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So one of the basic movement rules says that it costs a creature movement to move INTO a square and not to EXIT a square. Given this rule, difficult terrain is easy to deal with when it comes to medium-sized creatures. The terrain does not affect these when they move out of a square with difficult terrain (or similar) into a square that is not difficult terrain. This movement only costs 5 feet for the creature since no part of it is moving through difficult terrain and no part of it is still in difficult terrain.

Our problem at the table: Imagine a Gargantuan creature, so 4x4 squares, on which Wall of Thorns is cast in circle shape, so 20-foot diameter, basically the same area as the creature, dead center.

To my mind there's different ways to look at this: If the creature moves in any direction, it moves into squares that are not affected by WoT for the 4 squares outside of the AoE. But what about the remaining 12 squares? Do they count as having been moved into the WoT area? Also, at what point is the creature no longer considered to be under the affect of the WoT? Does the rule apply that states that at least half of the creature's base has to be in the AoE? So the creature would be impeded only for the first 2 squares of movement and then be scott-free for the rest?

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The creature is slowed as long as any part of its space moves within the spell area

Partially being in the area of a spell counts as being in the area. The wall of thorns spell says:

For every 1 foot a creature moves through the wall, it must spend 4 feet of movement.

So as long as the creature is not already at the edge of the spell's area, it still counts as being in the area and moving through it, and it will be slowed down by the effect. For example, if the gargantuan creature still overlaps with the spell area by 10 feet, then moving will move one of its 5-foot squares in the wall area, and it will be affected.

The creature is not slowed only if it is outside of the spell area except for a 5-foot overlap, so that no part that still overlaps moves into any of the spell's area when the creature moves out.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ What about the rule that says for an AoE to affect a creature it must at least be covered by it by half? Does it not apply here? \$\endgroup\$
    – Graybark
    Commented Jun 3 at 19:29
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    \$\begingroup\$ @Greybark I think you are confusing it with the rule that for a 5-foot square to count as affected, it must be affected by at least half. There is no such rule for spell areas. See here for more detail and quotations. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Jun 3 at 19:39
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    \$\begingroup\$ @Graybark I can't find such a rule. There is a rule in the DMG, chapter 8 that says If an area of effect is circular and covers at least half a square, it affects that square. Xanathar's says something similar. Xanathar's also includes an explicit version of "counts as being in the area", a creature is included in an area of effect if any part of the miniature’s base is overlapped by the template. but only with respect to miniatures. \$\endgroup\$
    – Wyrmwood
    Commented Jun 3 at 19:41
  • \$\begingroup\$ Yeah, I messed up there. Everything makes sense now. Thank you, guys! \$\endgroup\$
    – Graybark
    Commented Jun 3 at 19:46

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