D&D 1E Fireball throughout the ages

[aco175]

Does anyone remember a dragon magazine article, I believe it was in a Sage Advice column with Skip Williams, where he said that instantaneous magical fire effects would incinerate whatever it came in contact with but didn't set anything on fire as the fire is gone as soon as it appears...in an instant?

I want to say I remember this, but it is basically how we have played it all along though. Only once or twice we ever worried about starting a fire with it.

 

[R_J_K75]

I want to say I remember this, but it is basically how we have played it all along though. Only once or twice we ever worried about starting a fire with it.

Pretty sure it was in a later 2E 97 or 98 issue. I looked through a bunch of issues last night and couldnt find it gonna look through the rest later tonight. Maybe I'll find it.

 

[Lanefan]

Not happy. I think I've handed out 3 holy avengers in 28 years.

I think that puts you up two on me, maybe three. (I might have given one out in the very early days, can't remember now, but knowing them they probably sold it anyway...)

 

[Lanefan]

realism has no place in a game If that's your strongest point there is nothing to discuss.

Right back at ya: realism has every place in the game where it's possible and-or practical to include it.

Ranged weapon ranges seems very much like such a case; so might as well get 'em right.

 

[Zardnaar]

I think that puts you up two on me, maybe three. (I might have given one out in the very early days, can't remember now, but knowing them they probably sold it anyway...)

I'm not 100% sure but have handed out 2. Ironically it wasn't a paladin using it but a priest.

 

[Lanefan]

Fiddly is a meaningless term that gets thrown out too often to malign a rule without saying anything.
The problem with the item saves is that it needlessly forced the GM to interrupt the game to start rolling waves for items that might not even exist at this point and in reverse nobody wants to wait for Alice to roll to hundred DeX saves so it adds nothing but delays even if the internet was sound

It's worth it, though.

Magic items are easy come, easy go; and when they go, sometimes they go with a boom or a wild surge...or both...

 

[Lanefan]

I want to say I remember this, but it is basically how we have played it all along though. Only once or twice we ever worried about starting a fire with it.

Round here, anytime anyone casts one in a forest there's a risk of starting a forest fire, which has happened a few times.

Once the potential consequences could have been rather dramatic - the forest fire could have burned down the stockade the party was trying to attack (the one in A-2 Slavers' Stockade), but by sheer luck the wind was blowing the other way. Still ended up being a pretty big fire before it burned out days later.

 

[Quartz]

changing the range of so many spells to what was effectively "can I see the target clearly or hear them talk very loudly" was terrible design choice in 5e

You want Meteor Swarm for that: 1 mile range.

 

[R_J_K75]

Round here, anytime anyone casts one in a forest there's a risk of starting a forest fire, which has happened a few times.

Once the potential consequences could have been rather dramatic - the forest fire could have burned down the stockade the party was trying to attack (the one in A-2 Slavers' Stockade), but by sheer luck the wind was blowing the other way. Still ended up being a pretty big fire before it burned out days later.

Now this is really bugging me and I need to find where I read that or if Im misremembering. Not to prove a point or say anyone else is wrong but more for my own peace of mind. I feel like I lost my car keys. I seem to also recall flaming sphere being cited in the response to differentiate between the types of magical flames/fire.

 

[Yardiff]

I seem to remember in a earlier edition (might not have been D&D at all) that fireballs area was depended on the level of the caster so you could tell the possible level of the fireball caster by the area it effected. Anyone else remember anything like this?