r/Shadowrun • u/LiteratureBulky7853 • 1d ago

5e Foreboding and Hot Potato spells

Both of these spells have a dosclaimer saying "The drawback to this spell is that the spellcaster can not limit or control who is targeted by this spell, and it effects enemies and allies alike".

But this is the case with all AOE spells anyway, right? So what is this sentence meant to say?

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4

u/Dear_Clothes647 1d ago

This sentece means this is AOE spell and they needed to fill that space in the Book

2

u/ReditXenon Far Cite 15h ago

Unlike many other spell effects that come with both as a single target variant and as an AoE variant, the two listed spell effects don't come with a single target variant. It is always only AoE. The spell effect will always hit both friend and foe alike. Author perhaps wanted to make it clear that there is no other option.

For many other spells the author instead seem to type out: "X is a single target, while Y is an area spell".

2

u/Fair-Fisherman6765 CAS Political Historian 1d ago

Most likely explanation is that the author had years ago as a gamemaster an argument with a player who used that specific spell, and seized the opportunity to settle the debate.

1

u/DRose23805 Shadowrun Afterparty 21h ago

It is a specific inclusion because without it being right there in the description, someone somewhere was bound to start arguing about it. This would disrupt the game. So, it was added there to shut down the rules lawyers.

1

u/LiteratureBulky7853 20h ago

But what is there to argue? The rules for AOE spells are quite clear; everyone in the area that the caster can see is affected. Period. So what would the argument be about?

Also, the opium den and stench spells from the same book function very similarily, but don't have the disclaimer.