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How much damage does lava do?
- Thread starter dontremb
- Start date
Presuming you're a DM, I'd say its up to you, and you should scale it to the approximate level of the party.
Keep in mind that there's lava in many different forms - if you have a low-level party, they're fighting near a cool, slow-flowing, almost-solidified lava flow .. falling into it hurts, but it doesn't kill instantly.
If you have an epic-level party, they're fighting near a high-heat, fast-flowing lava flow ... falling into it does enough damage to kill a low-level character, but due to the heroic nature of the high-level character, it doesn't kill them immediately.
I'd refer to you to pg 42 of the DMG; you might find a low to medium limited-damage expression appropriate for "lands square in the lava" or "one-time effect from a trap", and a low normal-damage expression appropriate for any "save ends" effect.
I would also reccomend lava as more useful as a terrain feature than as a trap, per-se ... or if you're going to use it as a trap, make it possible for the PC's to also use the lava against the enemy after they've been hit. Encounters are a lot more fun when your shifting, pushing, and immobilizing powers can be used to push the bad guys into lava!
Keep in mind that there's lava in many different forms - if you have a low-level party, they're fighting near a cool, slow-flowing, almost-solidified lava flow .. falling into it hurts, but it doesn't kill instantly.
If you have an epic-level party, they're fighting near a high-heat, fast-flowing lava flow ... falling into it does enough damage to kill a low-level character, but due to the heroic nature of the high-level character, it doesn't kill them immediately.
I'd refer to you to pg 42 of the DMG; you might find a low to medium limited-damage expression appropriate for "lands square in the lava" or "one-time effect from a trap", and a low normal-damage expression appropriate for any "save ends" effect.
I would also reccomend lava as more useful as a terrain feature than as a trap, per-se ... or if you're going to use it as a trap, make it possible for the PC's to also use the lava against the enemy after they've been hit. Encounters are a lot more fun when your shifting, pushing, and immobilizing powers can be used to push the bad guys into lava!
lukelightning
First Post
If you really want to be "realistic", remember that lava, while a liquid, is incredibly dense; it is just marginally less dense than solid stone. A person falling into lava will float on top of it (well, assuming they aren't burnt to ashes...). Rocks, however, will generally not float in lava, since they are denser than the molten rock.
I think that in general, rivers of lava should be used only for high-level adventures; don't start off level 1 characters fighting across molten pools of doom — this isn't only for game-balance issues, but also to allow room for the threats to grow. If you are confronting your low-level PCs with lava, what are you going to threaten them with at level 20 — rivers of antimatter?
I think that in general, rivers of lava should be used only for high-level adventures; don't start off level 1 characters fighting across molten pools of doom — this isn't only for game-balance issues, but also to allow room for the threats to grow. If you are confronting your low-level PCs with lava, what are you going to threaten them with at level 20 — rivers of antimatter?
Flipguarder
First Post
I'm a big fan of "ok, now im going to show something to you, and you should assume it will kill you".
I'm totally in favor of having lava do a lethal amount of damage at level 1 and non-lethal past level 10.
But I believe I'm in the minority.
I'm totally in favor of having lava do a lethal amount of damage at level 1 and non-lethal past level 10.
But I believe I'm in the minority.
AbdulAlhazred
Legend
I agree with most of the sentiment here. Make the lava that low level PCs run into be the less dangerous types. High level PCs can adventure in the Pits of Doom in the Elemental Chaos where the lava is high level.
Really you can simply declare the lava to be hindering terrain of a level appropriate to the party. Then just have it do a low limited damage expression of that level. If the PCs are 20th level then the lava is super hot and dangerous. If they're 1st level its relatively cool and still equally dangerous to a character of that level. You can always have different leveled areas of lava here and there for 'really dangerous spots' or 'less dangerous spots' relative to the party level.
Really you can simply declare the lava to be hindering terrain of a level appropriate to the party. Then just have it do a low limited damage expression of that level. If the PCs are 20th level then the lava is super hot and dangerous. If they're 1st level its relatively cool and still equally dangerous to a character of that level. You can always have different leveled areas of lava here and there for 'really dangerous spots' or 'less dangerous spots' relative to the party level.
lukelightning
First Post
Maybe they think it's lava, but really it's orangeade with wasabi added to it.
UngeheuerLich
Legend
No, just think about this way: Lava doesn´t scale with level, but the damage does!
Why? because your heroic luck which is most of your HP doesn´t help you a lot (maybe you fall onto a little bit colder part which is more solid)
Use page 42 expressions equal to the character´s level who falls into the lava. Or more elegant: burn healing surges or reduce to bloodied in first round and dead in the next (which favours wizards a bit)
Or even more elegant: dead, no save!
edit: when i think about it: burn 4 healing surges per turn and damage equal to page 42^^
Why? because your heroic luck which is most of your HP doesn´t help you a lot (maybe you fall onto a little bit colder part which is more solid)
Use page 42 expressions equal to the character´s level who falls into the lava. Or more elegant: burn healing surges or reduce to bloodied in first round and dead in the next (which favours wizards a bit)
Or even more elegant: dead, no save!
edit: when i think about it: burn 4 healing surges per turn and damage equal to page 42^^
ValhallaGH
Explorer
Download the .pdf (top right of the linked page). It has flow charts, clear diagrams, and even a couple game play examples (one for D&D and one for WoD: Vampire).
Clear, flavorful, interesting, and simple. The best lava rules I've ever seen.
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