When using a grid and spells like darkness it is confusing to determine radius.
For example if you cast darkness on yourself it says it has a radius of 15 ft. So does it go out 3 blocks on the grid or two. Because 2 squares out is 25 ft diameter but 3 squares out is 35 ft.
If you use the grid rules in the DMG, you center the circle on a grid intersection and any square that's at least half covered by the circle is affected by the spell. Non-circle areas affect any squares they overlap, regardless of how much is covered.
Xanathar's Guide to Everything has two other methods you can use. One of them involves making cutouts of different spell shapes and just overlaying them on the grid; whatever squares it overlaps are affected. This is basically how spells work without a grid; you're just using a visual aid.
The other method involves placing dice or other tokens on the grid to fill out the area.
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When using a grid and spells like darkness it is confusing to determine radius.
For example if you cast darkness on yourself it says it has a radius of 15 ft. So does it go out 3 blocks on the grid or two. Because 2 squares out is 25 ft diameter but 3 squares out is 35 ft.
How does this usually get ruled?
Make the point of origin a corner of your square and go out 3 squares in each direction. You will be slightly off center, but diameter will be 30.
If you use the grid rules in the DMG, you center the circle on a grid intersection and any square that's at least half covered by the circle is affected by the spell. Non-circle areas affect any squares they overlap, regardless of how much is covered.
Xanathar's Guide to Everything has two other methods you can use. One of them involves making cutouts of different spell shapes and just overlaying them on the grid; whatever squares it overlaps are affected. This is basically how spells work without a grid; you're just using a visual aid.
The other method involves placing dice or other tokens on the grid to fill out the area.