Area-of-effect spells

The Industrial Revolution is the reason RPGs have area-of-effect spells: A PC Gamer Causality Chain™

This article traces the historical origins of area-of-effect spells in role-playing games, linking their development to the Industrial Revolution. It explores how concepts from J.R.R. Tolkien's works and early tabletop wargames like Leonard Patt's Rules for Middle Earth influenced the implementation of these spells in early video games such as Dungeons & Dragons and Telengard.