By Robert Plamondon
Festus the Dwarf kicks open the wide door of the bandits’ dungeon home and throws in two Molotov cocktails, burning one of the twelve bandits to death and wounding two more. Right behind come Rangers Smith and Jones and Cleric Lucretia, who each lob two smoking oil flasks. Before the bandits can react, over half receive serious bums and several are dead. The pools of flaming oil prevent them from regrouping. With sword and bow, the invaders pick off the survivors and take the room. None of the adventurers has taken a hit.
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Many players, like those mentioned above, have realized that flaming oil is the most powerful weapon available to a low-level player in AD&D. A flask of oil burning on a monster (or player) does 3-18 points of damage in the space of two rounds, and can be used by all character classes except Monks. Compare this to a “paltry” 1-10 points of damage done by each hit of a two-handed sword.
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Because the players in my dungeon were using so much oil and frying monsters so consistently, I decided to investigate the use of oil in AD&D. I wanted to simplify the combat system for oil, and I wanted to “burn” my players a little.
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A common technique for using burning oil is to first toss an oil flask onto the target, then light it with a torch. This method is useful when you need a wall of flame between you and the monsters, but takes a long time to set up—grab oil, throw it, grab a torch, throw it-and requires two hits to torch one target.
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Molotov cocktails are a more elegant method of creature crisping. In its simplest form, a Molotov cocktail is an oil flask with a rag stuffed in the mouth. The rag is lit before the oil is thrown, and the rag lights the oil when the flask breaks. Instant monster flambee!
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The stout-hearted can manufacture Molotov cocktails during melee by opening oil flasks and stuffing rags into them. Those with more foresight will have some made in advance. Preassembled Molotov cocktails can be used more quickly, but tend to soak their immediate surroundings with oil, endangering whomever carries them.
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Classier models have a cap over the wick which prevents oil leakage. These caps can be of metal, which can be pulled off or unscrewed, or of waxed paper or parchment, which can be burned or torn off. Molotov cocktails assembled with wicks going into the oil are preferred because they can burn for hours and be used as lamps or incorporated in a delayed-action booby trap.
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The best Molotov cocktais have their paper caps and wicks impregnated with saltpeter, so they will light from a spark or a hot coal. Saltpeter is what makes gunpowder burn faster than other smelly charcoal fires. It can be obtained from nitrate deposits in caves; alchemists use lots of it. Molotov cocktails of the most elaborate sort will cost from thirty to forty silver pieces.
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If your players are suicidal or use lots of traps, they’ll love self-igniting oil flasks. Alchemists in most universes (including this one) discover phosphorus at one time or other. White phosphorus has the charming property of burning spontaneously in air but not in oil. Thus, when a flask of oil and phosphorus breaks, the phosphorus is exposed to air and everything bursts into flame.
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These devices are extremely dangerous. A fall, a fumble, or an attack can break the flask and torch the user. This danger makes alchemists reluctant to make phosphorus-oil flasks. Those who agree to make them will charge from twenty to fifty gold pieces each. Torches, the most common source of flame, will quickly light even a reluctant wick. They are, however, bulky and almost impossible to shield, hindering weapon readiness and stealth.
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Lanterns can be used to light wicks if plenty of time is available. In melee it is more practical to use the lantern itself as a Molotov cocktail rather than trying to light things from it.
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Two non-bulky, easily concealed fire sources are punk and slow match. Punk is fungus-decayed wood; slow match is specially treated rope or cord. Both smolder without flame at the rate of thirty inches per hour (five inches per turn).
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Saltpeter-impregnated wicks light immediately from smoldering material; lanterns and simple Molotov cocktails will light after a few seconds of blowing on the match or punk to heat it up.
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Various sorts of shields and holders can be made for punk and slow match to hide their glow and leave both hands free. Wind does not blow out the burning ends, but care must be taken to shield them from dampness.
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Punk is available everywhere, but slow match is used mostly in cities to light street lamps. Both are cheap, about one copper piece per foot.
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The number of oil grenades that a character can throw in a round depends on the complexity of the operation. Thus, oil flasks, self-igniting flasks, and lit Molotov cocktails can be thrown at the rate of three per round. Unlit Molotov cocktails can be lit and thrown at the rate of two per round. Stuffing a rag into a flask, lighting and throwing it can only be done once a round, as is also the case for throwing a flask and then throwing a torch.
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These rates of fire assume that the oil grenades are thrown singly at a distinct target and that the grenades are close at hand. Obviously, dumping a backpack full of oil flasks down a stairway will dispose of more than three flasks in a round, while groping through loot and laundry for a flask will slow the rate of fire.
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Combat using flaming oil as given in the DMG is unnecessarily complicated. Here is a simplified system:
First, roll the usual d20 “to hit.” If the grenade misses, pick a convenient direction as “12 o’clock” and roll a d12 for the direction of the miss, counting clockwise from “12 o’clock,” in relation to the target. Then roll a d6 for short range, d12 for medium range or 2d12 for long range to find the distance from the target of the point of impact.
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Second, roll another d20. A “1” means the flask didn’t break, a “2” means the flask broke but didn’t light (for Molotov cocktails and oil-phosphorus flasks). Any other result means the grenade did what it was supposed to. Unbroken grenades can be thrown again; broken ones can, of course, be lit later on.
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A direct hit with any oil grenade does 2-12 points of damage the first round and 1-6 the next round, provided it gets lit.
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Splash hits occur when a creature is within three feet of the point of impact of the grenade, and the creature misses its saving throw vs. poison. Splash hits do 3 points of damage (the DMG spreads this out as one point per segment for 1-3 segments, but it can be applied all at once for simplicity).
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Armor doesn’t help reduce damage, because although platemail, for instance, would keep most of the oil out, what did get through would be where the character couldn’t reach, so it couldn’t be smothered or scraped off.
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When a successful attack is made on a person holding an oil flask, there is a one-in-six chance that the flask will be dropped and broken. A person rendered unconscious or killed while holding a flask has a two-in-six chance of dropping and breaking it.
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Falling into a pit or down an incline will cause flasks located between the person and the point of impact to break 95% of the time. Flasks located elsewhere will be unharmed. For instance, a flask in a backpack would remain intact if a character fell forward onto his chest or face.
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Although flaming oil is a very potent weapon, it is not appropriate in all dungeon situations, some of which are examined below:
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Some dungeons have wooden floors, thick carpets, layers of straw, or other flammable surfaces. Using oil under these circumstances can cause a party to bum important treasure, block off their only escape route, or even destroy whole sections of a dungeon.
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Destroying the dungeon is not a very bright plan, since the area around the fire will suddenly be filled with monsters. Some of these will be trying to escape the blaze, some hoping to scavenge a hot meal, and a few will try to fight the fire. None of these creatures will be well disposed towards the arsonists.
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Additionally, rumor has it that pyromaniac players are sometimes attacked by a huge bear in a flat-brim hat who fights with a +6 shovel.
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Using oil in poorly ventilated areas can kill everyone involved because of heat, smoke inhalation, and/or lack of oxygen.
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Use of oil in well-ventilated areas will bring the aroma of roasting meat to creatures in rooms connected to the same air shaft, thus attracting scavengers.
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Relatively intelligent monsters will learn from experience with oil. Although ogres, lizard men and trolls dislike using flame weapons, orcs, goblins, hobgoblins and kobolds will gleefully use flaming oil on adventurers once they learn how potent a weapon it is.
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Players should try not to educate the opposition.
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