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There are many actions that create persistent zones and have a trigger for their effect of among others: "...enters the zone..." What are the things that qualify as entering the zone?

Things that would seem to fit this would be:

  • Willing movement into the zone.
  • Forced movement into the zone.
  • Teleporting into the zone.
  • Appearing inside the zone.
  • Having the zone moved to include the square you occupy.

Do any of those listed not count as having entered the zone and why? And are there any that are not listed that would count as having entered the zone?

This is for D&D 4e.

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Would state that this is spun off of this question rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/4688/… – Joshua Aslan Smith Mar 7 at 22:02
to a degree. i am leveling a wizard (mage) and choosing new powers. i wanted to know if Hypnotic Pattern pulling targets into Fountain of Flame would trigger the "enters the zone" effect of Fountain of Flame. i read that question before posting, but felt it did not answer my question. – b33f3r Mar 7 at 23:01
Totally understandable, the fact that hindering terrain and save throws aren't discussed in that question make it valid. I just threw in the link as a similar question. – Joshua Aslan Smith Mar 8 at 14:29

2 Answers

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Any situation in which a creature stops being in square A and starts being in square B, where square B is within the zone but square A is not, counts as entering the zone. It doesn't matter whether the creature moved normally, was moved via forced movement, or teleported.

Additionally, appearing inside the zone some other way (such as at the end of a power that removes the creature from play) counts as entering the zone.

Having the zone moved to the square you occupy does not count as entering the zone: you didn't enter the zone, the zone entered your space.

"Entering" something requires a change of position/location on the entering creature's part. You don't enter something by standing still.

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it seems to me that logically although the character is passive he would still "enter" the zone if the zone where moved to include the square he occupied. – b33f3r Mar 7 at 22:58
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The character didn't enter the zone, the zone engulfed the character. – Oblivious Sage Mar 7 at 23:08
Maybe it's worth to notice how foced movement into a dangerous zone is subject to a save. – Zachiel Mar 8 at 0:08
@Zachiel there is another question relating to that. the answer they arrived at is that the target would not get a save for moving into a zone like Fountain of Flame creates. hindering terrain to my understanding is more permanent environmental features. – b33f3r Mar 8 at 19:01
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@b33f3r - As a side note, so far as I am aware all the movable zones also have a line to the effect of 'when a creature starts its turn inside the zone'. So they'd be getting zapped by it when their turn started anyway. – Ananisapta Mar 11 at 11:56
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up vote 2 down vote

If the zone moves for any reason, the "Entering the zone..." trigger will never set off for any reason. If the creature/target enters a square occupied by the zone it will always trigger the "Entering the zone..." trigger.

Its important to note with forced movement that creatures get to make a save against entering hindering terrain (I.E. any sort of dangerous area, including damage zones) at the time they would enter. If they succeed then they are simply knocked prone on the square before entering the zone.

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