Is there any emanation which stops line of effect?

[unseenmage]

Is there any emanation which stops line of effect?

Just in case I'm misusing my terminology I'll clarify, are there any area spells, which do not create solid or semisolid material, that prevent a spell from affecting persons or things within or on the other side of their area?

I always thought Antimagic Field (and more recently Energy Transformation Field) did this but evidently RAW it does not, which makes me wonder if such a spell even exists.

Solutions discovered:

Anything which fully blocks line of sight (such as Fog Cloud) will prevent targeting anything but the space you're in from a distance, meaning only rays, AoEs, and ranged weapon attacks can hit you, and anything but an AoE will garner a 50% miss chance without an alternate means of targeting -- such as Blindsight. Solid Fog and its derivatives will prevent ranged weapon attacks, as well (and having Freedom of Movement will keep you moving safely). If Solid Fog is cast with the Invisible Spell feat and you have some means of invisibility and Freedom of Movement, trying to detect you with True Seeing and See Invisibility will fail. If you're incorporeal as well, nothing can detect you short of Mindsight or Life Sense (including Touchsight). If you're ethereal instead, even those should fail, since you're on another plane, and only Transdimensional Touchsight can find you. If you're incorporeal AND ethereal AND invisible AND affected by Invisible Spell'd Solid Fog (and Freedom of Movement), then nothing should be able to detect you (or hit you) at all.

Otiluke's Dispelling Screen (Complete Arcane) does exactly what you want: "... spell effects not operating on objects or unattended creatures cannot pass through the screen.


It only affects spells under a certain level, but (Lesser) Globe of Invulnerability does exactly what you want.

[Maginomicon]

If it's not solid or semisolid, it's not a barrier. If it's not a solid barrier, it does not block line of effect. It can block line of sight (and thus grant total concealment, assuming they know what square you're in at all, as if they don't then they can't make an attack roll against you except by guessing a square), but not block line of effect.

That aside, the Wall of Water spell blocks line of effect, but only against fire effects/spells. That's not an emanation though.

Any emanation that was so powerful that it blocked line of effect would become too powerful to be allowed, probably.

[phlidwsn]

Wings of Cover from Races of the Dragon is the closest I can think of. Even then its just Total Cover via loss of line of sight, negating one attack roll against you or giving +8AC and +4 ref vs an aoe. It works via creating a force bubble that only exists for the instant it blocks the attack.

[Starmage21]

Anti-Magic Field blocks Line of Effect IIRC. It does not block Line of Sight.

[Raendyn]

Wings of Cover from Races of the Dragon is the closest I can think of. Even then its just Total Cover via loss of line of sight, negating one attack roll against you or giving +8AC and +4 ref vs an aoe. It works via creating a force bubble that only exists for the instant it blocks the attack.

wings of cover blocks line of sight, they cant target you with targeted spells aoe still work with jsut a bonus on reflex saves.

Anti-Magic Field blocks Line of Effect IIRC. It does not block Line of Sight.

Not true... just stops nonconjuration-instantaneous spells.

[eggynack]

Anti-Magic Field blocks Line of Effect IIRC. It does not block Line of Sight.



Not true... just stops nonconjuration-instantaneous spells.
Quite so. Just thought I'd post a citation here, for the general edification of those involved. "An antimagic area doesn’t block line of effect." (RC, 11)

[Psyren]

Rules of the Game thought it did, yet another example of WotC's rampant foot-in-mouth syndrome. (For the record, I agree with the RAW ruling from RC.)

[aeauseth]

Wall of Force (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/wallOfForce.htm)

[Fax Celestis]

Wall of Force (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/wallOfForce.htm)

...creates a physical barrier. He's trying to block line of effect while still being able to move.

[Deophaun]

...creates a physical barrier. He's trying to block line of effect while still being able to move.
Well, if you can reliably pass the Will save, wall of incarnum will do that. If you're undead/not a living creature, so will spiritwall.

[Rubik]

Anything which fully blocks line of sight (such as Fog Cloud) will prevent targeting anything but the space you're in from a distance, meaning only rays, AoEs, and ranged weapon attacks can hit you, and anything but an AoE will garner a 50% miss chance without an alternate means of targeting -- such as Blindsight. Solid Fog and its derivatives will prevent ranged weapon attacks, as well (and having Freedom of Movement will keep you moving safely). If Solid Fog is cast with the Invisible Spell feat and you have some means of invisibility and Freedom of Movement, trying to detect you with True Seeing and See Invisibility will fail. If you're incorporeal as well, nothing can detect you short of Mindsight or Life Sense (including Touchsight). If you're ethereal instead, even those should fail, since you're on another plane, and only Transdimensional Touchsight can find you. If you're incorporeal AND ethereal AND invisible AND affected by Invisible Spell'd Solid Fog (and Freedom of Movement), then nothing should be able to detect you (or hit you) at all.

[unseenmage]

Well, if you can reliably pass the Will save, wall of incarnum will do that. If you're undead/not a living creature, so will spiritwall.

Looks like Spiritwall also, "...is semimaterial and opaque, providing cover and total concealment against physical attack...", so it's more like a cloud of stuff. Then again, maybe that's exactly what I'm looking for, clouds of stuff that stops spells but not mobility.

Conveniently, Wall of Incarnum calls out, "...and spells cannot pass through it.", so that's nice. And no lineabout it's opacity or blocking physical attacks.

Optimally, creating a zone where I can cast out but enemies can't cast in would be best. Or at least an area that stops line of effect and other magic but allows for physical attacks just fine.

[Deophaun]

You can get around LoS issues with spells like clairvoyance if need be.

[Rubik]

If you want to do this, there are a few ways. If you're a manifester, wrapping a bubble of something around you (such as a Psionic Minor Creation'd hamster ball or a domed Wall of Ectoplasm) and using Burrowing Power will work. If not, you can always have the most powerful Called creature you can conjure carry around one of a pair of ring gates for you to cast out of, or you can use sovereign glue to paste it onto the cleric's shield, exit-side out.

[edit] On the hamster ball thing, design the ball to have sliding windows 1 ft wide and tell your psicrystal use its move action each round to open the one you're facing to let you manifest, then use its standard action to close it when you're done. You can move whenever you like before or after.

[Raendyn]

If you'reaffected by Invisible Spell'd Solid Fog

I honestly don't believe that the fog's " they cant target you" effect will continue after you made it invisible. If you make it invisible it can't hide you anymore.

This is a visible effect of the spell, and IIRC the metamagic says something like "effects other than the vissible ones work as normal"

I remember we discussed this extensively a year ago or so, we were talking about darkness me thinks...

[Rubik]

I honestly don't believe that the fog's " they cant target you" effect will continue after you made it invisible. If you make it invisible it can't hide you anymore.

This is a visible effect of the spell, and IIRC the metamagic says something like "effects other than the vissible ones work as normal"

I remember we discussed this extensively a year ago or so, we were talking about darkness me thinks...You might want to reread, because I explicitly said that you'd also be invisible. Anyone who can't see invisible things can't see you, and anyone who CAN see invisible things sees the cloud instead.

[Raendyn]

You might want to reread, because I explicitly said that you'd also be invisible. Anyone who can't see invisible things can't see you, and anyone who CAN see invisible things sees the cloud instead.

My bad then bro, misunderstood what you were using it for.:smallwink:

[FireGriver]

Optimally, creating a zone where I can cast out but enemies can't cast in would be best. Or at least an area that stops line of effect and other magic but allows for physical attacks just fine.

IotSFV (CArc) does that, eventually. Among other stuff. But it's really a powerful class, so maybe won't fit well in some tables.

[Runestar]

Anti-Magic Field blocks Line of Effect IIRC. It does not block Line of Sight.

Rules compendium (page 11) clarifies that AMF doesn't block line of effects (though any spell that falls into its AoE simply doesn't work).

I don't think there are any spells that block line of effect, for the simply reason it confuses gameplay even more by messing up the targeting rules.

[Psyren]

I don't think there are any spells that block line of effect, for the simply reason it confuses gameplay even more by messing up the targeting rules.

There are tons that do actually - anything that creates an obstacle or cover for instance.

[Anthrowhale]

If you're incorporeal AND ethereal AND invisible AND affected by Invisible Spell'd Solid Fog (and Freedom of Movement), then nothing should be able to detect you (or hit you) at all.

This is nice.

A transD AoE spell or an AoE [force] spell can hit you.

From Frostburn, Invisible Whiteout + Snowsight may be better than Invisible Solid Fog + FoM, as it lasts all day, isn't dispersable, follows you, and covers a larger territory.

[Rubik]

This is nice.Thanks.


A transD AoE spell or an AoE [force] spell can hit you.Mainly by accident. Who knows you're there to hit you with them? Moreover, who knows you're there before you kill them or they flee via Contingency?


From Frostburn, Invisible Whiteout + Snowsight may be better than Invisible Solid Fog + FoM, as it lasts all day, isn't dispersable, follows you, and covers a larger territory.Solid Fog also hinders nearby enemies (either blinding them or hindering movement without letting them know what's doing it) rather handily. And Solid Fog follows you too, if you've got it Permanencied on something attached to your person. I'm fond of doing that on a tooth of Leraje, so I can just open my mouth to flood the area with fog, and since closing one's mouth is a free action (it has to be, since you can talk as a freebie, even not on your turn), it's protected from anything but a really lucky Dispel.

[Anthrowhale]

Mainly by accident. Who knows you're there to hit you with them? Moreover, who knows you're there before you kill them or they flee via Contingency?


No dispute.



Solid Fog also hinders nearby enemies (either blinding them or hindering movement without letting them know what's doing it) rather handily.


The hinder effect is nice. The lost effect of Whiteout is essentially a large-area lockdown which is rather different.



And Solid Fog follows you too, if you've got it Permanencied on something attached to your person.


Solid Fog is a spread which can only target a grid intersection by default.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/spellDescriptions.htm#effect (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/spellDescriptions.htm#range)

How are you changing it's targeting?

[Chronos]

Mainly by accident. Who knows you're there to hit you with them? Anyone who can see invisible, sees a compact moving cloud, and deduces that there's likely to be a spellcaster in the middle generating it?

[Rubik]

Solid Fog is a spread which can only target a grid intersection by default.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/spellDescriptions.htm#effect (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/spellDescriptions.htm#range)

How are you changing it's targeting?The wording of Permanency says that Solid Fog can be rendered permanent on an item, which a tooth of Leraje is.

[ahenobarbi]

Otiluke's Dispelling Screen (Complete Arcane) does exactly what you want: "... spell effects not operating on objects or unattended creatures cannot pass through the screen.

[Anthrowhale]

The wording of Permanency says that Solid Fog can be rendered permanent on an item, which a tooth of Leraje is.

Permanency doesn't alter targeting criteria, because the spell must first be cast as normal before permanency is applied.

[Rubik]

Permanency doesn't alter targeting criteria, because the spell must first be cast as normal before permanency is applied.Technically any spell can be cast on an object, as it's part of creating magic items.

[avr]

It only affects spells under a certain level, but (Lesser) Globe of Invulnerability does exactly what you want.

[TuggyNE]

The wording of Permanency says that Solid Fog can be rendered permanent on an item, which a tooth of Leraje is.

The wording is "Additionally, the following spells solid fog] can be cast upon objects or areas only and rendered permanent." I don't see any reason to suppose permanency gives special permission to cast solid fog on an object, when it's perfectly simple and obvious to merely allow a solid fog cast on an area to be made permanent.

That is, permanency only allows the given list of spells to be cast on either objects or areas; solid fog can only be cast on an area; the intersection of these is that solid fog in an area can be made permanent.


Technically any spell can be cast on an object, as it's part of creating magic items.

When creating magic items, the spell prerequisites are expended as though cast, but nowhere does it say they are actually cast, much less on the object being crafted.