Questions tagged [line-of-effect]
For questions about "line of effect", a term used in D&D and other RPGs to describe a physically clear and unobstructed path between two points - typically the caster of a spell (or other source of an effect) and the intended target.
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What would happen if the line of effect is blocked after the spell is casted but before taking effect?
So, I would just visualise the case to simplify the question description.
Assuming the Resilient Sphere appears before the spell actually takes place, and it blocks the line of effect.
When something ...
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Can you counter a spell through wall of force? [duplicate]
The party wizard has cast a hemispherical wall of force to trap the evil sorcerer and isolate him from the battle. The sorcerer however knows dimension door, and tries to cast it to escape. Can the ...
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Can you cast Sanctuary through total cover?
Sanctuary says:
You ward a creature within range against attack. Until the spell ends, any creature who targets the warded creature with an attack or a harmful spell must first make a Wisdom saving ...
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Can I use the Guiding Bolt spell to attack a creature that burrowed underground where I can't see them?
Recently, I was in a 4-player level 12 free-for-all, and one of the other characters transformed into an earth elemental and burrowed underground, meaning I couldn't see them. This is an afterthought, ...
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Can I shoot or use spells from one room to another?
Can I shoot or use spells from one room to another? I can see my opponents through an open door that is between the rooms. My DM told me I could not do that.
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Can a gelatinous cube block line of effect
If there is a 20-foot by 10-foot passage, can two adjacent gelatinous cubes (or similarly large ooze) block line of effect? If the cleric casts prayer, are enemies behind the cubes protected from the ...
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Can you move Flaming Sphere to a point you can't see?
Let's say you are outside a room and the door is open. You cast Flaming Sphere inside, on a square you can see through the door and then move away so you no longer have vision of the sphere.
On the ...
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Is a "clear path to the target" needed for non-spell effects?
The PHB (p.205) specifies the general rule that a "clear path to the target" is required to cast a spell. The rules on cover (p.196) tell us that total cover prevents an attack or a spell.
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Cover - Line of effect/Line of Sight
Evaluating the examples in the figure, what is the interaction between the huge creature and the respective target of each color (blue, green, red, orange, purple), without the interference of the ...
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How does a line-pattern weapon interact with the Seeking tag?
If a Lancer weapon has both a line pattern and the Seeking tag, how does its attack work?
For example, suppose a pilot equips the Death's Head Railgun (which normally attacks in a 20 space line) and ...
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Is the point of origin for a persistant AoE spell relevant after casting?
When a spell is cast, it is understood that there must be an obstruction-free line of effect from the point of origin of an area of effect spell for it to affect a location (PHB 204):
A spell’s ...
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Does the fact Spirit Guardians has range self, affect whether the area of effect goes around corners?
Spirit Guardians has a Range of Self (15-foot radius) (and adds in the description that the Spirits "flit around you to a distance of 15 feet for the duration")
Given this situation:
The ...
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Can the Raulothim's Psychic Lance spell hit a creature behind full cover if you utter the creature's name?
The spell Raulothim's Psychic Lance (Fizban's Treasury of Dragons, p. 21) can hit a creature without having to see it, so long as the caster utters the name of the target:
You unleash a shimmering ...
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Can moonbeam cast through a wall of force? [duplicate]
Moonbeam states that:
A silvery beam of pale light shines down in a 5-foot-radius, 40-foot-high cylinder centered on a point within range. Until the spell ends, dim light fills the cylinder.
There ...
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Can you summon a spiritual weapon into the bubble created by Bead of Force? Can whoever is inside cast charm person on someone outside the bubble? [duplicate]
The wording for Bead of Force says "Only breathable air can pass through the sphere's wall. No Attack or other Effect can." which obviously means that spells such as firebolt or ray of ...
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How exactly do cylinder spells and effects "ignore obstructions" in their areas? Or what kinds of obstructions they can realistically ignore?
So, Spell descriptions on Area entry says:
When casting a cylinder-shaped spell, you select the spell’s point of origin. This point is the center of a horizontal circle, and the spell shoots down ...
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Is there a minimum requirement for a character to have line of effect with Shadow Jaunt/Stride/Blink?
I'm pretty sure this has been asked already but I can't find the question in question, so I hope I don't break any rules by asking again.
The Shadow X maneuvers from Shadow Hand have a line of effect ...
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Does Eldritch Blast travel in a straight line?
My DM and I have researched this at length and we can't seem to find an answer anywhere. Eldritch Blast states:
A beam of crackling energy streaks toward a creature within range. Make a ranged spell ...
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Does the Hex spell require a Clear Path when moved to a second target?
The Hex spell reads (PHB, p. 251):
You place a curse on a creature that you can see within
range. [...]
If the target drops to 0 hit points before this spell ends, you can use a bonus action ...
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Are there any spells that can damage a creature in another creatures stomach?
Under Casting a Spell > targets there is the following section:
A Clear Path to the Target
To target something, you must have a clear path to it, so it can't be behind total cover. If you place an ...
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Do I need a clear path to the target, or just my familiar, when delivering spells with Find Familiar?
Here's the setup:
My familiar is adjacent to the creature I want to target with my touch spell, and is within 100' of me.
Both the target and my familiar are around a corner, and I do not have a ...
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When casting a spell through the Wildfire Druid's Enhanced Bond feature, who would need a clear path to the target?
The Circle of Wildfire druid's Enhanced Bond feature states (UA: Cleric, Druid and Wizard, p. 3):
...In addition, when you cast a spell with a range other than self, the spell can originate from ...
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Does the Silent Image spell require the caster to actually have visual contact with the area they want to place the effect on?
Does the silent image spell require the caster to actually have visual contact with the area they want to place the effect on?
Or, is the 60-foot radius all that matters, even if it is behind a wall?
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Does the Scrying spell require you to have a clear path to the target in order to work?
The section "A Clear Path to the Target", on page 205 of the PHB states "To target something, you must have a clear path to it, so it can’t be behind total cover."
The description of the Scrying ...
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How does line of effect work with spells targeted through the Sentinel Raven's sight, from the UA Raven Queen warlock patron?
I'm playing a warlock in a D&D 5e campaign. I am playing a multiclassed Rogue 11/Warlock 1. For my one level in warlock, I chose the Raven Queen patron from Unearthed Arcana. According to the ...
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How does the Darkness spell react with solid objects obstructing the spell's area?
I recently played with a mob that could cast deeper darkness at will. Up until now the spell seemed very clear to me, because I just considered that there was basically a sphere of 60 feet around the ...
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Can the Dragon's Breath spell damage enemies with no clear path to the caster?
Can Dragon's Breath spell damage enemies that do not have a clear path to the caster?
The PHB page 204 says:
To target something, you must have a clear path to it, so it can’t be behind total ...
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Does the Eyebite Spell Work Through a Wall of Force?
Does the Eyebite spell work through a Wall of Force? Or is it blocked by Full Cover, even if the target can be seen?
This question is similar to this, but contrarily to Gaze effects the spell Eyebite ...
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Can a spiritual weapon be moved through walls?
Reading How does a Spiritual Weapon interact with illusions of creatures when it is moved? made me wonder - can a spiritual weapon be moved through walls?
The description of the spell reads (emphasis ...
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When you cast a spell with "effect" entry, do you have to have line of effect to every portion of the effect to be created?
When you cast a spell with “effect” entry, do you have to have line of effect to every portion of the effect to be created?
Some examples of where it can be relevant:
Casting Summon Monster to ...
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Can the generic teleport Action available to some monsters be used to move through transparent, total cover?
Many monsters have access to the Action, teleport.
MM, various statblocks
Teleport. The [creature] magically teleports, along with any
equipment it is wearing or carrying, up to [distance] to an ...
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What happens when you cast Fog Cloud behind a wall?
I'm puzzled by the "a clear path to the target" rule.
To target something, you must have a clear path to it, so it can't be behind total cover.
This seems straightforward: you can't target a ...
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Do Enchantment spells need line of effect?
A wizard casts Arcane Eye and sends it to another room to get vision of an enemy. The wizard then casts Crown of Madness on the enemy since he is in range. The Arcane Eye ends because he now ...
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Can the Minor Illusion spell be cast without line of sight?
Can minor illusion be cast without line of sight?
For example, could you cast it behind a wall or through a closed door? Or do you need to see where it’s being manifested? I can't seem to find any ...
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Does Antimagic Field block line of effect for spells?
Consider a 100 foot long, 10 foot wide corridor. The middle 10 feet of the corridor are under the effects of Antimagic Field. A wizard at one end of the corridor wants to cast, say, Blindness/Deafness ...
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Can you use line-of-sight abilities (such as shadow jaunt) if you have blind sight to a location?
Scenario is: your character is blind, but has blind sight. Can this character use blind sight to shadow jaunt to a location within his range of sight (LOS) (usually 60 ft) or does this not apply?
...
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Under what circumstances does an antimagic field suppress the casting of a spell?
The antimagic field spell says that "within the sphere, spells can't be cast", and spells out some more of the specific effects of this:
Targeted Effects. Spells and other magical effects, such as ...
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Could a Warlock with Ghostly Gaze and Sacred Flame attack through a wall? [duplicate]
The Eldritch Invocation Ghostly Gaze allows the Warlock to see through solid objects out to 30' for as long as she concentrates (up to 1 minute).
For our scenario, our Warlock's nemesis has managed ...
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Do auras require line of effect?
Several in-game effects, such as all the paladin's auras (PHB p. 85) and spells like Aura of Life and Aura of Purity (PHB p. 216), are passive auras that radiate from the point of origin (usually a ...
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Can I use Arcane Eye to cast a Fireball past a solid wall?
One of my players is interested in using Arcane Eye and Fireball in conjunction. From looking at this thread here:
Area spells and line of sight, it seems that if a player cannot SEE the target, then ...
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Does Crawling Eye grant line-of-effect across Impenetrable Barrier?
I was trying to think of really fun, evil things to do with a warlock. I was curious if this works:
Use Crawling Eye
Use Impenetrable Barrier between you and the eye
Do horrible things to opponents ...
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Does Lightning Bolt affect everyone in its line of effect?
I'm looking for clarification on a spell effect. The specific spell in question is lightning bolt, 3rd-level Sorcerer/Wizard spell. It has an area of a 120-ft line. Does it pass through enemies? If I ...
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What is the difference between line of sight and line of effect?
As the title. I've seen many definitions such as concealment refer to one or both, but I can't find a clear definition of them or how they are different.
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Can spells be cast through a Wall of Force?
The spell description of wall of force is silent on the question of whether spell effects can pass through the wall. The semi-relevant part of the description states:
Nothing can physically pass ...
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How do zones and line of effect work, and are they adjusted if the zone follows the player (kinda like an aura, but defined as a zone)?
So lets say your situation is like so:
.....
.XXX.
CXB..
.XXX.
.....
Where C is the caster, and B is blocking terrain, and the x's are the squares affected by a ...
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Consequences of Blindness on casting spells?
Which types of spells can a Blinded caster still target as accurately as usual? Which ones require extra steps or give penalties because of blindness? Which ones can simply not be targeted at all, ...
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Do burst/close burst attacks "splash" around corners?
I know that blasts require LoS in 4e and that bursts require line of effect between the target square and the creature using the power but one my players asked if a burst would hit diagonally around a ...
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What do characters know about the battlefield?
The PCs generally know where all enemies are and vice versa (except those who are Hidden). They also know the effects of all zones and other buffs that are in effect. This is part of the "all the ...
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What effects can hit a phasing creature in a nonmagical wall square?
In a recent battle I was Dming, the party was fighting against Wraiths (in the Madness at Gardmore Abbey adventure). Wraiths have phasing and thus can fly into and through walls, so the players and I ...
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Taking into account line-of-sight & blast rules, how would a blast work with a wall between you and an enemy?
If you take into effect the blast rules and the line-of-sight rules, how should we play the blast? Would it wrap the nine squares in front of him, including the wall? Would it go the nine diagonal ...
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