Topic: Question About Elemental Attack Spells

[Pat]

Agreed - but then Counterspell is not a defense action when someone is casting at you, it is a spell intended to stop a spellcaster's spell while they are casting.  Anyone can Counterspell the spellcaster, not just the target.

In other words, I would not give the accidental target the ability to Counterspell.

Sudden Dodge - Yes
Deflections - No, does not work on elemental attacks (missile only)
Bladeturn - No, only works on melee attacks

Keep in mind also, that once the spell is no longer aimed at someone getting a random hit in melee should also be with lots of GM applied situational minuses, and if you really want to go over the top, allow the new target Combat Awareness to determine how aware they are of the attack.

How about this then....If the attack "missses" but is within the defenders armour DB then the bolt/ball explodes on the defenders armour for no damage. If the miss is greater than the armour bonus then a roll is made for direction/distance etc.

And spells that could be cast to help would include Deflect Spell or Deflect.

[Pat]

Exactly. It's not going to matter to most players, as long as he took no damage. However, if the firebolt was cast in forest or grassy plains, or in a house with a thatch roof, it might matter a whole lot to the GM. So in a practical sense, "the right way" to resolve such issues is whichever method appeals to GM and players' sense of justice and accuracy without slowing play down anymore than GM and players are willing to put up with. In other words, the method of resolution is going to vary nearly infinitely not only with every GM/playing group combination, but also with the GM's overall world concept (the same GM may want a different feel from high magic/high fantasy than from hard SF.)

In regards to bolts I think the actual chance of setting alight to anything would be minimal. A bolt is only 1/2 inch up to 2 1/2 inches in diameter and, unlike an arrow, would not drop as it travels. This means that a bolt cast 4 foot above the ground would continue at that height until a) it hits something or b) it reaches its max distance and dissipates. This would mean that the bolt may hit a tree but would be unlikely to start a brush fire on a grassy plain (unless the grass was exceptionally high.) Also items such as thatch roofs would be unlikely to be hit unless the caster is firing at an upwards angle (either the caster would be squatting/lying down or the defender is significantly taller than the caster.)

I'm not saying it's impossible to start a fire with a firebolt, just unlikely. Plus I (as a player) would expect the GM to make a roll to determine if a fire starts. If it was cast into a barn full of dry hay, for example, then I might expect a 50% chance of ignition. If it was cast into a forest of living trees then the chance could be 5%.

[Thom @ ICE]

How about this then....If the attack "missses" but is within the defenders armour DB then the bolt/ball explodes on the defenders armour for no damage. If the miss is greater than the armour bonus then a roll is made for direction/distance etc.

And spells that could be cast to help would include Deflect Spell or Deflect.

For the Deflect Spell - My error, I was only looking in the Core Book.  Deflect Spell would definitely also be an option.

For the alternate interpretation of DB, since we're outside of RAW, there is no reason not to define the sequencing for DB.

First impact to the Attack Roll - Situational Modifiers
Second - Quickness aspect of DB
Third - Parry
Fourth - Shield (and Cover)
Fifth - Armor

If you consider the attack adjustments in that way, if the attack is within the Armor portion of the DB to hitting, then you can assume the armor was hit, but the attack did not penetrate.  For a Firebolt, it struck and flared, but did not hurt the wearer.  Perhaps the cloak, cape, or other clothing was singed.....  No random damage is possible.  For Firebolt I would not bother with determining direction/distance, etc. Simply assume the bolt went where it was intended, but the target either got out of the way, or got hit.  If the attack did not hit the target, then assume it continued right past him and the only possible target is someone standing directly behind the target.

[GrumpyOldFart]

Simply assume the bolt went where it was intended...

Depending on what he rolled, I may not be willing to make that assumption. If it's 1 point above a fumble, suddenly it may matter whether the roof is thatch.

 

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

OK - I guess when I saw you state that the previous poster was "Not quite correct" the only interpretation was that it was not correct to the rules that were written.

The "not quite correct part" was that impression that the bolt automatically hit...