When Alchemist's Fire Misses

[Acit Cratna]

Here's my situation:

The party is fighting a Centipede Swarm and a PC is throwing an Alchemist's Fire directly at it. A Centipede swarm's AC is 18 and they missed. What happens? Does the Flask still hit the ground within the swarm and cause the splash damage? Did missing the AC just mean you overshot the throw and didn't deal any damage?
I know you can target the ground within the swarm at an AC of 5. But that doesn't deal the 1D6 fire damage for hitting the swarm directly, it only deals the splash damage to the swarm.

Essentially,
What happens with Alchemist's Fire when you miss?

[Darkweave31]

I'd say if they rolled at least a 5 they hit the square and deal splash damage, but not direct hit damage. If they rolled less than 5 then they missed the square.

[Yanisa]

Luckily there are rules (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/specialAttacks.htm#throwSplashWeapon) for these things.


If you miss the target (whether aiming at a creature or a grid intersection), roll 1d8. This determines the misdirection of the throw, with 1 being straight back at you and 2 through 8 counting clockwise around the grid intersection or target creature. Then, count a number of squares in the indicated direction equal to the range increment of the throw.

With a large swarm that means that even if you miss there is 3 out 8 chance you still hit. Unless you are tossing with a range increment, then its always miss. You can also hit your friends, so do be careful wen playing with fire.

[Acit Cratna]

That's kind of what I figured. And I think that's what we went with last night when we played, but I'm not sure.

Though that raises a 2nd question from me.

What about throwing an Alchemist's Fire at just a medium creature? Say a Bandit?
If I missed the Bandit's AC would it land on the ground *near* the bandit and still do splash damage?

[Acit Cratna]

Oh nice!
Thank you. I was unaware of those rules. That helps immensely.

[maysarahs]

If you miss the target (whether aiming at a creature or a grid intersection), roll 1d8. This determines the misdirection of the throw, with 1 being straight back at you and 2 through 8 counting clockwise around the grid intersection or target creature. Then, count a number of squares in the indicated direction equal to the range increment of the throw.

After you determine where the weapon landed, it deals splash damage to all creatures in adjacent squares.

I think in this case the flask would land as per the rules above, on a square in a random direction away and only deal the 1 splash damage to things in adjacent squares. It's up to you whether the 1d6 damage the turn after occurs (though I think RAW, it wouldn't since it only happens on a direct hit)

However, I myself am having some trouble deciding whether it lands on a grid intersection or a square (this would mean that the area affected by an alchemists fire is either a 3x3 square around a target, or a 2x2 square around an intersection, which seems inconsistent)

Edit: Ninjas made me redundant

[Yanisa]

I always went that if the flask felt in another square it counted as another hit, but RAW doesn't talk about it. It does imply only a direct aimed hit deals direct damage but avoids the topic of hitting another creature after missing.

Also I always assumed a flask was a radius, aka a plus sign, so it can only hit 4 squares with splash damage but that is something RAW also does not support.

[Chronos]

Alchemist's Fire lands in a square, which means it affects a total of 9 squares with the splash. Also note that swarms take increased damage from area-effect attacks.

[Yanisa]

Edit, sort off: Rules companion states a direct hit cannot occur when you miss. It's also what Pathfinder says... so if you miss you only deal splash damage.

[Acit Cratna]

Thanks everyone for all the help!
This definitely answered my questions. Alchemist's fire will be used in the correct manner from now on.