Does Rising Hurricane allow variable height?

[Ravingdork]

The kineticist's Rising Hurricane composite impulse says the following:
Lift any creature that fails its save to any height you choose within the area, move it up to 5 feet in any direction, then drop it. It takes falling damage normally unless it has a fly Speed.

Can I lift different targets to different heights, or do they all need to be lifted to the same height?

I'm wondering if I could spare allies in the area a little damage by lifting them only 1 foot while enemies soar much, much higher.

[Finoan]

I am able to read it both ways as far as the RAW goes.

For balance considerations - the existence of AoE impulses and Kinetic Aura stances that don't natively allow you to exclude your allies and the existence of Safe Elements that lets you exclude allies from Kinetic Aura effects and the Pacifying Infusion action that lets you exclude allies from AoE impulses...

I would say that the RAI is that you do need to pick the same height for both enemies and affected allies.

[Trip.H]

I agree that the text is technically ambiguous as to whether the selected height is per creature or per casting of the impulse.

I do think the use of the singular the whole way through does somewhat imply / lean toward you running through that procedure for each creature independent of the prior creature(s).

That "one by one" way it's written would enable different lift heights. But that's just my take.

[Baarogue]

Trip.H wrote:

I agree that the text is technically ambiguous as to whether the selected height is per creature or per casting of the impulse.

I do think the use of the singular the whole way through does somewhat imply / lean toward you running through that procedure for each creature independent of the prior creature(s).

That "one by one" way it's written would enable different lift heights. But that's just my take.

this is also my take

[shroudb]

Yeah, "any creature to any height" does read to me as well as individual choice.

[Errenor]

shroudb wrote:

Yeah, "any creature to any height" does read to me as well as individual choice.

And even if it's not, they should've written it much more clearly if they intended that.

[Xenocrat]

Agree with everyone else, you can't avoid hitting allies with this one.

Alas, it's three actions so Safe Elements is useless.

[Errenor]

Xenocrat wrote:

you can't avoid hitting allies with this one.

Well, but the question was 'how hard?', not 'can you not?'

[turtle006]

As written, it reads to me as choose for each creature. And could be used to give allies effectively a free step. (Lift a foot, move 5 feet and drop.)

[LordeAlvenaharr]

Question, can I raise the target to any height, say out of orbit?

[Errenor]

LordeAlvenaharr wrote:

Question, can I raise the target to any height, say out of orbit?

Reading the ability's text would probably help you with this question.