Background:
Walls in particular, but also to a lesser extent doors, are not ever
actually defined by the rules. While at first glance, things seem
simple enough, it is relatively common for players to ignore the
internal wall-lets created when large rooms connect (which is fine for
their games, until someone disputes...) but there are a small number
of issues created by the lack of a clear definition for walls and
doors.
To be honest, the last FAQ ruling that some effects do pass through
(closed) doors actually worsened the problems.
Sample issues include:
i) Grapple, Aura etc extending through closed doors (adjacency is not
blocked by doors).
ii) spaces on opposite sides of a wall, but connected at one corner
only (see diagram, C and D) are technically adjacent. So although
effects which rely on LOS will be blocked (eg Blast) effects which
rely on adjacency will not (eg SoBs exploding skeletons, Grapple, Aura
etc). Further, a figure with a radius effect like command may be able
to use the breath example system to 'count' EDC (3 spaces) even though
the effect passes through a solid wall and probably should count EDAC
(four spaces).
AB
C|DEF
iii) Runewitch Astarra, in a SoB campaign, has been able to activate
Glyphs behind close *and rune-locked* doors before the heroes get to a
runekey. Maybe that's fine, but I suspect that goes far beyond what
was intended!
Question1:
What do walls block?
Potential Answers
A1-1. Walls block everything. Walls block LOS. Walls block attacks.
Walls block effects. Walls block adjacency (two spaces with a wall
between them may not be considered adjacent) and walls block anything
we haven't thought of yet. Walls may not be moved through under any
circumstances. Walls may not be measured through for any purpose.
A1-2. Walls block LOS. Walls block attacks. Walls block effects. Walls
may not be moved through under any circumstances.
A1-3. Some other clear combination.
Question 2:
What do closed doors block?
Potential Answers
A2-1. Closed doors may be treated as walls. (Note that this may be a
change from the previous FAQ ruling, depending on the answer to
Question 1 above).
A2-2. Closed doors block (pick and choose from the list) Movement,
Attacks, LOS, Adjacency (two spaces with a door between then are not
considered adjacent), affects with a radius. Closed doors do not block
(pick all not picked from the list before).
A2-3. CLosed doors may be treated as walls except they do not block
(...).
Discussion notes (for us, not FFG)
This is quite a biggie, and I suspect FFG will probably bury their
head in the sand and ignore it, but I do believe we should try at
least. The answers are very simple if they are willing to change the
last FAQ ruling and only slightly more complex if they are not.
I think the complete list of things that must be considered is
1. Movement
2. LOS
3. Attacks
4. Adjacency
5. Effects with a range
But feel free to add in anything I've forgotten.