Targeting Mass Death Ward

[MassDeathWard]

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0672.html

Durkon and Roy discuss the potential of using Mass Death Ward against Xykon.

Is it possible that Durkon targeted the whole party? Malak testing to see if he remembered to target himself would seem to allude to that...

[Kish]

Somewhere between unlikely and impossible--much closer to impossible--1) that a seventh-level spell has a range of however many thousands of meters would be necessary for it to hit Roy, Haley, Elan and Vaarsuvius as well as Durkon, Belkar, and Mr. Scruffy, and 2) that the duration is long enough that it would even matter if it did hit the other four--even if Malack's dismissing the spell only applied to its effects on Durkon, not the entire spell.

[MassDeathWard]

From what we have been shown the rest of the party could be in the same position but up a floor. Would this make a difference?

[137beth]

No, because it still probably wouldn't have enough range. And even if it did, that wouldn't matter, since he definitely did not have line of effect. So no.

[Chantelune]

Usually, with those AoE spell, you have to choose the targets then, if they are in range, they will be included. This allow to cast the spell even if there are foes amongts the party and how Durkon specifically included Mr Scruffy in his spell this time.

So for the rest of the party to be included by the spell, they would need to be within range AND that Durkon included them all in it. Given the situation and the urgency, even if the range is not an issue, I'm not sure Durkon would have thought of including the rest of the party as he probably didn't count on them to come along.

[Katuko]

Vamp!Durkon drained blood from Belkar without Malack doing any further dismissal of the spell, so I would presume that even in the unlikely event that Mass Death Ward hit the rest of the party, the effect would be gone by now.

[Snails]

FWIW, in D&D rules, it is typical for such spells to target up to <level> creatures who are at most 30 feet apart.

For example, Elan's Mass Cure Light Wounds spell works that way.

IMO these are rules the Giant is likely to "bend", but will probably not "break".