Think Mage Hand can put out small fires?

[Scarlet-Devil]

Idea came to me while playing The Witcher 2 (there's a part where Geralt sneaks through a prison, and can put out torches to prevent people from seeing him, with a wave of his hand). Can Mage Hand snuff out small (maybe hand-sized) fires, or would that be more like Prestidigitation?

[OracleofSilence]

i'd say prestidigitation would be better for that.

[ericgrau]

Pyrotechnics. Put the fire out and they really can't see you either :P.

Well with mage hand you point at the object so I don't see how you could smother. Prestidigitation can "chill or warm", while fires are rather hot. At best I could see it blowing out a candle. I think you need a custom cantrip or else a 1st level spell that both puts out the fire and does something else. Or a 1st level spell to put out multiple small fires.

Snuff

Transmutation
Level: Brd 0, Drd 0, Rgr 1, Sor/Wiz 0
Components: S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: 1 non-magical fire source such as a torch or lantern, no more than 8 inches across
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex Negates (object)
Spell Resistance: No

This spell puts out a single small non-magical fire. Attended objects get a save to prevent the effect. This spell may penetrate up to 1/2 inch of glass, but 1/4 inch of stone or a thin sheet of metal blocks it.

Focus
A tiny candle snuffer

[NNescio]

Ray of Frost?

I seem to recall a cantrip somewhere which is designed for putting out (small) fires, but I'm not sure where it is.

[HappyBlanket]

Mhn... Well, if this were a telekinetic hand were talking about, I don't see why not... Just need to put two fingers together, really. But, misleading name aside, Mage Hand doesn't actually conjure a hand >> So no, it wouldn't be able to put out a candle.

Maybe you could use Presdigitation to create a clump of dirt? That would snuff out the flame... It's kinda inelegant though. And I'm not sure if you can create materials in separate places, if you're dealing with multiple light sources.

[Honest Tiefling]

I agree that it wouldn't work, as you point at an object and move it around. So unless you want to pick up the torch and wave it until it is extinguished, probably would not work. And that wouldn't be terribly subtle.

[Robs]

Geralt doesn't really use telekinesis to put out the torches, he uses a 'fire' sign, the Ignis sign.

If the hand from mage hand can cover the entire area of the fire I don't see why It couldn't though, like pinching a candle out with your fingers. The spell however doesn't specify exactly how the spell manipulates the object, apart from it being movable.

[graeylin]

how about having the mage hand manipulate the oxygen away from the torch, extinguishing the fire?

Or move the flame away from the torch? Or the wood away from the flame? How fine a detail can you go with 'manipulating an object'? Can I manipulate a tablecloth and leave the dust behind?

[Varil]

Create water and ray of frost seem like the best cantrips for this.

[ericgrau]

For above mage hand tricks, you point at the object you want to move. So I doubt those work. Ya try what varil said.

[BlueInc]

Pick up five pounds of fiery material and fling them out of sight?

[OracleofSilence]

this is a different topic... but five pounds is a decent amount of force. it seems to me that there is a great amount of utility to be found there...

[Telonius]

You wouldn't be able to put the candle out by itself, but you could probably Mage Hand a thimble onto a candle to snuff it out.

[ericgrau]

That's harder on torches though. Even if you carry a bucket, foes get to watch a 3.4 mph bucket brightly lit as it slowly descends on the torch. Then they say "waaaaaait a second." Lanterns are even trickier.

[HappyBlanket]

I don't think fire and wind can be directly manipulated by Mage Hand... They aren't really objects, after all.


this is a different topic... but five pounds is a decent amount of force. it seems to me that there is a great amount of utility to be found there...

There's a cheap necklace in the MiC that lets you Mage Hand at-will. Damn right there's a lot of utility.

[Divide by Zero]

There's a cheap necklace in the MiC that lets you Mage Hand at-will. Damn right there's a lot of utility.

It's in the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#handoftheMage), actually.

[TheCountAlucard]

Create water and ray of frost seem like the best cantrips for this.Create Water wouldn't really work - it generates several gallons of water, doesn't really sound too viable.

Although, could you not pick up a fistful of dust/sand with Mage Hand and use it to snuff out a torch? :smallconfused:

[HappyBlanket]

It's in the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm#handoftheMage), actually.

It's also in the MiC, actually.

[Big Fau]

I actually think this is more along the lines of Control Flame (XPH) than Mage Hand.

[ericgrau]

Create Water wouldn't really work - it generates several gallons of water, doesn't really sound too viable.

Although, could you not pick up a fistful of dust/sand with Mage Hand and use it to snuff out a torch? :smallconfused:

Wait you can put out a torch with a fistful of sand but not several gallons of water? :smallconfused:

[Flickerdart]

The spell creates "up" to two gallons per level - you could easily have it make less.

[Big Fau]

Create Water wouldn't really work - it generates several gallons of water, doesn't really sound too viable.

Although, could you not pick up a fistful of dust/sand with Mage Hand and use it to snuff out a torch? :smallconfused:

Wait, what? A fistful of sand is going to be around 1 to 2 ounces at most. How does that do better than 2 gallons of water/CL? The sheer volume of the water could just smother the flame considering it happens all at once instead of being poured out.

[Scarlet-Devil]

Wait, what? A fistful of sand is going to be around 1 to 2 ounces at most. How does that do better than 2 gallons of water/CL? The sheer volume of the water could just smother the flame considering it happens all at once instead of being poured out.

I'm pretty sure what he meant was that, when it comes to stealth, summoning several gallons of water is not the most subtle way to go.

[ericgrau]

A fistful of sand is insufficient though a couple pounds might do it. Might not count as a single object unless bagged. Ya, or simply reduce the water volume on create water. You have about 1/2 a second between casting the spell and lights out, so I doubt anyone will notice the cause anyway.

[Legend]

Create Water, as a Conjuration spell, has the limitation that the stuff you conjure can't be in mid-air but has to be on a surface capable of supporting it, so conjuring it on or over a torch seems out, though maybe for a small fire resting on the ground it would work.

[Yuki Akuma]

No, mage hand can't affect fires.

Because fire isn't an object. And mage hand only affects objects.

You can't use mage hand to manipulate light, air or electricity, either.

[TheCountAlucard]

Create Water, as a Conjuration spell, has the limitation that the stuff you conjure can't be in mid-air but has to be on a surface capable of supporting it, so conjuring it on or over a torch seems out, though maybe for a small fire resting on the ground it would work.This. Sorry for the confusion. :smallredface: That, and the whole "gallons of water" thing.