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In a PFS PbP game, an alchemist has just thrown one of his bombs in a warehouse with wooden floors and boxes of goods. Since the bombs do fire damage, is there a rule for determining if something catches on fire? (The question could be applied more generally to any fire attack.)
I, at least, wasn't finding one in the PRD, and while it makes sense that items would have a chance of catching on fire, I hate to arbitrarily add difficulties to a main attack.
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Yep.
Fireball
School evocation [fire]; Level magus 3, sorcerer/wizard 3; Domain fire 3
CASTINGCasting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a ball of bat guano and sulfur)
EFFECTRange long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area 20-ft.-radius spread
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw Reflex half; Spell Resistance yesDESCRIPTION
A fireball spell generates a searing explosion of flame that detonates with a low roar and deals 1d6 points of fire damage per caster level (maximum 10d6) to every creature within the area. Unattended objects also take this damage. The explosion creates almost no pressure.
You point your finger and determine the range (distance and height) at which the fireball is to burst. A glowing, pea-sized bead streaks from the pointing digit and, unless it impacts upon a material body or solid barrier prior to attaining the prescribed range, blossoms into the fireball at that point. An early impact results in an early detonation. If you attempt to send the bead through a narrow passage, such as through an arrow slit, you must "hit" the opening with a ranged touch attack, or else the bead strikes the barrier and detonates prematurely.
The fireball sets fire to combustibles and damages objects in the area. It can melt metals with low melting points, such as lead, gold, copper, silver, and bronze. If the damage caused to an interposing barrier shatters or breaks through it, the fireball may continue beyond the barrier if the area permits; otherwise it stops at the barrier just as any other spell effect does.
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Ah, okay. Here's the rest from the PRD:
Characters exposed to burning oil, bonfires, and non-instantaneous magic fires might find their clothes, hair, or equipment on fire. Spells with an instantaneous duration don't normally set a character on fire, since the heat and flame from these come and go in a flash.
Characters at risk of catching fire are allowed a DC 15 Reflex save to avoid this fate. If a character's clothes or hair catch fire, he takes 1d6 points of damage immediately. In each subsequent round, the burning character must make another Reflex saving throw. Failure means he takes another 1d6 points of damage that round. Success means that the fire has gone out—that is, once he succeeds on his saving throw, he's no longer on fire.
A character on fire may automatically extinguish the flames by jumping into enough water to douse himself. If no body of water is at hand, rolling on the ground or smothering the fire with cloaks or the like permits the character another save with a +4 bonus.
Those whose clothes or equipment catch fire must make DC 15 Reflex saves for each item. Flammable items that fail take the same amount of damage as the character.
Explosive bomb*: The alchemist's bombs now have a splash radius of 10 feet rather than 5 feet. Creatures that take a direct hit from an explosive bomb catch fire, taking 1d6 points of fire damage each round until the fire is extinguished. Extinguishing the flames is a full-round action that requires a Reflex save. Rolling on the ground provides the target with a +2 to the save. Dousing the target with at least 2 gallons of water automatically extinguishes the flames.
Explosive bombs explicitly state that creatures catch fire from a direct hit. From that I would rule that alchemist bombs are treated more like burning oil rather than fireballs.
What is less clear is whether attended (worn or carried) items, take damage from a fireball. I would say no but have played it the other way round in earlier editions. But what about a fireball into an area where there are already fallen enemies. Are those former enemies items now treated as unattended?
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Well, since the explosive bombs specifically mention catching fire and the regular bombs don't, I would think that that would be more evidence that regular alchemist bombs don't cause things to catch fire.
As for the fireball, do attended items only get potentially damaged on a failed saving throw of a 1? That is what I thought I read in 3.5 and, otherwise, you would have a lot of naked characters running around after each fireball. I would think fallen enemies, on the other hand, would have a lot of destroyed equipment after the fireball. I always remember the downside of a fireball being a lot of lost loot, at least how I played 1e.
It takes a lot to burn down a wooden house or crates. I don't think an alchemist's bomb or fire would catch things on fire. Certainly would cause some damage though.
Now if they hit gunpowder... ;)
I read the explosive bomb as their being no saving throw, which by inference would mean normal alchemist bomb's have a saving as normal. But either interpretation is fine as long as it is consistent.
With regard to unattended items, as they don't get a saving throw they would take damage from the alchemist bomb - lets call it scorching damage. The following round, roll damage (1d6) to see if it catches fire. If it's less than the object's hardness (5 for wood) then it doesn't catch fire (if it does then it will take 1 point) but paper or cloth with no hardness and things like oil will catch fire.
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Thanks Hugo Rune, I think I will use a system like that, at least in private games. It works well for items like paper, too (very low hardness, high flammability).
I remember a table from the 1e DMG that listed saving throws (or some such) for all kinds of effects versus all kinds of materials. Maybe something like that could be created or adapted for home games (or in future PF/PFS additions), too.
I guess, seebs, that the ultimate answer, for now, would be just to use 'GM discretion'.
Cheers, I'd forgotten about the 1e save table, I think I'll incorporate that into my games.
We need a flammability chart, with saving throw bonuses based on the material used and the amount of fire damage done.
IMO that, at least, would be reasonably realistic and fair, without being too much rolling in game, especially if you did it in aggregate (i.e. for a pile of items hit by a fireball, the average flammability is estimated and used in the chart, along with the fireball damage.
In Skulls and Shackles it has a fancy chart telling what fire spells set fire to what. Mostly used on boats, but I think we're all pretty smarts people. Wood on a boat and wood in a warehouse is pretty similar.