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How would the Burn monster ability interact with objects, specifically wooden objects? Specifically, I would like to know how it interacts with an object's hardness and resistance to energy attacks (if Burn, indeed, would be considered an energy attack at all).

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    \$\begingroup\$ Remember that wood burns well, but do not ignite easily. \$\endgroup\$ Dec 11, 2014 at 21:26
  • \$\begingroup\$ possible duplicate of Fire Elementals in wooden buildings \$\endgroup\$
    – BBlake
    Dec 12, 2014 at 15:24
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    \$\begingroup\$ @BBlake I'd say related but not duplicate. There's no clarification there of how hardness, etc. relate, and the answers there are more about whether an elemental has to burn things it touches or not, which also doesn't answer this question. \$\endgroup\$ Dec 12, 2014 at 19:18

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Since Burn is energy damage (specifically fire) you would follow, for the most part, rules about damaging items

Energy Attacks: Energy attacks deal half damage to most objects. Divide the damage by 2 before applying the object's hardness. Some energy types might be particularly effective against certain objects, subject to GM discretion. For example, fire might do full damage against parchment, cloth, and other objects that burn easily. Sonic might do full damage against glass and crystal objects.

If you need to keep track use the above rule, looking up the table for how much HP wood has for the thickness of the object and what hardness (Wood 5 hardness 10hp/in. of thickness)

Or, if its not important, use the GM fiat to make things break when is dramatic. Not all mundane things need to be watched some can just be used for plot devices/effect.

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    \$\begingroup\$ It's probably worth noting, echoing @SevenSidedDie, that most wooden objects would not fall in the category of "objects that burn easily" -- wood is good fuel once you get it going, but setting a solid, thick, heavy wooden object on fire takes quite a bit. Unless it's very thin or light wood, the half damage probably applies. \$\endgroup\$
    – KRyan
    Dec 11, 2014 at 21:32
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From PRD:

Burn (Ex) A creature with the burn special attack deals fire damage in addition to damage dealt on a successful hit in melee. Those affected by the burn ability must also succeed on a Reflex save or catch fire, taking the listed damage for an additional 1d4 rounds at the start of its turn (DC 10 + 1/2 burning creature's racial HD + burning creature's Con modifier). A burning creature can attempt a new save as a full-round action. Dropping and rolling on the ground grants a +4 bonus on this save. Creatures that hit a burning creature with natural weapons or unarmed attacks take fire damage as though hit by the burning creature and must make a Reflex save to avoid catching on fire.

Prd, Additional Rules:

Energy Attacks: Energy attacks deal half damage to most objects. Divide the damage by 2 before applying the object's hardness. Some energy types might be particularly effective against certain objects, subject to GM discretion. For example, fire might do full damage against parchment, cloth, and other objects that burn easily. Sonic might do full damage against glass and crystal objects.

"wooden" is not a subtype of object in pathfinder so anything other than what the rules say is up to the GM. An object takes half damage from energy attacks and then the remaining damage has to deal with the object's hardness.

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    \$\begingroup\$ I'm not aware that PF has object "subtypes", per se; it certainly does consider objects to be made of various well-known materials, so that should be quite enough. (As noted in other places, that's not necessarily enough to include wood as something that burns easily, but the principle of wood as a category is not problematic.) \$\endgroup\$
    – user17995
    Dec 12, 2014 at 0:28

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