What Happens when a Fire Elemental is Dropped in Water?

[DonaldRumsfeldsTofu]

Perhaps you could have had the water do 10d6 points of damage per round, ala humans with lava, and rule that if the fire elemental died in this manner, he would be reconstituted as a steam paraelemental.

That method of handling it would have been realistic, but would still be fair towards the 3rd level character and the general storytelling.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

I would simply have treated it as a wall. The elemental can't go forward, so it just stops and gazes wistully at the fine feathered frau.

The Auld Grump

 

[Tessarael]

Re: water quenching fire

The reasons why water is helpful to put out a typical fire are twofold: (a) it cools things down, hopefully to a point where they are no longer prone to burn, (b) a surface covered in water doesn't have access to oxygen to burn. However, wet wood will still burn - you just need a hot enough fire. And water won't put out some fires, e.g. a chemical fire which doesn't rely on atmospheric oxygen.

Unless you want to argue that the Fire Elemental desperately needs that oxygen to burn burn burn, I'd suggest that water affects a Fire Elemental no differently than a human: it stops you breathing, which will rapidly cause a problem after several rounds, but it doesn't do massive damage.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

I too believe that a fire elemental shouldn't suffer damage from being immersed in water. Yes, fires are extinguished by water. But this is no ordinary fire. I doubt that there is much oxygen in the Fire Elemental Plane, and yet, Fire elementals roams the land.

Fire elementals don't need to breathe (IIRC)...

A Fire elemental plunged in water, if sunk by his equipment, should produce an incredible amount of steam, but shouldn't be damaged.

AR

 

[rushlight]

As a DM, I would agree with those who say the fire elemental would take damage from the water, as his body cools. However, I wouldn't go to the extreme that others have - I would treat the water as the opposite of fire - 1d6 per round. If you set a man (90% water!) on fire, by the rules he takes 1d6 per round (with reflex saves to avoid/put it out). Since you wouldn't have the option of avoiding the water (you're immersed) you'd get no save. I don't think that it would have the same effect as lava though. Essentially, you'd be losing a small amount of body heat as the water vaporized around you - only a small portion of water would actually be "cooling" you.

Essentially water is to a fire elemental as fire is to a water elemental (or normal creature).

Now, this might still kill you... But it would be the same if a human was dropped into a 100-foot square bonfire - better get out quick!

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Going to the SRD: A body of water is an impassible barrier unless the fire elemental can step or jump over it.

It really doesn't have a lot of leeway.

I would rule that impassable means impassable - he just can't do it. So now drwn, no steam, no 'hey I am immune to drowning!' He just can't do it.

The Auld Grump

 

[fnork de sporg]

Does that mean all fire elementals can walk on water?

That's awesome! My pirates are gonna get some Fire Elementals right friggin now!

 

[I'm A Banana]

Yeah, sounds like he just hits the surface of the water and keeps burning.....

 

[Ao the Overkitty]

I can just see George dancing a jig on top of the river. It wouldn't be a very good jig, mind you. I think he'd rather like that. Course, he's a rather silly fire elemental.

Oh, and is George the Fire Elemental any worse than Ivan the Holyphant?

 

[Cerubus Dark]

I can just see George dancing a jig on top of the river. It wouldn't be a very good jig, mind you. I think he'd rather like that. Course, he's a rather silly fire elemental.

Oh, and is George the Fire Elemental any worse than Ivan the Holyphant?

How do you deal with the source of Fire that needs to be around the Fire Elemental?

Other than that, you should smite the elemental and the Holyphant, just because.