Okay, so I'm a bit confused by this and am hoping someone could help me out. The new rules for Area of effect are as follows:
"A Sphere is an area of effect that extends in straight lines from a point of origin outward in all directions. The effect that creates a Sphere specifies the distance it extends as the radius of the Sphere. A Sphere’s point of origin is included in the Sphere’s area of effect.
A Cube is an area of effect that extends in straight lines from a point of origin located anywhere on a face of the Cube. The effect that creates a Cube specifies its size, which is the length of each side. A Cube’s point of origin isn’t included in the area of effect unless its creator decides otherwise."
If we are playing on a grid, I am gathering that a sphere is actually a cube, but the point of origin must be the center of the cube, whereas a cube area of effect only differs from a sphere by its point of origin being the caster's choice? Is this right?
I just don't fully understand what the ramifications, or difference in this is, and why Fairie fire is a cube, whereas fireball is a sphere?
Fireball has "ball" in the name and a ball is a sphere. Faerie Fire is just targeting a cube area and it being a sphere would be needlessly irrelevant.
I'm confused about your confusion. Both are the same, it's mostly just a pedantic visual qualifier so that you don't have people arguing the other way about how round spells shouldn't mechanically be cubes. Game-wise, it doesn't matter since a 15ft cube and a 15ft sphere effect the same stuff.
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"The mongoose blew out its candle and was asleep in bed before the room went dark." —Llanowar fable
Based on the definitions presented, a 15ft sphere would be nearly 4x the size of a 15ft cube (radius vs. side length). Besides that, on a grid (assuming actual values that produce similarly sized shaped), there won't be much of a difference. However, if your maps add any verticality to them, then the differences can start to get pretty apparent. Then there are the people who don't play on a grid and the differences there will matter.
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Okay, so I'm a bit confused by this and am hoping someone could help me out. The new rules for Area of effect are as follows:
"A Sphere is an area of effect that extends in straight lines from a point of origin outward in all directions. The effect that creates a Sphere specifies the distance it extends as the radius of the Sphere. A Sphere’s point of origin is included in the Sphere’s area of effect.
A Cube is an area of effect that extends in straight lines from a point of origin located anywhere on a face of the Cube. The effect that creates a Cube specifies its size, which is the length of each side. A Cube’s point of origin isn’t included in the area of effect unless its creator decides otherwise."
If we are playing on a grid, I am gathering that a sphere is actually a cube, but the point of origin must be the center of the cube,
whereas a cube area of effect only differs from a sphere by its point of origin being the caster's choice? Is this right?
I just don't fully understand what the ramifications, or difference in this is, and why Fairie fire is a cube, whereas fireball is a sphere?
Fireball has "ball" in the name and a ball is a sphere. Faerie Fire is just targeting a cube area and it being a sphere would be needlessly irrelevant.
But if you drew out the "sphere" area of effect on a grid, it would be a square/cube, not circle/sphere based on the rules above.
I'm confused about your confusion. Both are the same, it's mostly just a pedantic visual qualifier so that you don't have people arguing the other way about how round spells shouldn't mechanically be cubes. Game-wise, it doesn't matter since a 15ft cube and a 15ft sphere effect the same stuff.
Based on the definitions presented, a 15ft sphere would be nearly 4x the size of a 15ft cube (radius vs. side length). Besides that, on a grid (assuming actual values that produce similarly sized shaped), there won't be much of a difference. However, if your maps add any verticality to them, then the differences can start to get pretty apparent. Then there are the people who don't play on a grid and the differences there will matter.