Lighting things on fire.

[stan da ork]

First of all, yes, I know the "official" way of lighting stuff on fire is a Continuous, Uncontrolled RKA. However, I have a real problem with this because, if the RKA costs END, the fire just goes out at some point, even if it is used against something flammable. Furthermore, it doesn't allow the fire to grow, and it assumes the attack is primarily used to do direct damage to an opponent (in most cases).

 

So I'm thinking of some different ways to light stuff on fire. I want the power to behave thusly: the initial ignition does no damage on its own. It merely changes the target's state from "not burning" to "burning." From that point on, the target burns as if actually lit on fire. This means that the fire will do more damage the longer it burns, it can spread if appropriate, and it eventually burns itself out.

 

My current thought on this is using a Major Transform, to basically transform a "target" into a "burning target." For the purposes of this power, I would also use a custom +0 Advantage, "Target's BODY determined by flammability." The GM can then assign various targets a "flammability BODY" based on how hard they are to light on fire. So something like paper or dry leaves might have 1 "BODY", while stone or metal would have upwards of 50, with most living beings falling somewhere in the middle. As the noticable partial effect, the target would feel warmer until such time as it burst into flame. After it catches fire, it is handled like a normal fire, taking the appropriate damage for the size/heat of the fire, spreading as a normal fire, and burning out like a normal fire. And of course, it can always be put out like a normal fire as well.

 

Thoughts? Comments?

[MitchellS]

Re: Lighting things on fire.

 

Lighting something on fire is nothing more than using an energy attack on a combustable target. Example: A 1d6 fire blast on a cloth couch will start a fire.

[Roy_The_Ruthles]

Re: Lighting things on fire.

 

could be good. I'd have to play with it for a while but it seems to have solved the problem you had mentioned which i didn't even think about.

[JTesla]

Re: Lighting things on fire.

 

It all seems a bit complex to me which if that is what you want then go right ahead. Somewhere, in the depths of some thread I saw Change Environment used to start small fires among combustible materials, that is my current favorite for starting random fires among combustible materials. If it doesn’t have a direct effect on game play, why calculate the Body of paper, wood chips, and coffee tables? Why not use a fire based attack because in essence, the effect of paper is that it burns easily. Now if you wanted to set a steel beam, a boulder, or the hood of a car on fire, perhaps then Transform is the way to go.

[stan da ork]

Re: Lighting things on fire.

 

I realize that the SFX of a fire-based power could be interpreted as starting fires when used against flammable materials. However, this construct not only allows the ignition of things that would not normally catch fire, but it applies a consistent mechanic to the ability to start a normal fire, and doesn't leave it completely in the realm of SFX. Additionally, the character could also take a Limited Target on the Transform like "Only Easily Combustible Materials." Although technically, everything is combustible if you can increase the temperature high enough fast enough.

[Roy_The_Ruthles]

Re: Lighting things on fire.

 

it could become useful in genre's like supers because of energy projectors like human torch, but probably unnessisary for lots of them

[JTesla]

Re: Lighting things on fire.

 

I guess I still have multiple hang ups with using something of this nature. First is if characters powers are to have this effect, the cost seems a bit much. Second would be having the items stop burning.

 

If you ignore the SFX of fire based powers by putting those effects into a power, why do you then settle for the special effects of the burning item "spreading as a normal fire, and burning out like a normal fire?" For me, if I’m going to quantify a special effect with a power write up, I would have to go all the way. The transform would have to be sticky, it would have to be linked to another transform that charred the item based on how long it burned, and also be independent etc.

[Roy_The_Ruthles]

Re: Lighting things on fire.

 

For me' date=' if I’m going to quantify a special effect with a power write up, I would have to go all the way. The transform would have to be sticky, it would have to be linked to another transform that charred the item based on how long it burned, and also be independent etc.[/quote']

 

Dedication man, dedication.

[stan da ork]

Re: Lighting things on fire.

 

Ok, maybe I'm taking things a little too far. This all started from a small idea that I expanded, and maybe it's just too much to stretch the system this way. Here's where I started, and what I'm most concerned about:

 

A friend of mine made a character for a GURPS game that could use pyrokinesis to light cigarettes (in theory, he could also have lit campfires, books, and other small, flamable stuff as well). He spent a lot of points on it, just for a cool effect. I was trying to make that ability in HERO, and see how the points worked out. What I came up with is:

 

RKA 1 pip, 0 END, Continuous, Uncontrolled, Invisible Power Effects (still visible to Mental Sense group), Sticky, Indirect (24 AP).

 

Seems awfully expensive to basically not need matches (I was going to probably tack on some range limitations). Also, it should be BoECV, but then it can't affect inanimate objects. So I was looking for a simpler way to build this Power, and went nuts. So how would you build the above Power (the ability to use Pyrokinesis to light small, combustible things on fire)?

[JTesla]

Re: Lighting things on fire.

 

A handy little power, personally I would go with what MitchellS said and use Energy Blast. I don’t think I would use indirect, having the source invisible would be enough for it to be a cool trick, but I may be missing something with having that advantage. I threw this together real quick in Hero Designer just to show the cost difference (granted it still needs tweaking):

 

8 Ignite: Energy Blast 1 point, Invisible Power Effects, Source Only (Fully Invisible; +1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Uncontrolled (+1/2), Sticky (+1/2), Continuous (+1) (8 Active Points)

[gojira]

Re: Lighting things on fire.

 

I think the other thing to consider is, How much do you want this to cost? In other words, figure out what a reasonable power cost is in Fantasy Hero for magically starting a normal fire, then go from there.

 

I haven't worked out your major transform numbers to see if they work, but they could be ok depending on what "ignition numbers" you assign. Start with igniting a candle and go up from there. If the numbers make sense for other genres, you may be onto something.

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: Lighting things on fire.

 

If it wasn't for the fate rate, I think a Body transfer would be ideal for flame attacks... the more combustable materials it "eats" the bigger it gets.

The more I think about it for a variety of different attacks (see my cumbersome Scour thrad for explanation) The more I think there needs to be a modifier for adjustment powers to allow for alternative recovery modes.

[Agent X]

Re: Lighting things on fire.

 

Lighting something on fire is nothing more than using an energy attack on a combustable target. Example: A 1d6 fire blast on a cloth couch will start a fire.

You would think that GMs would "buy" objects that surround the PCs all their normal disadvantages wouldn't you?

 

I have to assume that it is on the GM to remember that a combustible materials combust and what those circumstances are. If a player's sfx is appropriate, voila.

[Hawksmoor]

Re: Lighting things on fire.

 

If it wasn't for the fate rate, I think a Body transfer would be ideal for flame attacks... the more combustable materials it "eats" the bigger it gets.

The more I think about it for a variety of different attacks (see my cumbersome Scour thrad for explanation) The more I think there needs to be a modifier for adjustment powers to allow for alternative recovery modes.

 

Interesting.

 

Now for the sake of argument could you say that an inanimate object 'heals'? If no, then perhaps ignoring adjustment fade rate as it applies to objects is a good ruling.

 

Hawksmoor

[prestidigitator]

Re: Lighting things on fire.

 

Check out my lighter writeup, just for fun.