Color spray (or, for the Brits, colour spray)

[der_kluge]

I posed this question over at Circvs MAximvs, and I was curious what kind of flame war response I might get here.

I'm curious to know how others interpret this spell.

Given the line "Sightless creatures are not affected by color spray." I've always ruled that color spray doesn't affect people who aren't facing you - typically allies.

That is, if you come up behind the party fighter, who's facing off against 3 bugbears, and you cast color spray - centered on the fighter, it doesn't affect him. But it does affect the 3 bugbears, since they are facing you.


Anyone else interpret it that way?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

IMC, any spell or special ability requiring or implying LOS with the targets (has language like "dazzles the opponent" or some such) doesn't affect targets not facing the spell/ability's point of origin.

Color Spray's effects originate from the caster, so the Fighter shouldn't be affected.

If, OTOH, the spellcaster had some kind of metamagic effect on the spell that changed it into an explosion or similar effect, then the Fighter might be...

 

[Hypersmurf]

There are four Illusion [Pattern] spells in the PHB: Color Spray, Hypnotic Pattern, Rainbow Pattern, Scintillating Pattern.

All four of them affect creatures within the area of the spell. You're not projecting like a flashlight; you're causing the area of the spell to be filled with colours, and it's being a sighted creature within that area that causes the effects.

Someone standing outside the area can look at the colours of any of the four spells and be unaffected - they can see the pattern, but it cannot influence them unless they are inside it. And if you're inside it, it doesn't matter which direction you're looking - if you can see, then you can see the colours, because they're all around you.

What you're talking about sounds more like the effect of a Robe of Scintillating Colors, which explicitly works as a gaze attack - so the normal rules about turning one's back or averting one's eyes will apply. Color Spray doesn't work as a gaze attack; it works as a cone, and has no effect on sightless creatures. The mechanics are completely different.

IMC, any spell or special ability requiring or implying LOS with the targets (has language like "dazzles the opponent" or some such) doesn't affect targets not facing the spell/ability's point of origin.

Let's say there are four orcs, standing in a two-by-two formation. I cast Hypnotic Pattern, centred on the grid intersection that connects the four squares occupied by the orcs.

All four orcs are within the field of clashing colours, but two of them are on the 'near' side of the point of origin, and two of them are on the 'far' side.

Do we assume that all the orcs are facing me, and thus the 'near' orcs - despite being wholly within the ten foot radius - are unaffected, since they're 'facing' away from the point of origin? Do we need to introduce variant facing rules to determine whether anyone standing on the other side of the area is considered to have total concealment from the orcs, since they're looking at me and not behind them?

Or do we determine that the orcs are within the area and not sightless, and therefore subject to the spell as written regardless of which way they're 'facing'?

-Hyp.

 

[the Jester]

I'm going to reiterate the consensus at CM: facing doesn't exist in 3.5.

This means that it doesn't matter which way you're looking, only if you're sighted.

Hyp has the right of it, as usual, imho.

 

[der_kluge]

I'm going to reiterate the consensus at CM: facing doesn't exist in 3.5.

This means that it doesn't matter which way you're looking, only if you're sighted.

Hyp has the right of it, as usual, imho.

Right, Beholders don't exist. So, it doesn't matter which way they're "facing". Yep, keep telling yourself that.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Hypnotic Pattern is a radius spell- there is no 'far' side. If you're in the radius, you're affected unless you're sightless. While it may or may not be RAW, we also include "facing the other direction" as effectively sightless.

There need not be any new facing rule introduced, you just use common sense.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Hypnotic Pattern is a radius spell- there is no 'far' side.

By 'far' side and 'near' side, I mean 'further from me than the point of origin' and 'closer to me than the point of origin'.

If you're in the radius, you're affected unless you're sightless. While it may or may not be RAW, we also include "facing the other direction" as effectively sightless.

By 'facing the other direction', do you mean 'facing away from the point of origin'?

That was my original question. If all four orcs are looking at me, then two of them are 'facing away from the point of origin', because the spell is centred 'behind' them, and two of them are 'facing towards the point of origin', because the spell is centred 'in front of' them.

If those closest to me - those 'facing away from the point of origin' - are considered 'effectively sightless' since they're 'facing the other direction', they're immune to the spell?

-Hyp.

 

[the Jester]

Right, Beholders don't exist. So, it doesn't matter which way they're "facing". Yep, keep telling yourself that.

Sigh.

A beholder's eye beams (and antimagic cone) go in distinct directions when employed, just like a cone of cold or lightning bolt. Ain't no need for facing when your wizard casts a spell, why does the beholder need facing when it employs its supernatural abilities? The only thing that is important is which direction it fires.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I have the same interpretation as Hyp - the area is filled with colours. It might come from behind the fighter, but his field of vision (even if looking resolutely forward) will contain the colour spray.

However, I would allow a party to sort out certain code words, which are signals for the party members to close their eyes - and if their eyes are closed they won't be affected by the colour spray.

I'd allow people to close their eyes on the wizards action, and then open their eyes again on their own action, so it might mean that you are functionally blind for a large proportion of a melee round unless the party also practices appropriate delaying actions.

So that's how I'd handle it.

 

[der_kluge]

Sigh.

A beholder's eye beams (and antimagic cone) go in distinct directions when employed, just like a cone of cold or lightning bolt. Ain't no need for facing when your wizard casts a spell, why does the beholder need facing when it employs its supernatural abilities? The only thing that is important is which direction it fires.

How is that any different than color spray? The wizard fires it. It has a point of origin (the wizard). The beholder's anti-magic ray is a cone which affects only those in the cone. If the beholder turns around (perhaps to bite someone flanking it), those on the other side of the beholder are no longer affected by the anti-magic ray. Hence, beholders have facing. It's actually very important to that creature.

Ergo - facing *does* exist in D&D.