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Here's the situation, a large creature moves next to a Wall of Fire.

  W
CCW
CCW
  W

Next it moves into the wall, taking damage

   W
  CC
  CC
   W

Then it moves again

   W
   CC
   CC
   W

Does that count as "a creature moves into the wall’s space" and would it take damage again?

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    \$\begingroup\$ Wow, this power is a tricky one, isn't it? Might I suggest an addition to the question? Consider a creature that starts his turn half-in and half-out of the wall. Would he take damage for both conditions (being in the wall, and adjacent to it) or just one? Also, does the creature take the 3-square movement penalty once or twice in the scenario you've described? \$\endgroup\$
    – Iszi
    Oct 14, 2010 at 23:15
  • \$\begingroup\$ @iszi -- The creature only takes the 3-square movement penalty once. See page 284 of the PHB. A large creature would take the 3-square penalty once when it first entered the wall (diagram 2), but would not take it as it moved through (diagram 3). \$\endgroup\$
    – AceCalhoon
    Oct 15, 2010 at 3:42
  • \$\begingroup\$ @iszi -- I would also say that it only takes damage once (being in the wall). My reasoning would be that a medium creature doesn't take both forms of damage, despite being adjacent to segments of the wall... The large creature is just as "within" the wall as the medium creature. But that's a MUCH fuzzier ruling. \$\endgroup\$
    – AceCalhoon
    Oct 15, 2010 at 3:46
  • \$\begingroup\$ @AceCalhoon - Page 284 of PHB1 only has one diagram that I see. However, it does contain the entry on "Difficult Terrain" which seems to offer guidance that is in line with your analysis. The relevant details are under the "Large, Huge, and Gargantuan Creatures" sub-heading: "Count only squares it is entering for the first time, not squares it already occupies." \$\endgroup\$
    – Iszi
    Oct 15, 2010 at 4:35
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Iszi That's the text I was referring to. When I said diagram, I was referring to the diagrams in this post. \$\endgroup\$
    – AceCalhoon
    Oct 15, 2010 at 13:31

2 Answers 2

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My interpretation is that it would take damage once for that movement.

When the monster first enters the flame (second diagram), it has entered the wall's space and takes damage.

In the third diagram, the monster is not "moving into the wall's space" because it is ALREADY in the wall's space.

So far as the 3-square movement penalty is concerned, the monster would only take that once when it first entered the wall (second diagram). As it continued to move through the wall (third diagram), it would no longer receive the penalty. This is based on the rules for hindering and difficult terrain for large creatures on page 284 of the PHB.

Does a large monster take damage for both being adjacent to the wall and inside it at the same time? I would say no. My reasoning would be that a medium creature doesn't take both forms of damage, despite being adjacent to segments of the wall... The large creature is just as "within" the wall as the medium creature. But that's a MUCH fuzzier ruling.

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Per the errata from 20120112, you only take damage from zones once per turn, regardless of how frequently you move in or out of the zone. Explicitly introduced to stop players from trivialising encounters with damaging zones and forced movements.

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