Burning Damage

[KingCrab]

I was looking at the rules for burning damage (bottom of page 303 in DMG) where it states that if you catch fire you must make a save each round to see if the fire goes out. Does this "putting out the fire save" take any action at all? On page 141 on the PHB it says extinguishing flames is a full round action. Putting the "must" and "full round" together make it seem like a burning character can't take any other actions at all until the flames are extinguished. I'm confused.

Also, a completely different question: Would any of you give creatures of plant subtype a penalty to such a save? It doesn't mention anything in the subtype listing in the MM.

 

[frankthedm]

The save to extinguish each round is automatic, with no action. A Character also has the option to try to extinguish the flame.

Plant creatures are usually green and moist. That kind of plant does not burn that well. This is why folks dry out tobacco and other herbs before smoking them.

Some plant monsters do take extra damage from fire already.

 

[Falling Icicle]

From the SRD (emphasis mine),

Catching on Fire
Characters exposed to burning oil, bonfires, and noninstantaneous magic fires might find their clothes, hair, or equipment on fire. Spells with an instantaneous duration don’t normally set a character on fire, since the heat and flame from these come and go in a flash.

Characters at risk of catching fire are allowed a DC 15 Reflex save to avoid this fate. If a character’s clothes or hair catch fire, he takes 1d6 points of damage immediately. In each subsequent round, the burning character must make another Reflex saving throw. Failure means he takes another 1d6 points of damage that round. Success means that the fire has gone out. (That is, once he succeeds on his saving throw, he’s no longer on fire.)

A character on fire may automatically extinguish the flames by jumping into enough water to douse himself. If no body of water is at hand, rolling on the ground or smothering the fire with cloaks or the like permits the character another save with a +4 bonus.

Those unlucky enough to have their clothes or equipment catch fire must make DC 15 Reflex saves for each item. Flammable items that fail take the same amount of damage as the character."

I'd assume that the bolded part is talking about taking a full-round action to extinguish the flames, in which case you get an extra save with a +4 bonus. The reflex save you get each round is automatic and requires no action on the character's part.

 

[KingCrab]

Ah, thank you for explaining the full round action. Another question about burning.

It says in the MM that a fire elemental can ignite you for 1d4 rounds. I'm assuming this means you still can extinguish normally (by automatic save or full round action) but it you continually fail, the flames go out automatically at the end of the 1d4 period? The other interpretation I could get from that is that you burn for a minimum of 1d4 rounds before you can extinguish, but that makes less sense.

Also the DMG says when you ignite you take 1d6 points of burning damage immediately. A small fire elemental already does +1d4 fire damage with a hit. Does that mean if a fire elemental hits you and you ingnite then you take the 1d4 damage from the hit then +1d4 from burning then +1d6 from igniting all on the elementals turn?