Help me create rules for "realistic" acid damage...

[Aluvial]

I started this thread in the Rules forum and simply put the rules state that unless you roll a natural one on your save your items are free from harm... I have a problem with that and need help designing some rules for acid damage.

Here is the original post

I have a question on how to adjucate acid damage to players and items in the game. Two creatures have come up in my game and I want to handle their acid abilities correctly.

The first is the Black Pudding and the second is the Digester.

The first creature does acid damage by touch only and eats through almost anything....

When it attacks, how do you determine if damage is done to items or the creature touched?

IF it is items, how do you determine which item is hit?

If acid starts eating through a cloak, is it ruined immediately and how soon before it eats through armor?

The secone creature is the digester. Its description says that it is voracious and turns its prey into quivering piles of goo... Since the acid is a cone (or line) effect, it is my assumption that if you get hit by the cone effect that you are going to be covered in acid!

Are all items affected? Do they all get a save....

If you fail your personal save are all of the creatures items affected?

Does your cloak get the benefit of a ring that increases saves?

What about a acid's poison inhalation traits?


I would assume that acid does a certain amount of damage (based on the ammount) and if it eats through one item the remaining damage is given to the second item. Each item gets it's own save for half.

I have more specific questions but will wait for responses to these initial and general ones.

Aluvial

I would like to start with my above suggestion about acid doing a certain amount of damage before it becomes inert.... then move from there....

Aluvial

 

[MarauderX]

Ok, here's how I handle it.

If somebody takes an area affecting spell such as fireball, I quickly calculate the damage I just rolled to see if it is over 1/2 of the maximum. If it is over 1/2, then I have the PC make another save to see if one of the flamable things they are carrying gets destroyed. I only do this if it's obvious, otherwise I just skip it.

I make it logical, and only have it damage 1 item per attack that is actually exposed, such as what a character is holding in their hands, like a scroll. Going after everything the character has isn't that nice, and doesn't work unless that black pudding managed to ooze inside the characters backpack.

A characters clothing is often the first to be hit, as that is the thing that covers the character the most. If the clothing is magical I let the item make yet another save, and only if that save is failed do I destroy it's magical power. It can be risky for the PCs and they will learn to avoid getting hit as much as possible, but the real chance is less than 5% usually. The fearless barbarian will no longer charge an acidic critter as he may loose his chain mail shirt, literally.

So if a character gets tagged by a digester, he makes a save if the damage is high, then a save by the character, followed by another save for the item. I don't hesitate to destroy magic items, as it adds to the flavor and characters quickly hide their valuables before engaging such a creature.

When it comes to spells like melf's acid arrow or burning hands I usually ignore this rule and just go with the damage.

 

[Aluvial]

At least this is a start, thanks for the help...

I'm going to develop this a little further...

I would start with whether the acid does damage alone (straight)or damage that allows for a save for half or none...

Acid damage straight would follow the over 1/2 max damage rule from above. If the damage was over half the maximum then one item would be affected. Its save bonus would be determined by the rules + any spells or items that improve saves for the character including cover.

Acid that allows for a save would be handled just a tad different.

IF the save is failed then an random item is affected...
IF the save is passed and still scores over 1/2 maximum damage then an item would still be affected but only by the amount rolled...
IF the save is passed but damage is under 1/2 maximum then no items would be affected...

All items that require saves that pass their saves would take no damage as if they had improved evasion...
Items that failed their saves would take the appropriate amount of damage up to the amount to destoy it.

Any leftover damage would be applied to a second item which would then make its save, then another, etc. until all of the damage is applied.

At any point that an item passes the acid would be considered to be shed off or become neutralized...

How does this sound for a start?

Aluvial

 

[whatisitgoodfor]

"realistic acid damage"

There is no such thing.

From my experiences and studies, the vast majority of acids will not damage organic materials to any significant degree in a reasonable time frame.

However, they will rapidly destroy almost any metal. I would probably suggest looking at the spell Rusting Grasp for a good way to handle that.

Off the top of my head, the only acids I can think of that will damage organic materials easily are H2SO4 (sulfuric acid) and HF (hydrofluoric acid). Those two acids would be more appropriate as poisons, due to the time required for the majority of their effect to come into play.

Sulfuric should deal Str damage and HF should deal Str and Con. Both would still corrode metals.


You should also keep in mind that "acid" is a generic term that DnD uses to describe any type of corrosive.

 

[Aluvial]

"realistic acid damage"

There is no such thing.

From my experiences and studies, the vast majority of acids will not damage organic materials to any significant degree in a reasonable time frame.

However, they will rapidly destroy almost any metal. I would probably suggest looking at the spell Rusting Grasp for a good way to handle that.

Off the top of my head, the only acids I can think of that will damage organic materials easily are H2SO4 (sulfuric acid) and HF (hydrofluoric acid). Those two acids would be more appropriate as poisons, due to the time required for the majority of their effect to come into play.

Sulfuric should deal Str damage and HF should deal Str and Con. Both would still corrode metals.


You should also keep in mind that "acid" is a generic term that DnD uses to describe any type of corrosive.

Of course.

But there aren't monsters running around called Digesters either.

Whose to say that their corrosive attack isn't stronger than sufuric acid?

Regardless, your points are sound, but this is why I originally put the word realistic in quotes. It was attempt to find a better solution than the simplistic methods of handling such attacks in the core books.

Again, submersion in acid (or some other corrosive) is going to effect everything that it touches in one way or another.


Perhaps the way to handle corrosive materials realistically is to assign them a various magnitude....

Type A: 1 point, Fort save for 1/2
Type B: 1d2 points, Fort save for 1/2
Type C: 1d3 points, Fort save for 1/2
Type D: 1 point, no Save
Type E: 1d2 points, no save
Type F: 1d4 poins, Fort save for 1/2

and so on....

Then you could reassign the various corrosives qualities based on thier type... This is a little much for me, but it might serve someone else usefully....

Aluvial