Rules Question: Incendiary Cloud

[Flibbertigibbet]

Gents,

Incendiary Cloud states that it deals damage every turn on the caster's turn.

Does it deal damage the round it is cast?

Does it deal damage at the beginning of the caster's turn or the end?

How sure are you in your answer - is it official or a good common sense answer?

Alex

 

[anest1s]

Well casting time is a standard action, which means that the spell is in effect the same round it is cast...and since on your turn it deals damage, then it also deals damage on the first turn.

A normal common sense (bc many other spells would fail hard if worked like that)


About when it deals damage I am not sure.
If you rule it at the beginning of the turn, then everyone can just walk out. If it is at the end of his turn he will be able to move it and hit someone for sure.

 

[Empirate]

It takes effect as soon as casting is finished - which is on the same turn that you start casting. So if you center it on yourself, you're damaged along with everybody else, because you can't first take your move action to move away.

In future rounds, damage occurs "on" your turn. That means, it happens at the same time you take your actions. None of your actions that you take on that turn will change this.

For example, you move, then cast Incendiary Cloud somewhere. It deals damage immediately.
One round later, it's your turn again, and the party Fighter has requested that you end your spell, so he can engage in melee. Incendiary Cloud is not dismissible, so you decide to cast Dispel Magic in order to remove it. Even while you're doing that, your Incendiary Cloud deals damage again, even though it goes away the instant you finish casting your Dispel.


I'm quite positive that "at the beginning" or "at the end of your turn" only apply where they are specifically spelled out.

 

[anest1s]

I'm quite positive that "at the beginning" or "at the end of your turn" only apply where they are specifically spelled out.

So...if you move it on an enemies square, and then past him, he takes damage?

If you cast it on you, when your next turn starts you take damage, or you can move away to avoid it?

If on his own turn someone charges through it, he will take damage or not?
If the caster charges through it he will take damage?
If someone readies an action to charge the caster on casters turn?

 

[frankthedm]

Don't forget

Catching On Fire

Characters exposed to burning oil, bonfires, and noninstantaneous magic fires might find their clothes, hair, or equipment on fire. Spells with an instantaneous duration don’t normally set a character on fire, since the heat and flame from these come and go in a flash.

Characters at risk of catching fire are allowed a DC 15 Reflex save to avoid this fate. If a character’s clothes or hair catch fire, he takes 1d6 points of damage immediately. In each subsequent round, the burning character must make another Reflex saving throw. Failure means he takes another 1d6 points of damage that round. Success means that the fire has gone out. (That is, once he succeeds on his saving throw, he’s no longer on fire.)

A character on fire may automatically extinguish the flames by jumping into enough water to douse himself. If no body of water is at hand, rolling on the ground or smothering the fire with cloaks or the like permits the character another save with a +4 bonus.

Those unlucky enough to have their clothes or equipment catch fire must make DC 15 Reflex saves for each item. Flammable items that fail take the same amount of damage as the character.

 

[Flibbertigibbet]

So...if you move it on an enemies square, and then past him, he takes damage?

If you cast it on you, when your next turn starts you take damage, or you can move away to avoid it?

If on his own turn someone charges through it, he will take damage or not?
If the caster charges through it he will take damage?
If someone readies an action to charge the caster on casters turn?

This is precisely the kind of thing I need to know.

 

[Flibbertigibbet]

Actually, the most relevant question is likely to be what happens if you cast it during a time stop.

 

[Greenfield]

Catching On Fire

Characters exposed to burning oil, bonfires, and noninstantaneous magic fires might find their clothes, hair, or equipment on fire. Spells with an instantaneous duration don’t normally set a character on fire, since the heat and flame from these come and go in a flash.

Characters at risk of catching fire are allowed a DC 15 Reflex save to avoid this fate. If a character’s clothes or hair catch fire, he takes 1d6 points of damage immediately. In each subsequent round, the burning character must make another Reflex saving throw. Failure means he takes another 1d6 points of damage that round. Success means that the fire has gone out. (That is, once he succeeds on his saving throw, he’s no longer on fire.)

A character on fire may automatically extinguish the flames by jumping into enough water to douse himself. If no body of water is at hand, rolling on the ground or smothering the fire with cloaks or the like permits the character another save with a +4 bonus.

Those unlucky enough to have their clothes or equipment catch fire must make DC 15 Reflex saves for each item. Flammable items that fail take the same amount of damage as the character.

I would like to point out the most infamous exception to this:

Fireball
Evocation [Fire]
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area: 20-ft.-radius spread
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes
A fireball spell is an explosion of flame that detonates with a low roar and deals 1d6 points of fire damage per caster level (maximum 10d6) to every creature within the area. Unattended objects also take this damage. The explosion creates almost no pressure.
You point your finger and determine the range (distance and height) at which the fireball is to burst. A glowing, pea-sized bead streaks from the pointing digit and, unless it impacts upon a material body or solid barrier prior to attaining the prescribed range, blossoms into the fireball at that point. (An early impact results in an early detonation.) If you attempt to send the bead through a narrow passage, such as through an arrow slit, you must “hit” the opening with a ranged touch attack, or else the bead strikes the barrier and detonates prematurely.
The fireball sets fire to combustibles and damages objects in the area. It can melt metals with low melting points, such as lead, gold, copper, silver, and bronze. If the damage caused to an interposing barrier shatters or breaks through it, the fireball may continue beyond the barrier if the area permits; otherwise it stops at the barrier just as any other spell effect does.
Material Component: A tiny ball of bat guano and sulfur.

I've had more arguments than you would believe with people who just didn't want to believe that the spell description was serious on that point.

 

[Heahengel]

Should it be interpreted as 'if at any time during the caster's turn, a thing is in the area of effect, it is damaged'? (In case of Translocator's Trick or something).

Also, am I right in saying that if one was cast during a Timestop, everything in the area of effect would get hit at the end of the Timestop, but if the wizard had cast it on the last round of the Timestop, he would only be affected once - when he cast it, not then and when the Timestop ended?