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<blockquote data-quote="77IM" data-source="post: 7610786" data-attributes="member: 12377">I have trouble imagining that setting an opponent's clothes on fire is going to somehow deal more damage than alchemist's fire, which is basically napalm. Also, 1d4 damage per round, until you use an action to extinguish it (I'd skip the Dex check and just make it automatic), AND not requiring concentration, is pretty excellent damage for a cantrip that's not designed to deal damage. OTOH the target needs to be within 5 feet of a flame, so it's basically a melee cantrip, and those are allowed to be a little bit good.So, the way I would rule is: spell attack roll to hit the target creature within 5 feet, and deal them 1 point of fire damage. This puts some fire on them -- not enough to deal damage, but enough that on your next round you can use control flames again, this time to set the target on fire, after which they take 1d4 per round like alchemist's fire. In other words, getting the really good effect requires two castings of control flames: one to get a person's clothes on fire (but it's a weak fire that goes out really fast) and another to turn brief flame into a damage-dealing conflagration.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="77IM, post: 7610786, member: 12377"] I have trouble imagining that setting an opponent's clothes on fire is going to somehow deal [I]more[/I] damage than alchemist's fire, which is basically napalm. Also, 1d4 damage per round, until you use an action to extinguish it (I'd skip the Dex check and just make it automatic), AND not requiring concentration, is pretty excellent damage for a cantrip that's not designed to deal damage. OTOH the target needs to be within 5 feet of a flame, so it's basically a melee cantrip, and those are allowed to be a little bit good. So, the way I would rule is: spell attack roll to hit the target creature within 5 feet, and deal them 1 point of fire damage. This puts some fire on them -- not enough to deal damage, but enough that on your next round you can use [I]control flames[/I] again, this time to set the target on fire, after which they take 1d4 per round like alchemist's fire. In other words, getting the really good effect requires two castings of [I]control flames[/I]: one to get a person's clothes on fire (but it's a weak fire that goes out really fast) and another to turn brief flame into a damage-dealing conflagration. [/QUOTE]

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