Call lightning and concealment

[deathwolf669]

While playing tonight game we came across a beasty sat in some long grass which gave it a 20% concealment and the question was raised if I drop a lightning bolt which is a 5' wide bolt, would this mean it has concealment or would the bolt strike the beasty as it is stood in that square?

The beasts size is 2x2 squares.

[eggynack]

I think you'd be fine. You're not targeting the creature, after all, and I'm pretty sure that a ranged attack of the sort that concealment deals with requires an attack roll. Either way, the important thing is that call lightning is basically an AoE, and thus isn't impacted by concealment.

[watchwood]

It might get it if the spell went from the caster, through the grass, and to the target. But since it came from above, it really shouldn't.

[nedz]

Call Lightning targets a square, so as long as you know which square to target you should be fine.

[Rath the Brown]

Couldn't find the specific text in the SRD, but the PHB states:

miss chance: The possibility that a successful attack roll misses anyway because of the attacker’s uncertainty about the target’s location. See concealment.
In every game I've ever played in, if you don't make an attack roll, a miss chance (from whatever source) doesn't apply.

[HunterOfJello]

Concealment doesn't give you any protection from area damage spells.



Cover can give you any protection against an area spell, but it depends on whether the spell's area is a burst, emanation, or spread. Spreads go around corners, so they're nice to use on enemies who are hiding behind solid objects.

[nedz]

Call Lightning isn't an area spell: it has no Area in it's stat block.
It just targets one square.

Call Lightning
Effect: One or more 30-ft.-long vertical lines of lightning

Immediately upon completion of the spell, and once per round thereafter, you may call down a 5-foot-wide, 30-foot-long, vertical bolt of lightning that deals 3d6 points of electricity damage. The bolt of lightning flashes down in a vertical stroke at whatever target point you choose within the spell's range (measured from your position at the time). Any creature in the target square or in the path of the bolt is affected.

[kirerellim]

Well, it still targets the square not the creature, so it shouldn't have any problems hitting.

[Crake]

Call Lightning isn't an area spell: it has no Area in it's stat block.
It just targets one square.

Actually, it's a 5 foot wide, 30 foot high vertical line. So it has the same "area" as a lightning bolt (minus 90 feet of length of course), it is very much an area spell.

Edit: The reason why the stat block doesn't have the are in it is because the spell itself doesn't make the lightning bolts, they enable the caster to call them down, so it's instead got an effect section.