Potential DOTs

[Shadowbane13]

Does anyone play with elemental features (elemental weapon or spell) that cause damage after they strike an opponent? As in I hit with a fire spell and if the target fails a fortitude or reflex, depending on spell or how the element is delivered, that target can possible ignite or get acid burn or maybe even freeze for some time? I have played in the past where if a target fails they are damaged for d4 turns.

[PallentisLunam]

Well Melf's Acid Arrow Springs to mind instantly but it sounds like what you're talking about is more of a house rule. I remember reading that several fire spells can specifically set things on fire, Burning Hands for example, and being on fire is a mechanical condition with certain rules.

Anyways what you're describing is much more common in 4e than in 3rd

[Flickerdart]

I can't think of anything like what you describe, but there are a bunch of damage over time spells, such as power word pain. Generally, it's considered to be a weak attack method because battles in D&D should be over within a few rounds. Power word pain itself is an exception because it's powerful enough to kill by itself; the advised means of using it is to land it on a victim and then run away.

In addition to being weak, DOT also adds a lot of fuss to the game. Every round, you need to track the effect counting down on every creature that's affecting it, roll the damage die... and the effect is pitiful and weak. If you must use DOTs, use area ones (so it's easy to track the duration and see who's being hit by it) that do more than a piddly die of damage (so it'd worth rolling for).