Is a Druid a Red Dragon's Worst Enemy?

[wolff96]

I was looking over some spells for a druid I'm going to be playing in the near future. The one that caught my eye was Quench:

From the SRD:
Quench is often used to put out forest fires and other conflagrations. It extinguishes all nonmagical fires in its area. The spell also dispels fire spells in the area, though the character must succeed at a dispel check of 1d20 +1 per caster level (maximum +15) against each spell to dispel it. The DC to dispel such spells is 11 + the caster level of the fire spell. Fire-based creatures within the area take 1d6 points of damage per caster level from the spell (maximum 15d6, no save allowed).

Alternatively, the character can target the spell on a single magic item that creates or controls flame, such as a wand of fireball or a flame tongue sword. The item loses all its fire-based magical abilities permanently unless it succeeds at a Will save. (Artifacts are immune to this effect.)

The important part for this discussion is the last line of the first paragraph: "Fire-based creatures within the area take 1d6 points of damage per caster level from the spell... no save allowed."

If you look at the descriptors in the casting block, this spell also doesn't grant Spell Resistance.

Here's my question. Does "fire-based creatures" mean ONLY creatures made of fire, like fire elementals, or does it mean ANY creature with the (Fire) sub-type?

 

[hong]

Here's my question. Does "fire-based creatures" mean ONLY creatures made of fire, like fire elementals, or does it mean ANY creature with the (Fire) sub-type?

I would say the former.

 

[Dr_Rictus]

Certainly if it meant creatures with the (fire) subtype, it should have said either "fire creatures" or "creatures with the (fire) subtype."

At any rate, dragons' SR means that even otherwise excellent tactics (such as fire seeds against a white dragon, to use a less questionable example) have got a bit of a problem.

 

[wolff96]

At any rate, dragons' SR means that even otherwise excellent tactics (such as fire seeds against a white dragon, to use a less questionable example) have got a bit of a problem.

That's why Quench would be so nasty if it worked against creatures with the Fire Subtype -- it doesn't allow Spell Resistance unless it's being used on a magical item.

Thanks for the answers.