Wall of Ice questions about grid placement

[Wakrob]

1 - When you cast Wall of Ice (or wall of anything) does the wall go on the lines between the squares or down the middle of a square (or players choice)?
My player was trying to draw a Wall of Ice down the middle of 10 squares of medium creatures, doing 10d8 to each.

Wall of Ice says you can make
"...or you can shape a flat surface made up of ten 10-foot-square panels. Each panel must be contiguous with another panel. In any form, the wall is 1 foot thick and lasts for the duration."

2 - Is this a straight wall or can you make these into any crazy shape you want?

Thanks
Wakrob

[ShadowSandbag]

Not sure about the first question, but for part 2, my understanding is that each panel is 10 feet straight, but the 10 panels can be put in anyway. So you could make something like |___| or
...___
_|.....|
...._..|
.....|_|

[Gorgo]

The spell description says
"You create a wall of ice on a solid surface within range. You can form it into a hemispherical dome or a sphere with a radius of up to 10 feet, or you can shape a flat surface made up of ten 10-foot-square panels. Each panel must be contiguous with another panel. In any form, the wall is 1 foot thick and lasts for the duration.

If the wall cuts through a creature's space when it appears, the creature within its area is pushed to one side of the wall and must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 10d6 cold damage, or half as much damage on a successful save."

Given that, I'd say that walls go in hexes, not between them. As far as what shapes you can make, my reading is that you get 10 10-foot-square panels that you can arrange as you like, so you can make any configuration you want out of 10 walls that are each 10 feet long. I probably wouldn't let a player do more damage by stacking multiple wall segments in a creature's space, but I'd allow stacking multiple segments back-to-back to make a thick wall that's harder to break through. (Say, if you wanted to create a 10x10x10 nearly-solid cube of ice to block a corridor).

[Wakrob]

I appreciate your guys opinions but based on the wording and play balance, Ive decided I will rule the entire wall must be straight.
Two walls in an L shape do not make 'a flat surface'.

Chain Lightning can hit 4 targets for a possible 10d8 damage....where as Ice Wall can hit 10 targets for the same 10d8 damage (and then have a wall!). Plus you can cancel the wall any time if it is in your way.

Making a PacMan maze out of a Ice Wall seems a bit complicated. I know wizards are smart but to zig zag a Ice Wall perfectly to hit 10 targets in the middle of combat seems a bit much.

Wakrob

[Breashios]

Note that the wall can also be set at an angle, or horizontally, so long as it has supporting surfaces. This may make it too complicated to measure out as in three dimensions there will be the challenge of determining the sides of a triangle to see how it looks on a two dimensional grid. If horizontal it could be placed to slice through the waist of all the enemies, shunting them under or over the wall and putting them in contact with it if they choose to be shunted above. In a building or cavern setting this may be possible if the room is narrow enough, or if the caster runs it from floor toward the ceiling with one existing structural wall supporting it on a side.

If you don't feel the target would necessarily be "in" the area where the wall is cast, you can give the target in a partially filled square/hex two saves, with a chance for no damage on the first (he was not in the area of the spell). Tell the caster you will be doing this before making him draw out the area. This will force him to fill the hex with area, rather than just run through it.