Is Resilient Sphere opaque and blocks line of sight?


Rules Discussion

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

We have confusion over this since wall of force specifies its invisible and two of players think that resilient sphere blocking anything that goes through includes light, so I'm now asking opinions on this?

(its mostly relevant for whether you can dimension door to and from inside the sphere)

Grand Archive

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According to the wording, yes. Actually if you follow that line, the resilient sphere would appear as a black sphere. Also, inside it would be pitch black, unless something inside produces light.


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That is a surprise to me. Some force effects say invisible and others don't. So I guess force effects are normally visible. It certainly changes Resilient Sphere if the sphere blocked sight. So I don't think that is intended. A lot of spell are explicit about how they effect sight but not all.

By default spells have obvious visual effects. We just often see force effect as transparent in art. So that is how I would rule it. Its a barrier you can see, but it doesn't block sight.

Its not explicit so a GM might rule the other way.


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Gortle wrote:
That is a surprise to me. Some force effects say invisible and others don't. So I guess force effects are normally visible.

I feel the same, though I'd be delighted if there were a note in every force spell ( or a general rule stated somewhere ).

Talking about Resilient sphere, it would entirely change how to deal with the imprisoned character.

For example, assuming the sphere is not invisible, they won't be a valid target for spells like heal or acid arrow.

But also a fireball won't work ( since the point of origin of the spell couldn't be inside the sphere ).

I like to think it's visible ( preventing targeting and origin ), also to show that the target is trapped/protected by a force shell.

Dark Archive

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Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
HumbleGamer wrote:
Gortle wrote:
That is a surprise to me. Some force effects say invisible and others don't. So I guess force effects are normally visible.

I feel the same, though I'd be delighted if there were a note in every force spell ( or a general rule stated somewhere ).

Talking about Resilient sphere, it would entirely change how to deal with the imprisoned character.

For example, assuming the sphere is not invisible, they won't be a valid target for spells like heal or acid arrow.

But also a fireball won't work ( since the point of origin of the spell couldn't be inside the sphere ).

I like to think it's visible ( preventing targeting and origin ), also to show that the target is trapped/protected by a force shell.

Generally unless spell specifies otherwise, they follow line of effect rules. (line of sight =/= line of effect). Aka you can't cast spells through transparent objects unless spell itself says so (like dimension door where you just have to see spot you are teleporting to)

Hence why in this case it doesn't actually matter for most spells, its relevant mostly for teleportation ones, since line of effect rule would still block healing spells and such.


CorvusMask wrote:
HumbleGamer wrote:
Gortle wrote:
That is a surprise to me. Some force effects say invisible and others don't. So I guess force effects are normally visible.

I feel the same, though I'd be delighted if there were a note in every force spell ( or a general rule stated somewhere ).

Talking about Resilient sphere, it would entirely change how to deal with the imprisoned character.

For example, assuming the sphere is not invisible, they won't be a valid target for spells like heal or acid arrow.

But also a fireball won't work ( since the point of origin of the spell couldn't be inside the sphere ).

I like to think it's visible ( preventing targeting and origin ), also to show that the target is trapped/protected by a force shell.

Generally unless spell specifies otherwise, they follow line of effect rules. (line of sight =/= line of effect). Aka you can't cast spells through transparent objects unless spell itself says so (like dimension door where you just have to see spot you are teleporting to)

Oh, I know that.

It was my bad not specifying the color, as I somehow address visible force stuff as something black/dark, and because so not transparent ( but it can obviously be anything, from a dense to a transparent barrier, like pastic or glass )


This seems to be heading back towards the discussion about casting Fireball on the opposite side of Wall of Force. Is line of sight all that is needed in order to target the origin point of a burst effect? or do you need full line of effect?

Link for those who want to read the existing discussion instead of repeating it here.

Grand Archive

I think I might have been mistaken about the color of the sphere. I assumed that light would not reflect off of the sphere. But, if it cannot pass through, it reasonably would reflect back off. How that would appear is questionable. My immediate thought is a perfectly reflective surface, but am unsure.


They look like gumballs.

Smurf.

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