Flame

Flame

Exposure to flame inflicts burning damage. See Wounding Modifiers and Injury and Hit Location for wounding effects. Below are some additional special rules.

Fire Sources

Adventurers often encounter flaming oil (see Molotov Cocktails and Oil Flasks), high-tech weapons, Innate Attacks, and battle magic (see Fire Spells)...not to mention the burning rubble these attacks leave behind!

If you spend part of a turn in a fire (e.g., running through the flames), you take 1d-3 burning damage. If you spend all of a turn in a fire of ordinary intensity – or if you are on fire – you take 1d-1 damage per second. Very intense fires inflict more damage; for instance, molten metal or a furnace would inflict 3d per second! Use Large-Area Injury in all cases.

Continued exposure to a fire can result in intense heat that can rapidly fatigue you even if the flames themselves cannot penetrate your DR. See Heat.

Incendiary Attacks: Any attack with the Incendiary damage modifier does one point of burning damage in addition to its other damage; in effect, it has a one-point linked burning attack. Examples include torches (see Torches and Flashlights) and flaming arrows (see Flaming Arrows). High-tech tracer bullets also qualify.

Catching Fire

A single hit that inflicts at least 3 points of basic burning damage ignites part of the victim's clothing. (The Ignite Fire spell does this at its third level of effect). This does 1d-4 burning damage per second and is distracting (-2 to DX, unless the damage simply cannot harm the target). To put out the fire, the victim must beat it with his hands. This requires a DX roll, and each attempt takes a Ready maneuver.

A single hit that inflicts 10 or more points of basic burning damage ignites all of the victim's clothes. This does 1d-1 burning damage per second and is very distracting (-3 to DX, except when rolling to put out the fire). To put out the fire, the victim must roll on the ground. This requires a DX roll, and each attempt takes three Ready maneuvers. Jumping into water takes only one second, and automatically extinguishes the fire.

If a wooden shield takes 10 or more points of burning damage in one second, the bearer is at -2 to DX, and takes 1d-5 burning damage per second until he gets rid of it.

In all cases, remember to apply shock penalties to DX if the flame inflicts injury!

The above guidelines assume ordinary clothing. Armor is good protection against fire; clothing worn over armor (e.g., a surcoat) might burn, but the armor's DR reduces the damage normally. Clothing that is wet or worn under armor is almost impossible to ignite, and won't stay lit. On the other hand, fancy dresses, lace cuffs, and so on, ignite if they take even 1 point of burning damage!

Remember to divide damage from tight-beam burning attacks by 10 when applying the rules above.

Making Things Burn

Materials are grouped into six "flammability classes," based on the amount of burning or incendiary damage needed to set them aflame: Super-Flammable (e.g., black powder, ether): Negligible damage (candle flame).

Highly Flammable (e.g., alcohol, paper, tinder): 1 point.

Flammable (e.g., dry wood, kindling, oil): 3 points.

Resistant (e.g., seasoned wood, clothing, rope, leather): 10 points.

Highly Resistant (e.g., green wood, flesh): 30 points.

Nonflammable (e.g., brick, metal, rock, fireproof synthetics): N/A.

A fire source (including any incendiary attack) that inflicts the listed amount of burning damage in a single damage roll ignites the material immediately. Divide damage by 10 for tight-beam burning attacks. If the flame fails to ignite the material immediately, but could do so on its best damage roll, roll damage once per second for as long as it is in contact. Even if the flame is incapable of inflicting enough damage on its best roll, it may set things afire with prolonged contact. Roll 3d for every 10 seconds of contact. Materials one category up (e.g., Flammable materials taking 1 point per second) catch fire on a 16 or less; those two categories up (e.g., Flammable materials touching a candle flame) catch on a 6 or less.

Once a material starts burning, it may ignite adjacent materials. Make separate rolls for it based on the fire's damage (1d-1 per second for an ordinary fire).