It's not 'turning' it into steam. This isn't flavor, it's physics.
A fireball creates an explosion of heat so hot it ignites the atmosphere around a certain area. A firebolt creates a small spot of heat which ignites the atmosphere around a small point, which then is launch against a person or object. If it hits an object that is flammable, that thing lights on fire.
Throw a firebolt into a pool, and it'll hit the pool, hiss loudly, and steam will come off.
Throw a firebolt under water, the magic will fly forward, but the fire itself will be suppressed. That doesn't mean it isn't hot enough to ignite air, just that water doesn't ignite. So, you're throwing a ball of heat, which leaves a trail of bubbles in its wake, making the bubbles the only indication that the heat is coming.
Throw a fireball underwater, and you get a larger stream of bubbles, which then explodes, creating a concussion under the waves, as well as an area of not just boiling water, but rolling boiling water, effectively flash cooking everything in a 20 radius SPHERE. Not a circle, but a sphere, because now you are dealing with 3 dimensions, not two.
This is just physics. Like Cold magic, Fire magic would be arguably MORE powerful underwater than it is in air.
It may, however, reduce the distance fire spells are effective, depending on how the magic works. In the air, a firebolt doesn't need a fuel source to fly across 120 feet, which means it provides its own fuel source, and the flame doesn't diminish as it flies 120 feet, so it is magically sustained throughout the entire distance. This should be the same in the water. It is a ball of magically created heat, that is then sent across the water. The water does not douse it, because it is sustained through a magical fuel source.
Even Produce Flame would still work. Look at underwater welding, which is a thing. The flame still appears,even underwater where there is no oxygen. That's because it is not an oxygen flame, but from a different fuel source altogether. It would be the same with magic.
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A fireball creates an explosion of heat so hot it ignites the atmosphere around a certain area. A firebolt creates a small spot of heat which ignites the atmosphere around a small point, which then is launch against a person or object. If it hits an object that is flammable, that thing lights on fire.
Throw a firebolt into a pool, and it'll hit the pool, hiss loudly, and steam will come off.
Throw a firebolt under water, the magic will fly forward, but the fire itself will be suppressed. That doesn't mean it isn't hot enough to ignite air, just that water doesn't ignite. So, you're throwing a ball of heat, which leaves a trail of bubbles in its wake, making the bubbles the only indication that the heat is coming.
Throw a fireball underwater, and you get a larger stream of bubbles, which then explodes, creating a concussion under the waves, as well as an area of not just boiling water, but rolling boiling water, effectively flash cooking everything in a 20 radius SPHERE. Not a circle, but a sphere, because now you are dealing with 3 dimensions, not two.
This is just physics. Like Cold magic, Fire magic would be arguably MORE powerful underwater than it is in air.
It may, however, reduce the distance fire spells are effective, depending on how the magic works. In the air, a firebolt doesn't need a fuel source to fly across 120 feet, which means it provides its own fuel source, and the flame doesn't diminish as it flies 120 feet, so it is magically sustained throughout the entire distance. This should be the same in the water. It is a ball of magically created heat, that is then sent across the water. The water does not douse it, because it is sustained through a magical fuel source.
Even Produce Flame would still work. Look at underwater welding, which is a thing. The flame still appears,even underwater where there is no oxygen. That's because it is not an oxygen flame, but from a different fuel source altogether. It would be the same with magic.
Sent from my iPad using EN World
