caster. An ranged character can target the pea (AC 10 + 8 for fine size = 18) and blow it up enroute if they ready an action for it, could be pretty awesome (seen it done in game).
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you said pea
*headdesk*