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I was considering using Deep Shroud, but have a question on attacking through the cloud it creates. The Effect reads: "You create a shroud of supernatural shadow around you. Until the end of your next turn, the space you occupy and each square adjacent to you are heavily obscured."

I know this affects anyone trying to attack the sorcerer while it's active, but does the sorcerer take a penalty to attacking anyone outside the AOE? (Say, an enemy in a well-lit square 8 squares away from the sorcerer while Deep Shroud is active?)

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  • \$\begingroup\$ For further amplification, 4e does have an acknowledged design flaw that they model "stuff blocking the view" and "lack of light" in the same way. \$\endgroup\$ – Brian Ballsun-Stanton Oct 7 '13 at 23:17
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That would make intuitive sense, but D&D 4e dispenses with intuition in favour of tightly-defined, interlocking rules that do all and only what they say they do.

In this case, we look at the definition of "obscured square".

The only effect of obscured squares is to grant concealment (Total Concealment in this case, of heavy obscurement) to targets in the affected squares. It has no effect on attacks targeting creatures in other squares, and no effect when a line of sight goes through them.

So no, your own Deep Shroud won't affect your own attacks. Even if a target was adjacent to you (and therefore in a heavily obscured square) you'd be fine since Total Concealment is only granted by heavily obscured squares when not adjacent to the target.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ It is worth pointing out that while it may seem intuitive that lines of sight traced through obscured squares (especially when described as "heavy fog") should be in some way affected, they are not. Thus, even if there is a wall of heavy fog causing total obscurement in those squares between you and a target, you actually see that target just fine! \$\endgroup\$ – Soulrift Oct 7 '13 at 21:30
  • \$\begingroup\$ Weird. Helpful and handy, but still weird. \$\endgroup\$ – John W Oct 7 '13 at 22:11
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    \$\begingroup\$ @Soulrift "In-too-ish-un"? This is 4e, there's no such thing. ;) (Thanks for the suggestion; done!) \$\endgroup\$ – SevenSidedDie Oct 7 '13 at 22:21

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