Wall Enhancement Variants

[Dragondog]

The Wall enhancement says: "you can set up your Area Effect as a wall filled with the substance or effect of your ability." And the more expensive variant says: "your wall works as above, but you can form it into any shape you choose."

Does this mean that in the first case, the wall is a straight line and in the second case it can curve as much as you like? Or what are we talking about here?

[Anaraxes]

I always read "You get a three-yard long by one-yard-wide wall per yard of radius in your area" as meaning that the base version of Wall is one straight line, oriented as you choose when you activate the ability. You can use extra width to make the wall higher or thicker if you like, but still one straight line. The +60% version lets you make curves, domes, mazes, etc., as you desire when you activate the ability. There are certainly other possible interpretations of the base description (a bunch of 3-yard line segments that you can connect at different angles, frex, but that takes away from the value of the extra +30%).

[awesomenessofme1]

I don't think this is 100% RAW, but I've interpreted it as saying that the +30% lets you have any single configuration, even if it's not necessarily a straight line. And the +60% lets you customize it each time you use the power.

[Anaraxes]

Originally Posted by awesomenessofme1

+30% lets you have any single configuration, even if it's not necessarily a straight line.

That's one of those possible alternative interpretations I'd think was reasonable -- the shape fixed at design time, instead of cast time, but that pre-defined shape could be any shape.

[awesomenessofme1]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

That's one of those possible alternative interpretations I'd think was reasonable -- the shape fixed at design time, instead of cast time, but that pre-defined shape could be any shape.

I believe the exact situation I used it was defining a level-2 version as creating a wall directly around the user in the six adjacent hexes. Which seems like an obvious thing you'd want to be able to do.

[naloth]

Originally Posted by awesomenessofme1

I don't think this is 100% RAW, but I've interpreted it as saying that the +30% lets you have any single configuration, even if it's not necessarily a straight line. And the +60% lets you customize it each time you use the power.

This is also how I've always played it. It works well for those that have other fixed shapes.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by awesomenessofme1

I don't think this is 100% RAW, but I've interpreted it as saying that the +30% lets you have any single configuration, even if it's not necessarily a straight line. And the +60% lets you customize it each time you use the power.

I always felt the intent was that the +30% version was a straight line, oriented perpendicular to a line from the character to the point of origin (the center of the wall) - that is, something like the Fire Wall spell from Diablo II - but prefer this version, where the +30% variant can be any configuration but must be defined when the ability is designed, while the +60% version lets you configure it when using it. I do think the +30% version should have a fixed orientation relative to the character, however - if you're using Wall to make an enclosed shelter, the doorway is always facing you, for example.

If you're interested in the minutiae of Walls, this thread may be of some use to you.