Burning Oil

[MadLordOfMilk]

How does this sound for ruling burning oil? That is, dousing an area with oil and setting it on fire. Keep in mind, it'll take most characters multiple actions to do anything useful with it.

You can cover a 5ft square of oil with a standard action if it's adjacent, or by dropping the oil as a free action (keep in mind it must be in your hand).

Setting that area on fire will require an action appropriate to how you're setting it on fire. Dropping your own torch as another free action means you can set yourself on fire for free! Casting Prestidigitation, however, costs a standard action. The zone will last until end of encounter, unless otherwise put out.

Assuming it's an area where it can spread (say, a forest floor), it'll increase in size by 1 square every round.

Any creature ending its turn in a fire square takes 1d6 fire damage, and ongoing 5 fire damage (save ends).

(Yes, I'm aware that, technically, Prestidigitation has a clause about not dealing damage. It costs a standard action with tiny range, so I don't mind allowing it in this sort of example case.)

As far as using this on a specific target (e.g. covering them in oil then setting it on fire), I'd just say they get the damage effect (1d6 fire + ongoing 5 save ends).

What do you guys think?

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Mmmm, in terms of using it as a weapon, I'd relegate that to Alchemical Fire. I'm not even really convinced oil by itself would burn. Try lighting a pool of kerosene, it really won't burn on its own very easily, if at all. Yes, I know flaming oil bombs is a trope from old school AD&D days but it was never realistic in any sense of the word.

Mechanically I think this will work, its just that when PCs can do it with something as cheap as regular lamp oil it gets a bit out of hand.

 

[Starfox]

Interactions with the environment, including using Mage Hand, is a minor action. That said, the effect seems a bit overwhelming compared to alchemist's fire and low-level powers; damage and ongoing damage. As Malik said, lamp oil won't burn unless it has a wick. It is possible to light oil-soaked clothing, and a dropped torch can act as a wick in a puddle of oil, but a puddle of oil will not burn.

I'd ramp up the slipperiness part and make the fire part much less potent, perhaps making a direct hit with a bottle of oil give Vulnerable 3 (fire).

 

[aco175]

One one hand I can agree with the reality that oil is much less flamable that one would wish in a fantasy game, but on the other hand, it is a fantasy game and the fantastic effects from flaming/exploding kegs of oil is better than not. Kind of like in the movies when a hand granade blows up a whole boilding, not realistic but better entertainment.

I think that I would have a low damage effect with ongoing damage, or maye something slightly less than alchemical fire, being the cost is less. I cannot remember exactly what al-fire does at the moment. I guess it would also depend on the size of the effect. A torch and a pint of oil seems less than a burning keg thrown from a giant.

 

[MadLordOfMilk]

Alchemist's Fire is a burst 1 w/in 10, +4 vs reflex, 1d6 dmg on a hit, half damage on a miss.

Basically, it's the difference between throwing a minor "grenade" item, versus setting the ground on fire. Very different It's enough where I'd allow it. Also, Alchemist's Fire only costs a standard action, whereas the burning oil thing (which is also very not ranged friendly) would cost more than that in most situations.

The way I had it set up with the proposed rule was that ending your turn on that square would cause damage, so I think it'd lead more to control/deterrence than a lot of damage in that regard. In terms of setting someone on fire specifically, well, that's a little harder to even pull off in the first place, so it seems fitting that it'd get that effect at the cost of several actions.

I'm also hoping that the "it generally 'costs' more than one action" thing would cause more of a teamwork aspect from it, but it's hard to say.

Mechanically I think this will work, its just that when PCs can do it with something as cheap as regular lamp oil it gets a bit out of hand.

That's probably my biggest issue with it, to be honest. My players seem to think it's cool enough to warrant trying it out a few times, so I'd rather try and work with it than throw the idea out

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Yeah, I think its worth trying out if the players want to do it. There is also Dragonfire Tar which is 30 gp and does 5 ongoing fire damage to a single target. This can serve as another benchmark.

 

[MadLordOfMilk]

There is also Dragonfire Tar which is 30 gp and does 5 ongoing fire damage to a single target. This can serve as another benchmark.

Thanks! Didn't know about that one.