In the description for Tidal Wave, it mentions the area for the spell can be up to 30 feet long, up to 10 feet wide, and up to 10 feet tall. Since it specifies "can be" does that mean the caster chooses the size of the wave or is it always those dimensions?
When the wording is such that a choice can be made, for example: "may", "can", "up to", etc., then the numbers/limitations presented are either the minimum or maximum allowed by the spell.
In this specific case the caster can choose to make the tidal wave smaller if they wish, but no larger than the 30x10x10.
Thanks for the help! I'm helping a friend level their character, and I'm trying to be careful about giving them aoe spells that can't be tweaked right now. They used call lightning, during a thunderstorm, in the middle of the party the other day. Luckily everyone made their saving throws, but they almost killed everyone. Just wanted to make sure we wouldn't end up with a repeat of that before I recommended the spell.
This sounds more like your friend may need help with aiming AoE rather than the spell itself. The lightning from Call Lightning is only a 5-ft radius. He would have had to have been firing right into the middle of a melee to hit your own party.
Something that helps a lot with AoE, Line and Cone spells is to make some cardboard cut outs of the spell effect ranges. There are premade tools to do the same, if you're so inclined.
By having these measuring tools available, the newer player can really understand what, who, and how many critters and objects are going to be affected by the spell cast. It's a necessary crutch in the beginning of the game, it's a tactical tool for those who like to maximize their spell efficiency, and it's just plain helpful to the people who have an impossible time visualizing space in their heads.
In the description for Tidal Wave, it mentions the area for the spell can be up to 30 feet long, up to 10 feet wide, and up to 10 feet tall. Since it specifies "can be" does that mean the caster chooses the size of the wave or is it always those dimensions?
When the wording is such that a choice can be made, for example: "may", "can", "up to", etc., then the numbers/limitations presented are either the minimum or maximum allowed by the spell.
In this specific case the caster can choose to make the tidal wave smaller if they wish, but no larger than the 30x10x10.
Thanks for the help! I'm helping a friend level their character, and I'm trying to be careful about giving them aoe spells that can't be tweaked right now. They used call lightning, during a thunderstorm, in the middle of the party the other day. Luckily everyone made their saving throws, but they almost killed everyone. Just wanted to make sure we wouldn't end up with a repeat of that before I recommended the spell.
This sounds more like your friend may need help with aiming AoE rather than the spell itself. The lightning from Call Lightning is only a 5-ft radius. He would have had to have been firing right into the middle of a melee to hit your own party.
Something that helps a lot with AoE, Line and Cone spells is to make some cardboard cut outs of the spell effect ranges. There are premade tools to do the same, if you're so inclined.
By having these measuring tools available, the newer player can really understand what, who, and how many critters and objects are going to be affected by the spell cast. It's a necessary crutch in the beginning of the game, it's a tactical tool for those who like to maximize their spell efficiency, and it's just plain helpful to the people who have an impossible time visualizing space in their heads.