What happen if a fire elemental fails to make the jump over a body of water?

[The Souljourner]

I'd say that because fire elementals take no damage from water normally, they just turn it all into steam. A fire elemental that jumps into water creates a huge ball of steam, and can slowly paddle its way towards shore, making swim checks like anyone else (and meanwhile making more steam every round). I think that in the case of accidentally jumping in water, you need to ignore the "impassable" rules, because they simple don't make any sense. I'd say that the fire elemental wouldn't ever try swimming intentionally, to keep the spirit of the rules intact.

The lava/boiling water rules are interesting... how about drowning/suffocating rules? Call the fire elemental something incapable of holding its breath, so it immediately starts suffocating... *shrug*

-Nate

 

[Nail]

I'd say that the fire elemental wouldn't ever try swimming intentionally, to keep the spirit of the rules intact.

The question is: "Why is water an impassible barrier?"

House ruling water to cause damage would provide the reason.

 

[Deset Gled]

The question is: "Why is water an impassible barrier?"

House ruling water to cause damage would provide the reason.

That logic is a slippery slope. Does anything that puts out fire cause damage? How much damage does a Super Soaker do to a fire elemental? How about a bucket of dirt? Can water damage an Earth elemental through erosion?

I think it's a pretty big leap from "impassible barrier" to "causes damage". A Wall of Force is another example of an impassable barrier that you can jump over. I wouldn't apply damage to a fire elemental for failing that check.

Of the solutions suggested so far, I like I2K's the best. Impassible means it's treated as a solid object that cannot be penetrated.

 

[el-remmen]

Does anything that puts out fire cause damage?

I would say no. The reason it does damage is because it is its opposite element.

How much damage does a Super Soaker do to a fire elemental?

Well, the super-soaker itself? None. But the water it squirts might do some.

How about a bucket of dirt? Can water damage an Earth elemental through erosion?

Earth is not Fire's elemental opposite.


For me I would compare the size of the elemental to the amount of water it is coming into contact with to determine the damage/effect.

For me, the image if a huge elemental emerging slightly smaller from a wall of steam created by it crossing a stream with great anger is too cool to allow some lame rule as written to get in the way.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

[

I think it's a pretty big leap from "impassible barrier" to "causes damage". A Wall of Force is another example of an impassable barrier that you can jump over. I wouldn't apply damage to a fire elemental for failing that check.

Of the solutions suggested so far, I like I2K's the best. Impassible means it's treated as a solid object that cannot be penetrated.

That makes no sense. The SRD states a body of water is an impassible barrier if it cannot be stepped or jumped over. It doesn't say it is a solid object like a horizontal wall of force that can be walked on. If that was the case then an ocean would be something a fire elemental could just stroll over.

Personally I like the lava rule idea, but if you don't like the idea of it dealing damage, then rule instead that if a jump check were to fail, it would be like dropping water onto a hot griddle and the elemental would be thrown back to where it started - making it an impassible barrier because it was unable to jump over it.

 

[andargor]

Aside from destroying a stone floor, isn't it also an impassable barrier? Why wouldn't the fire elemental just stand on top? Walking on top of the water is not entering it.

I'm with I2K on this one. Water is an impassable barrier, ergo the water (including surface) is solid to a fire elemental.

 

[Delta]

I must admit, I would just yank the "or jump" language, and not even think about dealing with leapy-lee fire elementals.

 

[Bagpuss]

Using my rules-lawyer-fu, you forgot option 3, which would mean water is treated as an "impassable barrier" IE a solid surface and the Fire Elemental walks across it since he can't enter it.

I could even come up with some psudo-science explanation for this in that the surface of water turns to steam so that the fire elemental skates across it on a cushion of steam.

 

[Nail]

That logic is a slippery slope.

Not at all. It makes sense and is internally consistant with the rest of the rules. "A slippery slope" is a strawman argument.

Water is fire's opposite element. Simple!

...and it's a "House Rule", so really: use whatever trips your trigger.

 

[blargney the second]

"Boiling water deals 1d6 points of scalding damage, unless the character is fully immersed, in which case it deals 10d6 points of damage per round of exposure. "-SRD

Hey cool! The day's not wasted - I learned something new.