subject42
2015-02-20, 11:11 AM
Is anyone who's good at parsing rules willing to give me a hand with an issue that's going to crop up in my game next week?
The recently released Spheres of Power book contains an ability called "Blood Totem", that functions according to the following rules:
You may spend a spell point to create a blood totem. Whenever an enemy within this totem’s area deals damage to an ally within this totem’s area, the damage roll is reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 0), and the attacker takes 1 damage that bypasses all damage resistance. The damage reduced and the damage dealt by this totem increases by 1 for every 5 caster levels you possess.
At caster level 6, this creates a 65ft radius field where allies gain damage resistance and produce retributive damage. How does this interact with AoE effects like fireball? Assuming the radius has 10 allies in close phalanx formation, and a sorcerer casts a 6d6 fireball that deals 21 damage, which of these scenarios is correct?
The total damage is reduced by 2 for every ally in the phalanx, effectively reducing the damage to one point of hp damage for each phalanx member. The sorcerer takes 2 damage from each ally in the phalanx, for a total of 20 damage.
The total damage rolled is reduced by 2 overall, effectively reducing the damage to 19 points of damage for each phalanx member. The sorcerer takes 2 damage from each ally in the phalanx, for a total of 20 damage.
The total damage is reduced by 2 for every ally in the phalanx, effectively reducing the damage to one point of hp damage for each phalanx member. The sorcerer takes 2 damage from the damage roll, for a total of 2 damage.
The total damage rolled is reduced by 2 overall, effectively reducing the damage to 19 points of damage for each phalanx member. The sorcerer takes 2 damage from the damage roll, for a total of 2 damage.
I believe that either options 2 or 4 are the correct answer. Options 1 and 3 run afoul of D&D's standard rules stating that multiple instances of the same effect do not stack. In this case, they're all the same modifier and they're applying to an instantaneous effect. That would mean that you wouldn't repeatedly reduce the damage total. Other than that I'm stumped. How would you all interpret this as a DM?
The recently released Spheres of Power book contains an ability called "Blood Totem", that functions according to the following rules:
You may spend a spell point to create a blood totem. Whenever an enemy within this totem’s area deals damage to an ally within this totem’s area, the damage roll is reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 0), and the attacker takes 1 damage that bypasses all damage resistance. The damage reduced and the damage dealt by this totem increases by 1 for every 5 caster levels you possess.
At caster level 6, this creates a 65ft radius field where allies gain damage resistance and produce retributive damage. How does this interact with AoE effects like fireball? Assuming the radius has 10 allies in close phalanx formation, and a sorcerer casts a 6d6 fireball that deals 21 damage, which of these scenarios is correct?
The total damage is reduced by 2 for every ally in the phalanx, effectively reducing the damage to one point of hp damage for each phalanx member. The sorcerer takes 2 damage from each ally in the phalanx, for a total of 20 damage.
The total damage rolled is reduced by 2 overall, effectively reducing the damage to 19 points of damage for each phalanx member. The sorcerer takes 2 damage from each ally in the phalanx, for a total of 20 damage.
The total damage is reduced by 2 for every ally in the phalanx, effectively reducing the damage to one point of hp damage for each phalanx member. The sorcerer takes 2 damage from the damage roll, for a total of 2 damage.
The total damage rolled is reduced by 2 overall, effectively reducing the damage to 19 points of damage for each phalanx member. The sorcerer takes 2 damage from the damage roll, for a total of 2 damage.
I believe that either options 2 or 4 are the correct answer. Options 1 and 3 run afoul of D&D's standard rules stating that multiple instances of the same effect do not stack. In this case, they're all the same modifier and they're applying to an instantaneous effect. That would mean that you wouldn't repeatedly reduce the damage total. Other than that I'm stumped. How would you all interpret this as a DM?