I wasn't sure where exactly to ask this since it really doesn't fit a rules question. It is more of a brain picker I guess.
Last night during one of our really late night sessions (two hours sleep and I am up again) we had a pretty good fight going on in a boarding house in a slum type area. Spellcasters on both sides were throwing magic around like confetti.
So my wizard fires off two fireballs using alchemist fire as a spell component.it was an old building and was being used as a nest for vampires. The fight went on for about six rounds. Burning which time no attempt was made to put the fire out.
Now it is a small time which it was burning but with the additional boost from the alchemist fire and the fact that two fireballs were set off toward the center area of the building (my wizard makes sure to place them out of range) my thoughts are that it would not take long for the building to go fully involved.
The reason for the question I guess is that the nest of vampires up stairs had a lot off coffins upstairs that needed removed. The one survivor of the fight (who had not turned to gaseous form) was a character of mine who had upon him a portable hole. Now the question becomes would the building have been burning to quickly to have laid down a portable hole and saved the coffins (as well as those that were injured inside) before the fire encroached enough to damage the portable hole and cut off the escape route?
Trying to get some reasoning logic to argue my party's side of it. The party was intentionally trying to set the building on fire to flush out the nest. And the ceiling was kind of an open area as we had assailants dropping in on us from above. Just want to kind of kick this around to see what some outside thoughts are about the situation.
No, burning buildings don't burn as fast as all that. Also cutting off escape routes is pretty hard for PF characters of a level high enough to have a portable hole - real life is best represented within PF as everyone being level 1 as well as nonmagical, though possibly with extra feats. E1?
The characters were 14th level. And there was only one functional vampire left.
The building already had fire damage from a prior attempt. The area was fairly open around the area as assailants were dropping from the second or third floor on us. There was also significant damage done to the walls and doors with a couple of other spells splintering things open.
The building was an old boarding house slum. Run down with poor up keep.
My major thought is the stairwell is the main casualty of the strikes. The vampire would have to get all the coffins off the second and third floors and finding an escape route.
Gaseous form to get up and down the stairs with out taking fire damage, laying out the portable hole on not one but two floors, and moving anywhere from 24 to 36 coffins. I guess it could be done. Next time I really need to make sure when my character dies the little bastard stays dead.
I will point out that Gasseous form provides no protection from the fire. A torch or bonfire is going to do a 1d4 or 1d6 per round. A fully engulfed building should do at least 2d6 per round. Vampires aren't required to breathe so they shouldn't suffocate but still being in a burning building would be traumatic for the vampire.
Also our lone vampire should be aware that there are hunters out there. Vampires aren't known for their loyalty either. I'd have the vampire save the most important members of the group and abandon the rest. Important being the master, plus anyone that the master will be really upset if they are gone, plus anyone they personally like (and can't just replace). Other thralls are just competition anyways. And the hunters will be less suspicious if they find a lot of burnt coffins. Ah, so many noble sacrifices. yep yep, no ulterior motive to this. Not like eliminating the competition makes the survivor look better. Not at all. And it wasn't just a regular fire. They used fire elementals too and that is why our heroic vampire thrall had to save the important people and leave the rest. yep. Only looking out for master!
Well the lone vampire was not exactly a real go getter when it came to helping others. He was a hired mercenary who was extremely good at what he did but could really if the rest of the party made it. He was a rather large dickhead and that was the way I played him. Booze, gold and good fight is what he wants. One of the party in a fight just prior to the one he died in popped out during a fight and went missing. He told the rest of the party if they wanted to go look for her they could but he was going to bed. So he was more of a save my own ass kind of guy.
I don't think the DM is really taking into account the character's lack of concern for his companions and his desire of self preservation. The next session may see where we end up with the fallout from destroying this nest.