Wall of Fire spell damage, and can it be cast into mid-air?


Rules Questions


Hello. Last game, we have been given quite a thrashing from phoenix. Despite our Communal Resist Energy, it burned through it, and depleted it really fast.

I suspect one of the big problems can be that apparently it can cast Wall of Fire into mid-air as quick action at will, it blocks line of sight.

Also, because we use large size mounts, a wall does 2d4 damage because it "sends forth waves of heat, dealing 2d4 points of fire damage to creatures within 10 feet."
"In addition, the wall deals 2d6 points of fire damage + 1 point of fire damage per caster level (maximum +20) to any creature passing through it."
"If you evoke the wall so that it appears where creatures are, each creature takes damage as if passing through the wall."
Can it do 2d4 + 2d6+1/level damage at the same time because creature is large, even though fireball cannot?


Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Maps Subscriber

Sorry, nitpick. Was it Resist Energy or Protection from Energy? Resist energy takes the amount of elemental damage off each strike for as long as the spell is up. It doesn't "deplete" per se. Protection from Energy gives you a large depleting pool.

As for the topic at hand, most GMs I've seen have taken the merciful side of the ruling and either deal the "Crossing" damage and not the "within X" feet damage.


I'd say the last quote overrides the previous ones. You apply damage once.


Wall of fire blocking LOS isn't mentioned in the write up but it sounds pretty self evident to me since blazing inferno walls isn't exactly glass on the transparency scale.

Summoning it in midair is more iffy but again, it lacks the language of stuff like wall of stone that require it to be anchored to something so it is technically legal even if I as a GM would stick with it needing an anchor point.

Damage wise, yeah, does what it says. At CL 18 (CL of a phoenix) dropping it on someone deals 2d4+2d6+18 which is an average of 5+7+18 = 30 while a fireball is slamming you for 10d6 or on average 35 (save for 17). Bear in mind that fireball is a level lower, had its damage capped 8 CLs ago and still deals more damage presuming on a failed save. Even if you do interpret someone passing through the wall takes the additional 2d4 this is still pretty piddly levels of damage, especially if you're at the point to be challenging phoenixes.

Also you weren't clear on what a quick action is, but a phoenix only has swift action fire walls meaning its all restricted to its turn. It shouldn't have been doing goofy things like interrupting charges on your turn (those need immediate actions)


Pathfinder Maps, Starfinder Maps Subscriber
Tarik Blackhands wrote:

Wall of fire blocking LOS isn't mentioned in the write up but it sounds pretty self evident to me since blazing inferno walls isn't exactly glass on the transparency scale.

The Wall of Fire blocking Line-of-sight comes in the "Effect" line of the spell.

Wall of Fire wrote:
Effect opaque sheet of flame up to 20 ft. long/level or a ring of fire with a radius of up to 5 ft./two levels; either form 20 ft. high


Harley Quinn X wrote:
Tarik Blackhands wrote:

Wall of fire blocking LOS isn't mentioned in the write up but it sounds pretty self evident to me since blazing inferno walls isn't exactly glass on the transparency scale.

The Wall of Fire blocking Line-of-sight comes in the "Effect" line of the spell.

Wall of Fire wrote:
Effect opaque sheet of flame up to 20 ft. long/level or a ring of fire with a radius of up to 5 ft./two levels; either form 20 ft. high

Cheers. Missed that in my brief scan of the spell.


The phoenix didn't interrupt line of charges, just did lots of walls. and the GM is quite mersiful since he let us escape.

The fact that Resist Energy is not depletable is a great revelation, thanks, Harley Quinn X.

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