Most damaging persistent fire effect? (Choon's players: no peeking)

[Choon]

I'm looking to make an iron golem boss for a homebrew campaign that is in the formative stages. As a theoretical exercise, what is the most damaging fire effect that can be made permanent and continuous. Wall of fire springs to mind, but I'm no wizard (I've never actually played one and have little spell system mastery). I basically want the golem to have either a place to run to for healing (encouraging tactics) or massive fast healing by sticking this effect inside his chest (if the party is dpr-heavy).

Therefore, I turn to the Advice forum, you beautiful people, you.

What is the most damaging fire effect that would count as an attack in regards to an Iron Golem if he were to come into contact with it that can be made permanent.

[Kayerloth]

Wall of Fire immediately comes to mind for me as well and outside of a custom spell trap/device that fires an Elemental(fire) Polar Ray or Meteor Swarm (and part of Meteor Swarm is also bludgeoning damage which would be counter-productive) that is likely the highest level that can literally be made Permanent (via Permanency).

Edit: The Golem would probably just ignore the non-fire portion of Meteor Swarm but that area is a bit fuzzy.

[demontroll]

There is Incendiary Cloud. Perhaps it could be activated as a trap, filling the golem's room with smoke and fire. It only lasts 17 or so rounds, but that is effectively permanent, especially if the trap resets every minute.

But if you are the GM, you can just make something up that fits what you want.

[Choon]

How does one figure the cost of a Trap: Elemental(fire) Polar Ray? I'm not familiar with those rules at all.

Edit: or a trap of incindiary cloud

[Kayerloth]

I like the Incendiary Cloud idea ...
Or if you are feeling incredibly cruel give him a Pit Fiend buddy via a Summoning trap (Fireball is an 'at will' SLA for a Pit Fiend as are several other Fire effects).

[Kayerloth]

Choon wrote:

How does one figure the cost of a Trap: Elemental(fire) Polar Ray? I'm not familiar with those rules at all.

Edit: or a trap of incindiary cloud

No idea honestly ... it would only be important to me if it was a PC trying to create one. As a GM I'd just do it if I felt it was a fair challenge for what I wanted.

The PF rules concerning Trap Design and Creation are in the CRB under the Environment section.

[Choon]

Cool. Thanks.
Maximized, intensified, empowered wall of fire it is.

[Ravingdork]

Just have the fight take place inside of a giant forge or volcano with so much ambient heat that it damages unprotected characters and grants the golem the equivalent of fast healing.

[Choon]

That's a good idea too!
It'll be my first time GMing at a table and I'm still getting used to this "I can make stuff up" thing.

[Choon]

Actually.. Does environmental fire damage count as an 'attack'? The golem's entry specifies attack for the healing effect.

[Ipslore the Red]

It won't heal the golem, but not for the reason you suggest. Anything that deals damage is an attack for such purposes. The problem is that it has to be magical, not just environmental heat.

Iron Golem wrote:

A magical attack that deals fire damage breaks any slow effect on the golem and heals 1 point of damage for each 3 points of damage the attack would otherwise deal.