Restricted area for exotic attack spells?

[delta]

In the LBBs there are a number of non-damaging attack spells that are given a range, but no other area of effect. For example: sleep, confusion, hold person, hold monster, move earth. But by the time of Swords & Spells (and all later editions), these are all given some additionally restricted area: in most cases, 3" diameter.

So I'm wondering if most people here play OD&D without any area restriction on these spells (other than the full range), or implement the restricted ranges to everything, as seen in S&S/AD&D, etc.?

Secondary issue: If your answer is "no" (so the full range is the area), how do you adjudicate the effect on allies vs. enemies? I read that Gygax and most everyone playing AD&D consistently allow these to affect friends as well as enemies, so is that played differently if they're always in the area (with the caster) automatically? Personally in OD&D I've always allowed the caster to pick the enemy targets at will anywhere in range, but I'm wondering if I'm way off the reservation with that interpretation.

[Deleted]

My 1st DM ruled such spells as having no restriction except for range, lower HD targets suffer first - I've DM'd/played both ways since and I still prefer that option because it makes parties think of their positioning: whether they stay within range and endure the effect to defeat their foes or whether they get out of the way. Magic Artillery doesn't respect allegience and is especially risky in confined areas where PCs don't have the option to get out of range. The game doesn't need fancy wild magic/spell failure tables as there is inherent risk in spellcasting already if you don't think what you're doing.

Our DM's quote was "the MU is not a sniper, he doesn't get to pick who actually suffers the effects."

Due to positioning it makes such spellcasting more about strategy rather than seat-of-the-pants "ooh-er, goblins, i cast sleep !" tactics

-but also many, many saving throws

[Zakharan]

I rule that the only restricted area is line-of-sight. It stands to reason that a Magic-User can't target something they can't see, and with the max range in mind it creates a decently-sized but not unreasonable area to play with.

[aldarron]

I use the Swords and Spells area of effect when called for, but most of the time the dungeon room will be the area affected.

[talysman]

Pretty much full range, but limited by line of sight. Also, M-U picks a direction and all targets have to be more or less in that direction. I do allow friends as well as enemies to be affected, but for spells like Sleep that affect a certain number of hit dice, I start with the highest HD category and find out how many targets are affected first, then move down to the next category. If multiple targets with the same HD could be affected, I'd have to select randomly which targets are affected.

For me "area of effect" for a spell means the spell affects everything in that area of effect, which is why I don't apply it to things that have another restriction already, such as affecting a certain number of hit dice. I suppose Move Earth could qualify as worthy of an area of effect, but I feel it's already of limited utility for such a high-level spell. If an M-U used Move Earth to cause a cliff face to crumble, either to send enemies tumbling to their doom or to drop boulders on enemies waiting below, I suppose I might restrict it to an area of effect, but I typically use 6" diameter as my default area of effect for spells of Level 4 to 6.