Setting a forest fire

[NewJeffCT]

I'd have to agree, here. The Alchemist's Fire is great for lighting one tree up quickly, but it doesn't make spreading more likely.

Unless, of course, your PCs have several barrels of the stuff lying around....

Hmm - I had sent an email to the group about having several containers of the material, thinking them to be vial or potion sized. However, maybe I should have clarified that it was these size containers:

 

[Aeolius]

My first thought is how cheesed off the local druids are going to be.

And the local werebear ranger... you may have heard of him:

 

[frankthedm]

My first thought is how cheesed off the local druids are going to be.

...or any Elves, Treants, Dryads...those PC's could be in some serious trouble!

By that time, I was reinforced by several high level Druids. Lost my character for good, but it was worth it!

And the local werebear ranger... you may have heard of him:

why is it as soon as PCs realize a problem can be dealt with a forest fire, DMs pull overpowered NPCs out of every cranny to stop them from thinking outside the box.

 

[Aeolius]

why is it as soon as PCs realize a problem can be dealt with a forest fire, DMs pull overpowered NPCs out of every cranny from thinking outside the box

Because boxes, as a rule, are flammable?

As a DM, I would equate the intentional destruction of a natural ecosystem with an evil act, but then again I like forests. If the forest itself was inherently evil, that's a different matter.

And then again, in the rainforests of Belize some farmers intentionally slash & burn a tract of land to create a "milpa", a garden fertilized by the ash of the fire.

".. a forest suddenly obliterated by a fell magical attack might remain as a ghostly grove populated by lingering spirits not even completely aware of their own destruction." - Savage Species

In the end, as the DM, I would not stop the PCs from burning down the forest. I would however, bring the charred remains of the wood back as a ghost brute, by night, and have the local village blame the PCs directly for its genesis. But I'm fun like that. As a contrast, the charred ashes of the old forest fertilized the birth of a wondrous new forest, to be enjoyed by all during the day.

"Bruce Wayne: The bandit, in the forest in Burma, did you catch him?
Alfred Pennyworth: Yes.
Bruce Wayne: How?
Alfred Pennyworth: We burned the forest down." - The Dark Knight

 

[Umbran]

why is it as soon as PCs realize a problem can be dealt with a forest fire, DMs pull overpowered NPCs out of every cranny to stop them from thinking outside the box.

Just because it is "out of the box", doesn't make it a good idea. A great many things outside the box are downright dumb - they were actively dumped out of the box for that reason, and should not be let back in. In this case the issue is that actions taken ought to be in proportion to your needs. You don't swat flies with a bazooka, and you don't burn down forests when what you need is a few points bonus on a stealth check.

PC actions are supposed to have repercussions, right? Burn down hundreds of acres of forest because you can't figure out a real way to be sneaky? Yes, that should have repercussions.

I don't consider it an effort to stop them from thinking outside the box - I think of it as a plot development.

 

[The Shaman]

And then again, in the rainforests of Belize some farmers intentionally crash & burn a tract of land to create a "milpa", a garden fertilized by the ash of the fire.

That would be "slash and burn" agriculture.

/nitpick

And frankthedm? Actions have consequences. That's part of playing the game, too.

 

[NewJeffCT]

why is it as soon as PCs realize a problem can be dealt with a forest fire, DMs pull overpowered NPCs out of every cranny to stop them from thinking outside the box.

hmm - I'm the OP and I've said nothing about stopping them from burning down the forest. I just wanted to make sure it was a feasible idea. The only negative I've said about it was I originally forgot that it had rained heavily about 48 hours earlier and that it is the equivalent of October in a temperate climate.

The party does have an elf ranger in it. The elf ranger's aunt is a very respected veteran elf ranger in the region as well.

 

[Aeolius]

That would be "slash and burn" agriculture.

Corrected. Granted, it's been 25 years since I was down in Belize.

 

[El Mahdi]

why is it as soon as PCs realize a problem can be dealt with a forest fire, DMs pull overpowered NPCs out of every cranny to stop them from thinking outside the box.

Why is it that some believe inevitable and expected consequences are unfair?

And, just because something can be dealt with by fire, doesn't automatically make it a good choice.

We are talking about a magical D&D world, where the creatures mentioned not only do exist, but are expected to be present!

Ignoring possible consequences, then crying foul because those consequences occur, only compounds foolishness with arrogance and entitlement. A player character can die feeling wronged all they want, but they'll still be dead because of their own choices and foolishness. There's just simply no changing that...


P.S.: "outside of the box" does not mean outside of reason - it means outside of ones own paradigms. Reason and consequence are not suddenly suspended, simply due to one's perception of their own cleverness...

 

[NewJeffCT]

P.S.: "outside of the box" does not mean outside of reason - it means outside of ones own paradigms. Reason and consequence are not suddenly suspended, simply due to one's perception of their own cleverness...

So, taking off & nuking the site from orbit (only way to be sure) is not an option then?