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Part of an ongoing series of 5e (2014)<\/strong> Rules notes.<\/a>\u00a0 See the end of the post for notes on 5.5e (2024)<\/strong> rules.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\nIt’s a classic, so much so that it’s inspired a dozen memes. It’s every magic-user’s favorite 3rd Level spell: Fireball!<\/em><\/p>\n So, what does that bad boy look like?<\/p>\n A bright streak flashes from your pointing finger to a point you choose within range and then blossoms with a low roar into an explosion of flame.<\/p>\n Each creature in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on that point must make a Dexterity saving throw. A target takes 8d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.<\/p>\n The fire spreads around corners.<\/p>\n It ignites flammable objects in the area that aren\u2019t being worn or carried.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n What’s not to like? Hitting everyone in a large radius with 8d6 of fire damage?\u00a0 It is Teh Awesome.<\/p>\n Of course, Fire is one of the most commonly resisted damage types (largely “thanks” to Fireball)<\/em>, and the save is on DEXterity, which is something a lot of bad guys have in abundance.<\/p>\n But, still, it’s pretty damned amazing. No wonder all the spellcasters cannot wait to get it, and then to use it.<\/p>\n So let’s talk about the rules.<\/p>\n Fireball<\/em> has, traditionally in D&D, been a debate about physics, calculating the volume of the fireball, then the volume of the room, then figuring out the blowback if the latter is smaller than the former, etc.<\/p>\n 5e has simplified this. Though the spell talks about an “explosion of flame,” the consensus is that, RAW, it acts more like a volume that is suddenly filled with roiling flame, as long as there is an open channel within range.<\/p>\n There’s no ka-boom<\/em><\/strong> that roars down the hallway like in\u00a0Backdraft.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n Walls and doors, etc., block the effect.<\/p>\n All this does mean that Fireball <\/i>can affect folk out of line of sight. The following picture (source unknown) illustrates:<\/p>\n The magic user on the steps<\/strong> casts Fireball<\/em> in the middle of the corridor ahead. (Properly speaking, spells should anchor on an intersection, not in the middle of a square or an edge. But I digress.)<\/p>\n The lady around the corner gets hit<\/strong>, even though she’s out of Line of Sight from both the caster and the center of the spell, because the fireball\u00a0spreads around the corner<\/i>\u00a0— within the 20 foot radius.<\/p>\n The figure in the room<\/strong>, though, is\u00a0not\u00a0<\/i>hit because the doors are all closed. If the upper door by the lady was open, though, that figure\u00a0would<\/i>\u00a0get hit, even if it’s a lot longer to walk from the center of the spell to that figure than 20 feet.<\/p>\n (I’ve seen some suggestion that the line-of-explosion has to go through full squares; that seems to be a DM call, though. Under that suggestion, the figure in the room would not<\/i> get hit if the upper door was open, because the effect has to go through half-squares. This gets solved, though, by using a squares template, especially on a VTT, rather than drawing a circle.)<\/p>\n (And, no, we’re not going to worry, for purpose of area of effect, whether the doors catch on fire and burn through.)<\/p>\n References: 1<\/a>\u00a02<\/a>\u00a03<\/a>\u00a04<\/a>\u00a05<\/a>\u00a06<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Fire](\"https:\/\/media1.tenor.com\/m\/RR2vpm4rEOIAAAAC\/elmo-fire.gif\")
From\u00a0PHB 241<\/a>.<\/p>\nThe Rules of Fireball<\/h1>\n
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<\/a>![\"fireball](\"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/heroes\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/fireball-meme.jpg\")
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<\/a>So how about in 5.5e?<\/span><\/h1>\n