@JeremyECrawford #DnD Hi there, I noticed this difference in the range and discription of the Earth Tremor Spell. Can you clarify? pic.twitter.com/KR02PejquE
— Roberta Costa (@Demon32835) November 29, 2017
You cause a tremor in the ground within range. Range is 10 feet. Each creature other than you in that area…
But it doesn’t list an area. What you’re saying might be what’s intended but it’s not what’s written. “That area” refers to the ground within 10 feet of you.
— Jeremy Crawford (@JeremyECrawford) December 4, 2017
Can you expand on the reason for this change? It’s not consistent with rules in the PHB, and in this case, is super unhelpful in describing how the spell works (area having no antecedent). Thunderclap was changed similarly, but it still parses okayThe antecedent is in the first sentence: "the ground within range."
— Jeremy Crawford (@JeremyECrawford) December 20, 2017
We have rules for “Area” and “Range”, though, and I think that’s the source of confusion here. “Each creature in contact with the ground within range” would be consistent with the thunderclap changes, and I think accomplishes the aim of the spell, if you’ll pardon my presumption. The word “area” often appears in our books in its normal English sense. We have no rules for that word. We have rules for areas of effect.
— Jeremy Crawford (@JeremyECrawford) December 20, 2017
I also don’t understand this change. It makes the spell’s operation LESS clear, and it also makes the spell inconsistant with established spell formatting.
The listed Range of a spell is the maximum distance away from the caster that the spell’s effect can originate from.
The Fireball spell has a range of 150 feet, and an area of effect of a 20 foot sphere. When you cast a Fireball, you can choose any point within 150 feet of you, and that point becomes the Point of Origin, and the 20 foot sphere Area of Effect is then centered around that point.
Earth Tremor is NOT a spell than can originate from a point other than the caster. And yet, it has erroneously been given a Range of 10 feet, which would mean that the point of origin for the spell can be up to 10 feet away from the caster. This is paradoxical and incorrect, and the spell should not be formatted this way.
The original range entry of “Self (10-Foot Radius)” was correct. Earth Tremor can ONLY originate from the caster, and so the listed range MUST be stated as “Self”.
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Confusingly, there is some inconsistancy in how “Self” spells that possess an area of affect are formatted.
Some are listed with a range of “Self”, and then state a given area of effect, and then state that the area of effect is centered upon the caster.
Some are listed with a range of “Self (X-Foot Radius)”, which is redundant, because they operate identically to the above.
Some operate as above, but instead of stating a given area of effect, they indicate that the character emanates an “aura” of a given size and shape.
Functionally, this is just another name for an area of effect centered on the spellcaster, which is redundant and harms clarity. This is especially the case with spells that have “Aura” in the name, but that do not actually refer to an “aura” in their entry, and instead mention the typical Area of Effect.
Notably, it appears that when a spell specifically mentions an “aura”, this typically coincides with the Area of Effect being stated to move with the target of the spell. However, there are exceptions. For example, Antipathy/Sympathy does not specifically state that the “aura” it creates moves with the target – although it heavily implies that this is how it should function.
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Earth Tremor could either be listed as having a range of “Self”, or be listed as having a range of “Self (10-Foot Radius)”. Both are correct and acceptable.
It cannot, however, be listed as having a range of 10 Feet. That is utterly wrong.
Very well written post. Crawford’s replies to the questions asked just come off smug and full of a sense of knowing better than the commonfolk. But maybe that’s just me.