My question, simply: can I somehow 'precisely' stop allies from being immolated by splash damage each round?
From PRD, emphasis mine:
Immolation Bomb*: When the alchemist creates a bomb, he can choose to have its substance coat the direct target's body, causing the bomb to deal its damage over time instead of all at once. The bomb's effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to the number of damage dice the bomb would normally deal (for instance, a 5d6 bomb lasts for 5 rounds). When the bomb hits the direct target, the bomb deals 1d6 + the alchemist's Intelligence modifier in damage, and those within the splash zone take damage equal to 1 + the alchemist's Intelligence modifier. It repeats this damage against the direct target of the bomb each round the immolation bomb lasts, dealing the damage at the start of the alchemist's turn. Splash damage is dealt again to any creature that is adjacent to the direct target when it takes damage from the immolation bomb. A creature taking damage from an immolation bomb's direct hit can attempt to extinguish the flames as a full-round action that requires a Reflex save (DC = 10 + 1/2 the alchemist's level + the alchemist's Intelligent modifier). Because of the alchemical nature of this bomb, rolling on the ground does not grant a bonus on the saving throw, and dousing a creature with water does not stop it from burning. These bombs can be used underwater. An alchemist must be at least 3rd level before selecting this discovery.
Precise Bomb: Whenever the alchemist throws a bomb, he can select a number of squares equal to his Intelligence modifier that are not affected by the splash damage from his bombs. If the bomb misses, this discovery has no effect.
You aren't protecting allies, you are protecting squares. Thus the best you could hope for is to make some number of squares immune to all the immolation splash damage.
If your allies stay in those squares, awesome. If they move out of those squares to chase around the burning dude, then they will get a little bit of burning dude on them.
With this interpretation, you could also choose your own square, just in case the burning dude runs over to thank you personally.
This kinda sounds like a game of tag, where you are calling out where the "safe zones" are when you declare some poor fool to be "it".
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Squares excluded by Precise Bomb are not in the 'splash zone' referenced by immolation bomb's first bolded sentence.
As for the continuation effect, the wording indicates that any adjacent creature takes damage accordingly, even allies previous precluded from the initial splash area.
Agree with MurphysParadox.