Smokey the Bear says...

[vic20]

I have a party that is adventuring in the woods for the first time since acquiring the fireball spell.

Are there guidelines suggesting how to handle brush and trees that catch fire as a result of a fireball (or as a result of anything, for that matter)?

I have thoughts about possible house-rule applications using Wilderness Lore, with increasing difficulty for affected area size and amount of time that passes without attempting to control it, but I'd like to poll everybody's thoughts first.

Thanks!

 

[Lord Zardoz]

I am not sure if there is any specific rule on what is required to start a fire. In most cases, I would think that a fire ball would not start a forest fire. It would certantly incinerate the trees and plants in its area of effect, but the chance of the fire spreading is not that great. The spell description says that it will set fire to objects in the area of effect, but as a DM, I would not trigger a forest fire every time someone hits off a flame type spell.

What I would suggest is that a fire ball that detonates in a forest will cause a great deal of smoke. The effect of smoke on players is on page 89 if the DMG.

If you do decide that a forest fire is in order, then refer to page 86, heat dangers. Abysmal heat (which applies to fire envronments) will cause 1d6 damage per round autmatically to anyone breathing that air, and 1d4 subdual damage every 5 min for just being in the area.

Also, the DMG, on page 86, right on the bottom has the rules for player characters catching on fire. It says that Fireball and Flamestrike usually wont set players on fire, but more persistant effects like Wall of Fire might. I would use that as a guideline for starting a forest fire.

END COMMUNICATION

 

[mzsylver]

as a side note, it's amusing how the tree-hugging druids have become pyros in 3e. i figure a fireball wouldnt set off a forest fire unless there was gunpowder or something lining the trees - if all those druids can cast flamestrike at will, let the mage have his fireball.

 

[bret]

Depends.

If it just rained, it is unlikely to catch fire.

If it hasn't rained in about a month, the people better be careful with their camp fires. A fireball would be a sure way of starting up a fire.

I would allow either Wilderness Lore or Knowledge: Nature to recognize the danger. The difference is Wilderness Lore would give you much better information.

With Knowledge: Nature I would do something like "You know it hasn't rained in a while. If it gets too dry, there is a danger of forest fires."

Pretty simple, but the skill doesn't help much past that.

With Wilderness Lore you would know the signs to look for and have a rough idea how much of a flame it would take to set the forest ablaze. You would know enough to check wind direction and such, guess which way the fire would spread and how fast. On a good roll, you could also figure out how to create a firebreak.

I see the difference as being book knowledge vs. practical experience.

 

[Jay Lofstead]

There is a ruling that says that fireball does not cause things to catch fire. It is a fire spell, but the damage is really more impact (although it is fire damage). I can't remember where (it might actually be in the PHB).

 

[Ran]

Since fireball is an instant effect, it would probably incinerate things on its area, but nothing would remain to start a forest fire, of course you could say otherwise, and so fireballs would become quite a problem for druids... just remember that if you do that, you probably would have to say that fireball also consumes every bit of oxigen in the area, suffocating everyone... that a room wher it was cast would be pure carbon monoxid... man, leave it be, start a fire with a small chance, otherwise be simple.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Two possibilities:
1) Run it as written - that instantaeneous fire spells do not set things on fire

2) Change the rules so that they can set things on fire as per the normal rules.

I think that both are quite balanced, although the first suggestion just doesn't make sense to me (and takes away the flavour of using fire-effects in the first place).