A typical Power requires you to pick one or more targets to be affected by it. A Power’s description tells you whether it targets creatures, objects, or a point of origin for an area of effect (described below).
Unless a Power has a perceptible effect, a creature might not know it was targeted by a Power at all. An effect like crackling lightning is obvious, but a more subtle effect, such as an attempt to read a creature’s thoughts, typically goes unnoticed, unless a Power’s description says otherwise.
A Clear Path to the Target
If you could hypothetically run a straight length of string between one point and another, there is line-of-contact between the two points. Line-of-contact does not require visual sight. Walls, doors, and other tangible objects break line-of-contact, but smoke would only break line-of-sight, not line-of-contact. Conversely, a window breaks line-of-contact but not line-of-sight.
If a Power requires line-of-sight (“a spot you can see” or “a target within sight,” for example), it is inherently assumed the Power also requires line-of-contact. A Power that only requires one and not the other will mention as much in its description.
Targeting Yourself
If a Power targets a creature of your choice, you can choose yourself, unless it must specifically be a creature other than you. If you are in the area of effect of a Power you cast, you can target yourself.
Overlapping Areas
The effects of the same Powers on the same space or target don’t combine. Instead, the most potent effect—such as the highest damage roll—from those castings applies while their areas overlap, or the most recent effect applies if the castings are equally potent and their areas overlap.For example, if a 13th-level stormcaller casts a Pulse grenade on the same space that a 5th-level stormcaller’s Pulse grenade occupies, any creature affected by the grenades would only take the damage of the 13th-level stormcaller’s grenade.
Areas of Effect
Powers such as Chaos Reach and Ward of Dawn cover an area, allowing them to affect multiple creatures at once.
A Power’s description specifies its area of effect, which typically has one of six different shapes: cone, cube, cylinder, line, sphere, or sweeping line. Every area of effect has a point of origin, a location from which the Power’s energy erupts. The rules for each shape specify how you position its point of origin. Typically, a point of origin is a point in space, but some Powers have an area whose origin is a creature or an object.
A Power’s effect expands in straight lines from the point of origin. If a viable line-of-contact doesn’t extend from the point of origin to a location within the area of effect, that location isn’t included in the Power’s area.
Cone
A cone extends in a direction you choose from its point of origin. A cone’s width at a given point along its length is equal to that point’s distance from the point of origin. A cone’s area of effect specifies its maximum length.
A cone’s point of origin is not included in the cone’s area of effect, unless you decide otherwise.
Cube
You select a cube’s point of origin, which lies anywhere on a face of the cubic effect. The cube’s size is expressed as the length of each side.
A cube’s point of origin is not included in the cube’s area of effect, unless you decide otherwise.
Cylinder
A cylinder’s point of origin is the center of a circle of a particular radius, as given in the Power’s description. The circle must either be on the ground or at the height of the Power effect. The energy in a cylinder expands in straight lines from the point of origin to the perimeter of the circle, forming the base of the cylinder. The Power’s effect then shoots up from the base or down from the top, to a distance equal to the height of the cylinder.
A cylinder’s point of origin is included in the cylinder’s area of effect.
Line
A line extends from its point of origin in a straight path up to its length and covers an area defined by its width.
A line’s point of origin is not included in the line’s area of effect, unless you decide otherwise.
Sphere, Aura
You select a sphere’s point of origin, and the sphere extends outward from that point. The sphere’s size is expressed as a radius in feet that extends from the point.
A sphere’s point of origin is included in the sphere’s area of effect.
Aura
A special type of area of effect that’s always measured as a sphere, is always centered on you, and always moves with you.
Sweeping Line
A sweeping line extends from its point of origin in a path up to its length. The path of the sweeping line does not need to be straight, you can alter the direction of the path at any point. The area of the sweeping line then extends from every point on the path back to the sweeping line’s point of origin.
A sweeping line’s point of origin is not included in the sweeping line’s area of effect, unless you decide otherwise.
Entering an Area
Many of your Powers and features will enact their effects both on the turn you use them and when a creature enters the area of the effect. Instantiating the effect on a creature does not make the creature qualify for entering the area, as entering an area requires movement.
For instance, if a sunbreaker creates a sunspot on top of an ogre, the ogre has not entered the area of the sunspot. The ogre did not move, so it did not enter the area. If a thrall were to run into the area of a sunspot, or if the sunbreaker’s best friend were to shove the thrall into the area of the sunspot, it would qualify as having entered the area.
Saving Throws
Many Powers specify that a target can make a saving throw to avoid some or all of its effects. The Power specifies the ability score the target uses for the save and what happens on a success or failure.
The DC to resist one of your Powers equals 8 + your Power modifier + your proficiency bonus. Some Powers have special modifiers they get to add to their saving throw DC, such as how super Powers get to add your Power level to their DC (see Super Bonuses earlier in this chapter).
Attack Rolls
Some Powers require the caster to make an attack roll to determine whether the effect hits the intended target. Your attack bonus with a Power attack equals your Power modifier + your proficiency bonus. Some Powers have additional, special modifiers they get to add to their attack rolls, such as how super Powers get to add your Power level to their attack rolls (see Super Bonuses earlier in this chapter).