How Much Damage Does The 'Laser Net' Spell Do?


Rules Questions

Shadow Lodge

Laser Net wrote:

Source Character Operations Manual pg. 137

Classes Technomancer 2
School conjuration
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect lasers in a 20-ft.-radius spread
Duration 1 minute/level (D)
Saving Throw Reflex negates, see text; Spell Resistance no
Description
This spell creates a net of dangerous lasers between two solid points. The net can appear only if there are appropriate anchoring surfaces at both ends of the beams, such as two walls, a wall and a ceiling, or the like. Otherwise, the spell fails.
Creatures that move through the laser net must succeed at a Reflex saving throw or take 1d6+1 fire damage per 5 feet of laser net they move through. Creatures that move no more than 5 feet in the laser net receive a +2 circumstance bonus to this saving throw, but creatures that move through more than 15 feet of the laser net in a single turn take a –2 penalty to the saving throw.

If someone moves through 15' of the web and fails their save, do they take 1d6+3 or 3d6+3 fire damage?


The latter.


The second one.

Shadow Lodge

Okay, finally reached 4th level on my Technomancer last night and added this spell to my repertoire, but I'm still slightly uncertain on how the saving throw actually works.

It's a bit of a 'technical' question (appropriately enough for a Technomancer), but when you do actually make your save against this spell?

  • A) Is it when you stop moving for the turn, which might mean you travel a considerable distance from the 'net' before suddenly dropping dead? If so, do you get to attack before you make the save if you are charging?
  • B) Is it when you either exit the 'net' or stop moving within it? If so, if your path takes you out of the 'net' briefly before re-entering it, do you actually make a separate save / damage resolution for each portion of your movement?
  • C) Whenever the GM feels like it?
Logically, you should probably make a separate save/damage for each 5' you move, but I can understand why they didn't go that way (way too many rolls, and it makes low levels of Fire Resistance way too effective).

Also, are 'larger than medium' creatures supposed to potentially take more damage? Since the damage pool is determined 'per 5 feet of laser net they move through' and not 'per 5 foot square of laser net they move through' I am guessing that having a 10'+ facing doesn't actually increase the damage pool (a large creature charging right through the center of the 'net' will pass through twice as many squares as a medium creature (16 vs 8) but still moves the same 40' for damage calculations).


As you've pointed out, the rules aren't clear cut. I'd rule:

You make your save at the end of your move action to move your speed, or at the end of a full round action that caused you to move. This requires the player or foe to judge how much of the laser net they want to risk, but doesn't bog you down in evaluating every 5ft increment. So basically this is pretty close to your option A.

Larger creatures should not take more damage from laser net, as the damage should be based on feet of movement, not squares occupied during that movement. Otherwise you end up with the spell being vastly more powerful against large or larger creatures, to the extent that it massively overperforms vs other spells of it's level.


Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Let us say that we are dealing with something like a stairwell with a wall in the middle. So the spell places lasers in portion with stairs, but not the landing.
I’d rule that at the last point of each section of net that a victim moves through would be the appropriate point to make a save. In the case of my example, after moving up the first set of stairs, right before stepping into the clear landing, the first save would be made. If there is enough movement remaining, a separate save would be made for the distance moved in the second net.

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