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01-06-2021, 09:51 AM | #1 |
Join Date: May 2012
Location: New Hampshire, USA
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Running through fire
Ordinary fire only does about 1d-1 damage per second, or half that if you just run through it. But, IRL, people react to fire like it's a lot more dangerous than that and they react intuitively. It takes concentrated willpower to force yourself to run through fire, and even if you've done it many times before and know it won't hurt you it still probably gives most people pause, especially if the fire appeared unexpectedly!
I've been thinking about this in the context of using a simple "create fire" effect (whether spell or power) that fills an area of a few hexes with ordinary fire like a bonfire as a deterrent to stop people from closing with you. Mechanically, if a wizard or super conjures a few hexes of fire there's no reason for the knight in plate to even flinch, let alone pause, before charging right through the fire. But it seems like a (nearly) universal realistic response to a bonfire appearing in front of you while you were running would be to backpaddle hard, no matter what else you were doing. This almost seems like a phobia response, but it really isn't worth a fright check. People don't "freak out" around fire. Actually humans like fire a lot. A sudden burst of flames (as long as we're not likely to touch it) is likely to inspire awe or appreciation. And we don't suffer penalties from stress just from being around it. But we also react to it intuitively like touching it is automatic injury, which it just isn't on a second by second basis. If you wanted to mechanically enforce this sort of behavioral response what rules or homerules would you use? |
01-06-2021, 09:57 AM | #2 |
Join Date: Dec 2012
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Re: Running through fire
I think I would enforce a house rule that requires a Will roll to charge through fire or whatever.
Maybe have a Perk called Used to Fire that ignores the Will roll to walk through fire or to not flinch. |
01-06-2021, 10:14 AM | #3 |
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
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Re: Running through fire
Or a quirk "Always runs towards fires", like horses do. Although that may be worth more than -1 point.
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01-06-2021, 10:20 AM | #4 | |
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: One Mile Up
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Re: Running through fire
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01-06-2021, 10:34 AM | #5 | |
Join Date: Jul 2008
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Re: Running through fire
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Fires do also produce a noxious (and hot) atmosphere that one would do well not to breathe, of course.
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01-06-2021, 10:25 AM | #6 | |
Join Date: Jul 2008
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Re: Running through fire
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Of course that doesn't matter if you are armored such that the fire won't actually hurt you any. I'm not inclined to take as a given that people wearing fire-proof armor and accustomed to doing so flinch from flames. I bet blacksmiths aren't recoiling from the forge often... For whether armor actually is effectively fireproof, do consider that flame exposure is a clear case of Large-Area Injury (Basic p400).
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I don't know any 3e, so there is no chance that I am talking about 3e rules by accident. |
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01-06-2021, 10:38 AM | #7 | |
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Boston, Hub of the Universe!
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Re: Running through fire
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01-06-2021, 10:49 AM | #8 |
Join Date: Jul 2008
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Re: Running through fire
This seems to avoid considering matters of protective equipment.
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I don't know any 3e, so there is no chance that I am talking about 3e rules by accident. |
01-06-2021, 11:04 AM | #9 |
Join Date: Dec 2020
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Re: Running through fire
Fire is a force that causes fear in nearly every living being, all known animals try to avoid fire. A will role should be used even if the person is literally completely protected and sealed of from damage. It takes a lot of training and experience to make a firefighter able to enter a house in flames and get there job done, thatīs nothing for rookies. Bravery helps of course.
As for the plate armor, nearly all of them have a padded undercloth, not only the gambeson, so yes you can run through a hex or two thats burning like a normal camp fire. A lot of the early job training for smiths and glas blowers and the like is not to endanger yourself, a glas blower in considered to work unsupervised after 2 years of training. before that he hasnīt enough experience to work safely. Keep in mind that the actual damage fire does is not the main problem, itīs the fact that burnings are very painfull and often heal slow or infect. Last edited by Willy; 01-06-2021 at 11:05 AM. Reason: spelling error |
01-06-2021, 11:51 AM | #10 | |||||
Join Date: May 2012
Location: New Hampshire, USA
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Re: Running through fire
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If not what rules would you use? Quote:
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On the other hand I've seen plenty of demonstrations of people running through fires, or just walking through them, and I've never seen anybody holding their breaths. So I'd guess that whatever hazardous atmospheres fires might produce are going to be the result of burning hazardous chemicals, or of extreme heat in excess of what ordinary outdoor wood fires like bonfires or campfires might produce. Quote:
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