Is damage rolled for once per area of effect spell, or rolled once per target?

Question

I'm trying to figure out whether you roll damage for AOE spells as a group or individually in the Fantasy AGE system. I can't find any explicit mention in the rulebook.

For example, the spell flame blast creates a 8×2 area of fire. Anyone in that area takes 2d6+1 damage unless they make a successful Acrobatics test in which case they take 1d6+1.

In this case there are at least two damage rolls going on, but it's unclear if there are just two separate values for damage pre-rolled for the whole group, or if damage for each target is rolled separately.

If anyone can point me towards some applicable rules (or confirm that this is something the GM has to rule on) that would be wonderful.

Answer 1

Either option works, rolling individually takes longer, but could be more realistic and people like rolling dice, rolling for everything in the area is faster though.

I can't give you a better answer than that though, unread FAGE a while ago, but never played more than 2 one-offs. If the GM is in doubt he can let the table decide for the time being and review that decision at a later date.

Answer 2

Let's consider what is actually happening to the characters who are affected by an AoE spell. When you roll for damage, what you're determining in the context of the fantasy world is how damaging was the interaction of this destructive force to the character who underwent it. Now, realistically, each character would be in a slightly different physical state when a spell hits, even if they all happened to be fast asleep in an open field. One character might be lying face down, and so an AoE that moves down on them, like a rain of acid, would hit fewer sensitive parts on them then it would on their companion who was sleeping face up. Keeping track of all of the minute details that dictate this sort of thing would be incredibly tedious and would drastically detract from the fun of all involved; thus, we roll damage separately for all affected by the spell in order to account for the countless different ways in which these tiny details could alter the actual physical damage each target sustains.