Do special abilities (auras for example) work through walls? Where does it explain this?

[magnusmalkus]

Is there anywhere I can point to in the rules-as-written that says supernatural abilities (in specific: personal auras with supernatural effects) do not work through doors/walls? Or... Do they?

Common sense might dictate that a door/wall should behave like the barrier it is and prevent the effect from affecting things on the opposite side, but... it *IS* magic and there's nothing I can find in the rules that says walls behave this way for these purposes.

Furthermore, what about area of effect for things with cover within the area of an aura? The supernatural ability does not define if it's an emanation or a spread....

My situation in specific deals with a PC who has the supernatural ability which bestows an aura which gives temporary immunity to poison and disease to all allies within 30'. The ability does not mimic a spell exactly which might allow us to define whether it's a spread or emanation (but it does not)... and there's nothing in the ability description that makes that distinction either.

I don't see this in the rules either but I'm certain aura effects are not subject to line of sight... so that does not give us a reason to deny reception through walls...

Any help would be great here...

thanks folks!

 

[Eldritch_Lord]

Is there anywhere I can point to in the rules-as-written that says supernatural abilities (in specific: personal auras with supernatural effects) do not work through doors/walls? Or... Do they?

Common sense might dictate that a door/wall should behave like the barrier it is and prevent the effect from affecting things on the opposite side, but... it *IS* magic and there's nothing I can find in the rules that says walls behave this way for these purposes.

The SRD rules on line of effect are as follows:

A line of effect is a straight, unblocked path that indicates what a spell can affect. A line of effect is canceled by a solid barrier.[...]

You must have a clear line of effect to any target that you cast a spell on or to any space in which you wish to create an effect.

A burst, cone, cylinder, or emanation spell affects only an area, creatures, or objects to which it has line of effect from its origin (a spherical burst’s center point, a cone-shaped burst’s starting point, a cylinder’s circle, or an emanation’s point of origin).

[...]

Some effects, notably clouds and fogs, spread out from a point of origin, which must be a grid intersection. The effect can extend around corners and into areas that you can’t see. Figure distance by actual distance traveled, taking into account turns the spell effect takes. When determining distance for spread effects, count around walls, not through them.

So unless noted otherwise, you must have line of effect to an area to affect it with an effect and line of effect is blocked by solid barriers, and even if you consider it a spread it can only go around corners, not through walls.

Furthermore, what about area of effect for things with cover within the area of an aura? The supernatural ability does not define if it's an emanation or a spread....

The default rule is that LoE is required and the rules for going around cover are specific to spreads, so unless an aura is specifically defined as a spread it would not affect targets with cover relative to the point of origin. If you want it to be one or the other, though, auras are not specifically defined as emanations, but because emanations are effects that "continue to radiate from the point of origin for the duration of the [ability]" I'd rule it as an emanation for most purposes.

I don't see this in the rules either but I'm certain aura effects are not subject to line of sight...

That is correct, but the issue is already taken care of by the LoE rules.

 

[magnusmalkus]

Ah! Line of Effect! That's a technical term I never noticed before! That would settle it. Thanks!