Fire Does What Now?

[ZenoForce88]

I've been reading a lot of different threads lately, and in many of them, I keep running across a statement which says Fire deals Half damage to objects. I've hunted through nearly every D&D 3.5 book I own, and even tried searching Hypertext, an SRD sight and have yet to find where it says that. Is this a house rule or something?

[StreamOfTheSky]

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/exploration.htm#energyAttacks


Acid and sonic attacks deal damage to most objects just as they do to creatures; roll damage and apply it normally after a successful hit. Electricity and fire attacks deal half damage to most objects; divide the damage dealt by 2 before applying the hardness. Cold attacks deal one-quarter damage to most objects; divide the damage dealt by 4 before applying the hardness.

[ZenoForce88]

Yup, I'm a blind idiot. Thank you for actually quoting it, and the quick answer StreamOfTheSky.

[Invader]

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/exploration.htm#energyAttacks

Beat me to it :smallmad:

[Squirrel_Dude]

Note that it's only most objects. Things like cloth or kindling should probably still take full damage.

[StreamOfTheSky]

Yeah, there's DM interpretation involved. Presumably, some objects like paper products would be so flammable, they'd take full damage, not get to apply hardness, *and* take +50% damage for "vulnerability," maybe.

But most objects don't burn down so easily/quickly.

[ddude987]

I could have sword hardness does not apply to energy damage. Am I crazy? I might just be really tired at the moment...

[TuggyNE]

I could have sword hardness does not apply to energy damage. Am I crazy? I might just be really tired at the moment...

It applies to all damage.
Hardness
Each object has hardness—a number that represents how well it resists damage. Whenever an object takes damage, subtract its hardness from the damage. Only damage in excess of its hardness is deducted from the object’s hit points.

[Waddacku]

Do note it only applies to attacks. Damage taken from being on fire should not be halved.

[TuggyNE]

Do note it only applies to attacks. Damage taken from being on fire should not be halved.

Whyever not? In particular, what defines an attack, in this context, as requiring some specific agent to direct it?

[Waddacku]

There's the glossary:


attack

Any of numerous actions intended to harm, disable, or neutralize an opponent. The outcome of an attack is determined by an attack roll.

The closest thing to another definition is from Invisibility:


The spell ends if the subject attacks any creature. For purposes of this spell, an attack includes any spell targeting a foe or whose area or effect includes a foe. (Exactly who is a foe depends on the invisible character’s perceptions.) Actions directed at unattended objects do not break the spell. Causing harm indirectly is not an attack. Thus, an invisible being can open doors, talk, eat, climb stairs, summon monsters and have them attack, cut the ropes holding a rope bridge while enemies are on the bridge, remotely trigger traps, open a portcullis to release attack dogs, and so forth. If the subject attacks directly, however, it immediately becomes visible along with all its gear. Spells such as bless that specifically affect allies but not foes are not attacks for this purpose, even when they include foes in their area.

[Devils_Advocate]

Do note it only applies to attacks. Damage taken from being on fire should not be halved.
The rule tuggyne quoted says "Whenever an object takes damage". Where is this contradicted?

[cerin616]

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/exploration.htm#energyAttacks

Acid and sonic attacks deal damage to most objects just as they do to creatures; roll damage and apply it normally after a successful hit. Electricity and fire attacks deal half damage to most objects; divide the damage dealt by 2 before applying the hardness. Cold attacks deal one-quarter damage to most objects; divide the damage dealt by 4 before applying the hardness.

[Devils_Advocate]

Oh, I see. Given the two posts prior to that, I had assumed that by "it" Waddacku meant hardness, but it was instead referring back to the OP.

[Cirrylius]

A related question; if you do manage do do a six points of fire damage to, say, a catapult, and one point makes it through Hardness to do damage, does that mean that the catapult catches fire, and continues to burn indefinitely until that 1/6 hp worth of damage per round destroys it?

[Sactheminions]

"Any of numerous actions intended to harm, disable, or neutralize an opponent. The outcome of an attack is determined by an attack roll."

So, um, area effects don't check hardness?

Suddenly evocation doesn't sound so bad.

[SciChronic]

most fire magics (fireballs, scorching rays, etc.) are flash fire attacks, so the flame is instant and dissipates just as fast. That limited amount of exposure is not enough to light the object on fire. Its like waving your hand through a candle flame.

[TuggyNE]

most fire magics (fireballs, scorching rays, etc.) are flash fire attacks, so the flame is instant and dissipates just as fast. That limited amount of exposure is not enough to light the object on fire. Its like waving your hand through a candle flame.

Except, of course, that fireball specifically can ignite flammable objects. :smallwink:

[MesiDoomstalker]

most fire magics (fireballs, scorching rays, etc.) are flash fire attacks, so the flame is instant and dissipates just as fast. That limited amount of exposure is not enough to light the object on fire. Its like waving your hand through a candle flame.

I really wish my group would listen to me when I tell them this. Any character I have with ANY fire ability I have to make rolls to not ignite every little thing. Its quite annoying, considering the damage is negligible and I have to carry around a way to extinguish fires at all times.

[Waddacku]

"Any of numerous actions intended to harm, disable, or neutralize an opponent. The outcome of an attack is determined by an attack roll."

So, um, area effects don't check hardness?

Suddenly evocation doesn't sound so bad.

Yes, they do. It's the damage halving that wouldn't apply in that case.