Troubles with Fire Shield

[Nail]

DR 3/- and DR 5/slashing or bludgeoning doesn't stack. It overlaps. You knew that, right?

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

I'd be tempted to say "on every successful grapple check to deal damage, pin, move an opponent, etc." That's probably the closest analogy to attack within a grapple and it makes some sense to say that someone who makes a grapple check has to actually get closer, grip more intensely, etc than someone who is simply in the grapple but may be struggling to escape or to draw a dagger.

You could also include in your question

D) What happens when wizard is being grappled? Does the fire shield damage them every turn or what?

Cheers

 

[Gort]

Just be sure your player is aware of the rule you'll be using BEFORE you start resolving his grapple checks

 

[uzagi_akimbo]

DR 3/- and DR 5/slashing or bludgeoning doesn't stack. It overlaps. You knew that, right?

Specific circumstances of the campaign in question have these effects actually stacking in some cases, so basically you point is correct in general, but not in this specific case (and enters house/campaign rules territory ). Which is besides the point of the thread in the first place, too.

 

[cordell]

We use option C - it's the only way its reasonably playable. And still quite a powerful spell. Frankly, it didn't occur to us to play it any other way for quite some time.

During a grapple, I'd probably say the fire shield only deals damage when damage is taken, just like the description in the spell.

 

[Eldragon]

You could also include in your question

D) What happens when wizard is being grappled? Does the fire shield damage them every turn or what?

Cheers

IMC we say a hardy yes to that one. It follows the spirit of the rules quite well, and it also gives the mage a good way to avoid being grappled. Since casting spells while grappled is hard to impossible to pull off anyway, grappling the enemy mage is a tactic as common as casting detect magic on each and every pile of loot aquired. The grappling rules also state that being grappled does 1d3 sub-damage for each round the grapple is maintained, so you could consider that the 1d3 is "strikeing the target".

 

[HeavyG]

IMHO the right answer is obviously "C".

The reason is simple.

From the SRD:

Fire Shield
Evocation [Fire or Cold]
Level: Fire 5, Sor/Wiz 4, Sun 4
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
This spell wreathes you in flame and causes damage to each creature that attacks you in melee. The flames also protect you from either cold-based or fire-based attacks (your choice).
Any creature striking you with its body or a handheld weapon deals normal damage

What ? You quote "causes damage to each creature that attacks you in melee" and then say that it's clear that they have to hit ?

 

[Egres]

What ? You quote "causes damage to each creature that attacks you in melee" and then say that it's clear that they have to hit ?

?!?

Didn't you notice the bolded part?

"deals normal damage".

Isn't this clear enough?

If they deal normal damage, they must had hit you.

 

[fujaiwei]

Especially if joined up with Stoneskin so you don't mind being hit quite as much

*scribbles some notes*
Man, I bow down to you all. Zen masters, you are.

 

[Liquidsabre]

?!?

Didn't you notice the bolded part?

"deals normal damage".

Isn't this clear enough?

If they deal normal damage, they must had hit you.

All that text does is make it clear that the damage inflicted by attackers on the caster remains unaffected by the spell. The text before this make it clear that the spell's damage is dealt to any creature that "attacks you in melee".

Hmm, methinks some one should post the entire text of the spell form the book...