Clarification on aoe spells

[Monk of love]

So I'm currently playing a warblade(with IHS) and a reverse gravity was used on me, however I was not sure if I was under the effect of the spell or the area was so I didn't use it at the time.

So my question is with spells like reverse gravity are there any rules that clarify this? by being within such a spell am I under it's effect as well?

Another example would be peace aura spell, the spell effect triggers on a condition so I'm not sure if it can iron heart surged.

[Khedrac]

Unless it says otherwise, if you are in the area of an area spell you are subject to its effects.

[Jormengand]

The trouble with Iron Heart Surge is that no-one has a clue what being "Affected" by a spell actually means (this also causes problems with Reversed Spell Rebirth). You can argue that if you're unable to attack someone because of the reversed gravity, that affects you, or if you're discouraged from entering the area then that affects you. However, the same reading causes everyone who looks at a sequestered creature to be knocked comatose (because they're being affected by being unable to see the creature). For sanity's sake, assume that you can only iron heart surge or reversed spell rebirth a spell or other condition/effect that's affecting you directly.

While we're at it, working what an effect is is hard. The conditions are the things listed in the condition summary, but as for effects:


Spells, powers, spell-like abilities, supernatural abilities, damage, die modifiers, anything that grants armour or shield bonuses and isn't armour or a shield, anything that grants deflection bonuses, anything that dodge bonuses protect against, morale bonuses, and the effects of attacks are effects, and feats, conditions, being lost, quicksand, altitude, and several other things not linked to below (including traps, and, by and large, the weather) have them.

A spell is a one-time magical effect. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/magicOverview.htm) A psionic power is a one-time psionic effect. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicPowersOverview.htm) You can gain [Feat] multiple times. Its effects (do not) stack. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#featDescriptions) If more than one condition affects a character, apply them all. If certain effects can’t combine, apply the most severe effect. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm) Effects of Being Lost (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/wilderness.htm#gettingLost), Effects of Quicksand (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/wilderness.htm#marshTerrain), Undead, constructs, and other creatures that do not breathe are immune to altitude effects. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/wilderness.htm#mountainTravel) The effects [of being underwater] are summarized in the accompanying table. [...]Spells or spell-like effects[...] A supernatural fire effect[...] (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/wilderness.htm#underwaterCombat) If any attacks also have some special effect other than damage, that information is given here. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/intro.htm) In most cases, modifiers to a given check or roll stack (combine for a cumulative effect) (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/theBasics.htm#stacking) An armor bonus applies to Armor Class and is granted by armor or by a spell or magical effect [read the rest of this page, there are others] (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/theBasics.htm#armorBonus)

This does mean that you can end the effects of the weather; yes this is stupid. I suggest only allowing it to end the effect on you.

The problem here isn't that reverse gravity is particularly weird (it's not like there's a good argument that lifting someone up and slamming them into the ceiling isn't affecting them), it's that IHS is terribly written.