How does Centered Spell interact with Lightning Bolt (and other line spells)?
Centered Spell (Metamagic)
Source Legacy of the First World pg. 23
(...)
You can center the area of a spell with an area effect and duration of instantaneous on you, and exclude yourself from the effects of the spell.
Lightning Bolt
(...)
Area 120-ft. line
Couldn't find anything online, surprisingly. My interpretation is
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Want to burn your brain even more? What's the center of a cone?
Cone, Cylinder, Line, or Sphere: Most spells that affect an area have a particular shape.
A cone-shaped spell shoots away from you in a quarter-circle in the direction you designate. It starts from any corner of your square and widens out as it goes. Most cones are either bursts or emanations (see above), and thus won't go around corners.
When casting a cylinder-shaped spell, you select the spell's point of origin. This point is the center of a horizontal circle, and the spell shoots down from the circle, filling a cylinder. A cylinder-shaped spell ignores any obstructions within its area.
A line-shaped spell shoots away from you in a line in the direction you designate. It starts from any corner of your square and extends to the limit of its range or until it strikes a barrier that blocks line of effect. A line-shaped spell affects all creatures in squares through which the line passes.
A sphere-shaped spell expands from its point of origin to fill a spherical area. Spheres may be bursts, emanations, or spreads.
My interpretation is that Centered Spell only works on spells where the point of origin ordinarily can be somewhere other than "you." But I can see a GM allowing your way as well.
it's even worse when you recognize that area spells with a clear center are not centered on squares but corners.
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it's even worse when you recognize that area spells with a clear center are not centered on squares but corners.
And even more confusing when you consider that the area of spells centered on you (emanations and bursts) becomes bigger when you enlarge: Big creatures and centered effects FAQ.
Some stuff was way easier when we played on a free map without squares to restrict the movement. Spheres were spherical and not a multifaceted form.For the OP question, I consider the "center" of a spell its point of origin, so one of the corners of the character square.