What are some good damage stats to use for a torch?

Question

Sometimes players find themselves without a weapon or with a desperate need to do fire-damage, perhaps against an ooze. In this case, it makes sense to grab a torch if they have no better alternative. What I'm not so sure about it what kind of stats or attributes to give the torch when its being used to attack something. Does the character just swing it towards the enemy like a club to attack them with the flame at the end (never really held a torch, so I don't really know what they'd do with it.... :)

I started to think of a rough layout and got something like this:

Torch

Dexterity vs. AC (assuming that a good hit comes not so much from the power behind the hit, but from being hit in a critical area, like the face, so I'm using Dex instead of Str)

Hit bonus: -1 (assuming it'd be pretty hard to hit someone with a torch if they were on guard against it)

Damage: 1d4 fire damage, plus ongoing 2 fire damage (save ends)

But this feels a little bit too powerful, almost like I'd always reach for my torch instead of my dagger in a fight for the ongoing damage bonus. Again, I've never held a torch, but it seems like they should break fairly easily if hit against armor or a shield. Something along the lines of giving it only 2 hp and have it break and become unusable if the character rolls a 1 on the attack roll.

Do these stats seem to model how attacking with a torch should work? Can anyone recommend me some official stats or stats they've successfully used?

Answer 1

This is an improvised weapon. Strength vs. AC for 1d4 + strength physical and fire (both types) damage. No ongoing. You don't really need to give an explicit -1 to the attack roll, as this is covered by not being proficient with an improvised weapon. Most "official" weapons give an inherent +2 or +3 proficiency bonus, and you'd be missing that with a torch.

Answer 2

Keeping in mind that an improvised weapon should almost always be inferior to a purpose-built weapon, I could see it going one of two ways:

1. Using the torch as an improvised club: STRENGTH + AC, no prof. bonus, 1d4 damage. (If you want to be nice, make all or part of it fire damage).

2. Using the torch to light someone on fire (holding it against the clothing rather than smacking them with it): STRENGTH vs AC (maaybe Reflex), no prof. bonus, ongoing 2 fire.

My thinking is that you don't want this to be a good option unless (a) they're out of better options - the torch is the only thing at hand, or (b) you're fighting a monster with vulnerability to fire and someone is feeling inspired (in which case the vulnerability will do most of the damage for you.)

Answer 3

If you really want the fire to have a chance at ongoing damage, I'd make it a secondary attack. Thematically, you could attack reflex with it, but I think that's too powerful. I'd keep it as an attack on AC, with the fluff that armor is usually not very conductive so you're trying to hit them where the armor isn't.

Answer 4

My answer is based off monster stats, so feel free to ignore it. The fire lord cultists (mm3 p.114) can do 5 ongoing fire damage as an encounter, so I'd rule 3-5 ongoing fire damage, depending on how generous you are feeling, but the torch would be extinguished (from pressing it into your enemy) I'd recommend this if you were feeling especially generous.