FASA Games, Inc.

PG p.283 Fireball spell
"...makes a Spellcasting test against the highest Mystic Defense among all targets within a 4-yard radius of the point of impact."

We know that caster chooses targets, but in Extra Threads: you can Remove Targets (-Rank).
So is Fireball in Ed4 meant to affect everything in Area of Effect?

should it be: "...makes a Spellcasting test against the highest Mystic Defense among all characters/items within a 4-yard radius of the point of impact."

The spell is, as is, designed to hit everyone/thing in the area, friend or foe. By weaving extra threads, you can omit a friend from the "valid target" category. This lets you center a fireball on a friend being Harried and blow the bejeezus out of his attackers while leaving him unscathed.

I totally missed it but its in Ed4 PG p. 269 : Area of Effect "A spell affects all targets within its area of effect, regardless of whether they are friend or foe....."

Its true for all AoE spells.

Thats major change from Ed3.

So it's no more "up to Spellcasting Rank targets"?

Most area effect spell now have "Extra Thread: Remove Targets (- Spellcating Rank)". I like this better because this removes those target's MDs from the ones to compare the spell against.