[3.5e] Lamp Oil Thread

[LichPrinceAlim]

Yes, I have a thread to ask questions on lowly Lamp Oil. Deals 0 damage, and used to fuel lanterns.

HOWEVER

Could a "clever" PC throw a bottle of Lamp Oil to create a Wall of Fire (created by his Wizard/Sorcerer/Psion/Wilder buddy) to halt non-fireproof monsters?

and more mechanically, let's say Alim the Blood Mage has Zero-One the Warforged Monk hurl a flask of Lamp Oil so it splashes on group-'o-orcs.

1. What is the "splash radius" of Lamp Oil?
2. If Alim launches a Quickened Still Silent Fireball, would all of the Orcs in the radius of the oil take the full damage of the Fireball, or do they take a lesser damage?

[NEO|Phyte]

Oil

A pint of oil burns for 6 hours in a lantern. You can use a flask of oil as a splash weapon. Use the rules for alchemist’s fire, except that it takes a full round action to prepare a flask with a fuse. Once it is thrown, there is a 50% chance of the flask igniting successfully.

You can pour a pint of oil on the ground to cover an area 5 feet square, provided that the surface is smooth. If lit, the oil burns for 2 rounds and deals 1d3 points of fire damage to each creature in the area.

From ye olde SRDe

[LichPrinceAlim]

From ye olde SRDe

My school blocked SRD....

But what about the Wall of Fire

and what about High Proof Alcohol?

[NEO|Phyte]

Not sure what you're asking on the Wall of Fire thing, but for different flammables, you'd have to check with your DM, pretty sure WotC doesn't have a table for alcohol volatility anywhere.

[Greenish]

But what about the Wall of Fire

It's there too. You just need more than one pint to make a proper "wall".

[Seffbasilisk]

The exact method of delivery and quantity required to fit the prereqs of this vary DM to DM, but if you douse someone in oil, so they're soaked, and light them on fire...

That's 10d6 nonmagical fire damage.

[Sinfire Titan]

The exact method of delivery and quantity required to fit the prereqs of this vary DM to DM, but if you douse someone in oil, so they're soaked, and light them on fire...

That's 10d6 nonmagical fire damage.

Umm, being set on fire only deals 1d6/round, not 10d6.

[Greenish]

The exact method of delivery and quantity required to fit the prereqs of this vary DM to DM, but if you douse someone in oil, so they're soaked, and light them on fire...

That's 10d6 nonmagical fire damage.

Shrink item or just bottomless bag, lots of jugs (holds a gallon, so 8 pints) filled with oil, a method of flight. 8 sp 3 cp grenades that deal 8d6 damage. Handy Haversack so retrieving is move action, dropping a free action for two/round. You just need someone to light 'em up.

Not the most effective tactic, but quite amusing.

[Edit]:

Umm, being set on fire only deals 1d6/round, not 10d6.

I think the assumption here is that the damage from several doses of oil stacks.

[LichPrinceAlim]

so a couple pints of Lamp Oil + Cone of Fire = Effective Barrier?

[Sinfire Titan]

[Edit]:I think the assumption here is that the damage from several doses of oil stacks.

You're adding fuel, but at the same time pouring gasoline or oil directly on a fire (especially a small one) can actually smother the flames. Even when the substance being poured is flammable, it's generally a bad idea to use liquids or solids when trying to make a bigger flame. Remember, it's the fumes that make liquids flammable. Usually.


Also, even if it did stack, there's rules for this stuff. I doubt you can make someone burn with the heat of a bonfire (just about 8d6 fire damage) considering that a bonfire in DnD has a size category of Gargantuan.

[Greenish]

so a couple pints of Lamp Oil + Cone of Fire = Effective Barrier?

Pint per square + anything that can lit it will create a "fire wall" for two rounds, but I wouldn't call 1d3 fire damage an effective barrier. Maybe against animals?

Oh, and it doesn't say it deals damage on enemies who pass it, just to the ones "in the area".

[Edit]:

You're adding fuel, but at the same time pouring gasoline or oil directly on a fire (especially a small one) can actually smother the flames. Even when the substance being poured is flammable, it's generally a bad idea to use liquids or solids when trying to make a bigger flame. Remember, it's the fumes that make liquids flammable. Usually.

Hence you add the oil first, and then lit it.

Also, even if it did stack, there's rules for this stuff. I doubt you can make someone burn with the heat of a bonfire (just about 8d6 fire damage) considering that a bonfire in DnD has a size category of Gargantuan.

Yeah… Well, maybe a GM would rule it to deal 8d6 anyway, seeing that the target also gains a beneficial effect: they can't be caught by ninjas.

[ericgrau]

[Edit]:I think the assumption here is that the damage from several doses of oil stacks.

You can't be more on fire. You're just on fire. If you're merely in an area of fire it's 1d3 damage. Setting the room on fire with several flasks of oil basically bumps up your status to 1d6 surrounded-by-fire even if you aren't hit directly, just like being in a burning building.

As for alcohol, it does not burn very hot because evaporating alcohol is very cold. If it deals any damage at all to creatures it will be minor. My old chemistry teacher doused his hand with 100 proof alcohol and lit it as a demonstration.

But oil is cheap. Get a mule(s) and a 40 gallon (320 pint-flask) barrel(s) and you could have a good level 1 tactic for stopping goblins or something. Later you could also smoke out dungeons or burn down wooden structures at higher levels. See fire rules for details.

[LichPrinceAlim]

Pint per square + anything that can lit it will create a "fire wall" for two rounds, but I wouldn't call 1d3 fire damage an effective barrier. Maybe against animals?

Mostly for fighting Drow thus far. I thought a big wall of fire would be a nice "scare tactic" to at least slow them down.

I also had the idea of having our monk pour several pints in the form of Wee Jas's symbol and making a scarecrow reference, saying that Wee jas said the monsters needed to "lighten up," then lighting the lamp oil

[Greenish]

Mostly for fighting Drow thus far. I thought a big wall of fire would be a nice "scare tactic" to at least slow them down.

I seem to recall a precedent in the literature.

[Sinfire Titan]

Mostly for fighting Drow thus far. I thought a big wall of fire would be a nice "scare tactic" to at least slow them down.

I also had the idea of having our monk pour several pints in the form of Wee Jas's symbol and making a scarecrow reference, saying that Wee jas said the monsters needed to "lighten up," then lighting the lamp oil

A better option would be a Wand of Widened Dawnburst (Complete Mage), and center the effect on your character every time you need it. 5 rounds of bright illumination that deals 1d6+5/round to all Drow (or anything vulnerable to sunlight) in the area, massive penalties to Hide checks if they are in the radius. If your character has a low Hide/MS modifier, it may be worth just grabbing a magical trap (DMG or Dungeonscape) of Widened Dawnburst placed on your armor, so it triggers every 5 rounds that you wear the stuff. Couple this with Karmic Aura, and ranged combat becomes a bad idea for the enemy.

[ericgrau]

For drow just prepare a lot of flares and pop them on the biggest meanest drow while shouting, "Fear my cantrip"!

[Sinfire Titan]

For drow just prepare a lot of flares and pop them on the biggest meanest drow while shouting, "Fear my cantrip"!

Heh heh, that works nicely. If wands didn't have such abysmal CLs, I'd say grab a few wands. It's Fort negates, but Drow have a Con penalty.

[Beorn080]

As for alcohol, it does not burn very hot because evaporating alcohol is very cold. If it deals any damage at all to creatures it will be minor. My old chemistry teacher doused his hand with 100 proof alcohol and lit it as a demonstration.

You can douse your hand in gasoline and light it, and not burn your hand. You just need to make sure to put it out before it runs out of fuel.

[ericgrau]

Heh heh, that works nicely. If wands didn't have such abysmal CLs, I'd say grab a few wands. It's Fort negates, but Drow have a Con penalty.

The dazzled for -1 to hit is just an added bonus. It's bright light, 1 drow is dazed for a round regardless of save. Pick one who's stronger than you, and trading your action for his is a net gain.

You can douse your hand in gasoline and light it, and not burn your hand. You just need to make sure to put it out before it runs out of fuel.

My chemistry teacher did not frequent internet forums and thus his mind was free from such silliness. His hand stayed lit. I would not recommend doing the same with gasoline.

[faceroll]

As for alcohol, it does not burn very hot because evaporating alcohol is very cold. If it deals any damage at all to creatures it will be minor. My old chemistry teacher doused his hand with 100 proof alcohol and lit it as a demonstration.

Your teacher was probably using 200 proof alcohol. Even 140 proof alcohol burns poorly. Alcohol (ethanol, the stuff you drink) has a relatively low burning point, so doesn't burn that hot. It also has a very low evaporation point, so most of the combustion that occurs won't be on your skin, but at some point above it, and rapidly moving away. The alcohol evaporating also moves heat off your hand, and cools it that way.

Of course, if you're covered in clothes, once those start to burn, you're going to feel it.