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My DM wasn't sure how to handle this so I figured I'd ask here and see what people think. I used Mage Hand to pick up a burning log from a fire and drop it on an enemy. Because it was a magical attack, we used Wisdom vs Reflex to see if the log hit the enemy, or if they dodged.

My question is basically: Does that sound about right? Would you do it differently?

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Nice move. I used a slight variant once with my Telekinetic-Psion Shardmind: An ally dumped some oil in front of a door from which we were expecting an enemy to emerge. Enemy did, and slipped on oil to another square. I used a telekinetic power to push him back onto the oil, then Far Hand to pull a flaming log from a nearby fire and light 'im up! I forget what damage (or not) was dealt, but the cool factor was totally worth it regardless. – Iszi Aug 10 '11 at 12:34

3 Answers

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I'd use rules provided in the Dungeon Master's Guide, page 42.

Being the fire log drop a trick you could perform many times during an encounter, and something that does not consume standard actions (!), I'd use the Low Normal Damage expression of the table at page 42. That is: 1d6+3 damage at 1st, 2nd and 3rd level, up to 2d8+10 at 28th, 29th and 30th level.

Mixed damage dice in the same expression is very rare in 4th edition, so I'd rule that the entire damage is fire damage.

About the attack roll... To me, it seems more a matter of accuracy than willpower and awareness. Accuracy is usually under the Dexterity or Intelligence portfolio. An attack against Reflex is appropriate, in my opinion.

To sum up, it could be something like this:

Drop a Fire Log - At-Will Terrain

The flaming log you are holding is destined to fall on your enemy's head.
Free Action
Requirement: You must be holding a log on fire weighing non more than 20 lbs. and must be on a square adjacent to any square that is at least 2 squares above any square of the target's space.
Attack: Dexterity vs. Reflex or Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: Low Normal fire damage.

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+2 circumstance bonus to attack rolls if you shout Drop it like it's hot! while rolling. – dpatchery Aug 10 '11 at 12:03
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+1 Definitely intelligence I would think. – C. Ross♦ Aug 10 '11 at 12:37
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This is a better answer than mine, so +1 to you and delete for mine. :-) I should remember not to answer questions at 1:30am. – F. Randall Farmer Aug 10 '11 at 16:09
Awesome, thanks folks! We did actually change it to Intelligence when I did it a second time because I noticed most of my magical powers used INT. And we just did 1d6 damage (no +), which is pretty close to what you suggested. – anurse Aug 10 '11 at 16:43
Just a side note. With "Intelligence or Dexterity" I mean that a character could choose the ability he prefers among the two. I'd see both a scoundrel and a smart guy performing this trick well. – Erik Burigo Aug 31 '11 at 14:40
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That sounds about right, but I would have done it differently.

What you have basically done, is created an improvised trap/hazard. I would then look up the rules on traps, and procede accordingly. (Or find a pre-existing trap that is similar, such as a combo rockslide/pyrotechnic)

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up vote 0 down vote

My gut ruling would be that the Mage Hand is weak enough that an amped-up opponent could bat the log away or dodge clear... but only if they noticed it and could reach it.

I'd ask whether the mage wanted an attack for low damage (INT vs REF), or a chance (low-DC Stealth or Bluff check) to force the target to grant CA for the next PC's turn.

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