RPG Superstar 2010 Top 32
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Balor Nimbus from the Spell Compendium is a scary spell, if you have it when you need it. It does 6d6 fire damage to an enemy grappling you (or being grappled by you) on your turn.
Let's say a tentacle beast attacks you, hits, gets a free grapple, possibly does extra constrict damage immediately (depending on house rules) and lets you go as a free action - all on its turn. Ouch!
Does that mean it doesn't get burned at all, since the Balor Nimbus only flares up when your initiative comes round?
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RPG Superstar 2010 Top 32
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Especially as it's only 2nd level!
The thing is the fluff-crunch disjunct.
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Fluff: "Like the legendary balor, your body bursts into lurid flames." Hmm - Burst into flames - continually burning...that sounds useful!
Crunch: "Each round, the flames deal 6d6 points of fire damage to any creature grappling you (or any creature you grapple) on your turn."
Hmmm, suddenly it's all meta-gamey. The thing is, it doesn't fit the description of all the actions in a round occurring reasonably simultaneously. The argument for our group is whether the damage takes place
a) on your turn and is dealt to anything involved in a grapple since your last turn
or
b) on your turn and is dealt to anything still touching you at that particular place in the initiative order
The DM had the player grappled, said "oooh, flames" and let go of before the players turn, dealing plenty of damage but taking none back. That seems counter to the spirit of the spell, hence our discussion.
(And for full disclosure "The flames created by this spell do not harm you or any equipment you carry or wear."
The tentacle beast in your example. Why did it grapple and damage and then let go? If its because the DM knows about the spell, then you have a bad DM who is metagaming to the disadvantage of the players. If it is because the tentacle beast fears flames, then it should never have grappled the PC in the first place.
If the case is that the flames are dormant until the PC's turn and the PC is grappled, then they activate; then the tentacle beast should never have let go before the PC's turn.
Something you may want to do with the PC in the future: Grappling is a two way street. If a grappling creature wishes to just let go, the opponent can force it to make a grapple check to do so. If it fails, they are still grappling.
The DM may have just been playing tactically. I often have a creature grapple a PC, do it's damage, then let go so that it's not grappling when it gets attacked and it doesn't have to deal with the -20 to it's grapple check. For something with constrict it's a great option.
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RPG Superstar 2010 Top 32
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I'd say it was the latter (tactics) as he later had it hang on when there was no-one in its area. The flames got it that time, luckily :-)
I'm still not sure if it should be just on the players turn though - there's no real definition of "on your turn". I'm usually one for common sense and DM rules, but this split our group right down the middle. I'm for the spirit of the spell - always active, whereas others find that too unbalancing, and would rather have it 'flare up'.
Except surely the spell fluff would say "flames pulse..." or "flicker" rather than simply "you burst into flames".
Hmmmm - maybe we could take a vote? ;-)
Personally I'd probably house rule that it does it when it first grapples you and then starting next turn on each of your turns.
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burst into flames, to me, does not imply always burning, but that is my take on the fluff. To me it just means, well, you just start to burn... says nothing about duration or effect or anything else.
Since the game is not trying to realistically reproduce real world combat, but rather is presenting an interpretation of fantasy combat, on your turn would be acceptable to me. Especially for a low level spell. Add a few of levels to the spell and I'd let it nail the guy anyway, but low level spell... no I wouldn't go that far at all.
I'm with Krome. As a 2nd level spell, the restriction of it only happening on your turn is nicely balanced.
Balor Nimbus from the Spell Compendium is a scary spell, if you have it when you need it. It does 6d6 fire damage to an enemy grappling you (or being grappled by you) on your turn.
Let's say a tentacle beast attacks you, hits, gets a free grapple, possibly does extra constrict damage immediately (depending on house rules) and lets you go as a free action - all on its turn. Ouch!
Does that mean it doesn't get burned at all, since the Balor Nimbus only flares up when your initiative comes round?
I'm sorry to disagree, but I don't think this spell is not very good at all...
First, it has a very specific condition. As a sor/wiz, the last thing you want to do is grappling. It's slightly better if you're a cleric, since you are more likely to survive a grapple in low levels. But even then...And at high levels any caster will have much better things to use a standard action for that this.