damage shield and area of affect

[paul_runstedler]

Good day! Read the f.a.q on both damage shield and area of affect, and didn't see the answer to these questions.

 

1. If I have a damage shield (say a vampiric cold so that anyone touching me takes cold damage), and someone comes over and hits me in HTH combat with the following power

+7d6 HTH attack (flaming sword)

would they still take damage from the damage shield? On one hand, it *is* a hand to hand attack. On the other hand, the attacker is using a flaming sword on my, not his hands per se.

 

 

If I bought an EB to be an area of affect attack (say a cone). In combat can I reduce the size of that code (i.e. narrow the cone), or could I use the EB as a simple directed attack (i.e. ignore the area of affect)?

 

Thanks

[Steve Long]

Yes, he still takes damage. Damage Shield has no requirement that the attacker touch the character with his hands or bare skin or what have you. However, note the text on 5E 163 about characters possibly "insulating" themselves from a Damage Shield's effects by hitting the target with an object. It's up to the GM to decide what sorts of objects might qualify. I tend to think that a sword or dagger would not, and that a lamppost or tree trunk would. The in-between areas I leave to others to debate.

 

The fire sword-versus-cold DS issue in your case complicates matters a bit for the GM. He certainly could, if he wished, cite the competing SFX as grounds for ruling that the sword provided "insulation."

 

No, you cannot narrow the cone, nor not use it.