Raining Down Flammable Oil

[Beholder Bob]

Ok, I'm writing out a series of encounters, and there is a possibility of some real nastiness coming down on the players. I would think this encounter supremely avoidable, but you know players... they get into the darndest predicaments!

The possible situation: they walk through an open portcullis into a 30x40 room, with a closed portcullis on the other side and 2 iron doors to either side. The portcullis behind them closes. They are ordered to drop their weapons and move to the far side of the room - or flammable oil will be poured into the courtyard (the bad guys have 4 barrels of lamp oil). The oil is poured, with a final warning - failing that, a few tinder twigs are tossed into the mess.

This is a game for 6-8 4th level characters.

What do you think the damage should be?

My initial gut rating is 2d6 per round (they are saturated with oil, not just a pint tossed on them), and automatically catch fire and burn for 1d6/round plus another 1d6 per round if in a square with burning oil. Each barrel produces enough oil to cover 4 adj squares and burns for 6 rounds before going out. You can not extinguish the fire on you while in a square with fire - and it is a DC 18 to put it out otherwise, with a +4 if you are covered & smothered by a non-burning blanket, roll on non-burning ground, or are doused with 4+ gallons of water.

Now - the above sounds harsh, but the PCs can see the room prior to entry, are aware guards are above the room, and the ceiling is covered in murder holes. Really - is this too harsh? If so, how would you run it?

BB

 

[Nifft]

Murder holes. That really says it all. If the PCs don't do what the guards want, and the PCs have no way of fighting back, the guards should kill the PCs. Period.

If they don't have an amazing plan -- like "use that custom scroll of animate flamable oil we found!" -- they should be given a choice: die, or be railroaded somewhere unpleasent of your choosing... like:

"You wake up a week later in the dungeon, where a helpful cleric of <evil deity> has nursed you back to health. Your hideous burn scars impart each of you with a +4 bonus to Intimidate, but a -4 penalty to Disguise and Diplomacy. The cleric tells you that you owe him, and to pay him back, you're going to lead the prison break..."

-- N

 

[genshou]

*pulls out his forbidden-by-players tome, The Wurst of Grimtooth's Traps*
Apparently, having several barrels of acid burst and splashed all over you deals 5d6 damage. Neato.

Wait, here's the one I actually needed. In the trap Cyclone the Deadly Maypole, spinning weights rise out of the floor and repeatedly bash the PCs, and if they survive until the weights are above their height, the weights start hitting bars of flint on the walls. Hmm...

It doesn't seem too bad, until the oil starts gushing out of the top of the pole which the weights are spinning around...

In this trap, the flaming oil is coming down like rain, so it deals no damage but each round the PCs have to make a Ref save (DC 15) or catch fire. This may or may not help you with your predicament, but when I read your post I thought of "that one trap with the burning oil" immediately and had to look it up to see if it was relevant. Only partially so... oh, well.

 

[Beholder Bob]

Well, anyone concur/disagree about the mechanics I posted? Too weak/Strong?


>>?<<



BB

 

[Nim]

Well, a few thoughts. They know which room they're guarding, right? So shouldn't they have enough oil to cover the whole room?

A floor covered in oil should have an effect similar to a Grease spell, even before you add the fire.

If you want to be really fancy...there's nothing flamable in the room but the oil, so the fire should flare up and then start burning down. You could have the damage/turn start high and decrease. (For instance, decrease it by 1d6 per turn until it burns out).

When you come right down to it, though, it's really all about how much damage you WANT to do to them. The rules for fire are pretty inconsistant, so do whatever you want. Not helpful, I know, but...

 

[Beholder Bob]

The room is rather large (large enough for a wagon w horses), and the cost to have that much lantern oil for a burn is too high to be used consistently. The setup is a pair of winches suspend barrels of oils, with ropes to pull over the desired spot. The men above hustle it over their target, give warning, then smash the barrel open to cover the target. While a barrel contains a lot of oil, I figured is shouldn't cover more then 10' square - though that with enough oil to burn 6 continuous rounds. A target unable to put them out or flee the area aflame takes a total of 12d6 dmg (1d6 per round for being on fire, another d6/r for being in a burning square). The bad guys have an impromptu fort blocking a canyon passage, with PCs and NPCs having to pass through their 2 portcullis gates to get to the other side - the region between is the killing zone. The bandits have 2 barrels ready, with another 4 that can be prepared, taking 2 men 4 rounds to arrange.

I like the slipperiness idea - Good Point!!!

Starting the damage higher makes this encounter too lethal for 4th level PCs, though perhaps more realistic. I would expect the PCs to be smart enough not to get trapped in this room, but, well you know.....


BB

 

[Nifft]

Have the bad guys use the murder holes more conventionally -- have them fire arrows & xbow bolts down at the PCs. Since the bad guys have full cover and a few Rogue levels, well...

If the PCs get together and make a concerted effort to break through a "weak spot" (i.e. a murder hole), then the NPCs dump oil on them & set them on fire.

-- N

 

[genshou]

Have the bad guys use the murder holes more conventionally -- have them fire arrows & xbow bolts down at the PCs. Since the bad guys have full cover and a few Rogue levels, well...

If the PCs get together and make a concerted effort to break through a "weak spot" (i.e. a murder hole), then the NPCs dump oil on them & set them on fire.

-- N

It should be nine-tenths cover. 3.5 is stupid in the way it handles cover (we can all agree to that). If you have total cover relative to someone, there is no way for you to attack them, and no way for them to attack you. A very accurate character could get an arrow through a murder hole to nail the guard up above, but it'd be tough even for them.