Create Wildfire (spell)

Create Wildfire causes a normal fire to spring up within the circle of the spell. Creatures within the area of effect will suffer 2-8 damage per round (no saving throw) and will be compelled to flee the circle as soon as possible. Any creature that is caught in the fire for a second round must save versus normal fire for their clothing and all their possessions.

Create Wildfire

Range	40 ft.
Duration	1 round
Area of Effect	30 ft. diameter circle
Casting Time	2 rounds
Saving Throw	none
Level	druid (4th)

The spell will 'flame out' if there is nothing combustible in its area of effect. However, if the area is filled with things that burn, the fire may spread in the direction of the wind, depending upon the wind speed and the amount of rainfall. In the interest of not letting fires automatically spread in the game, the spell allows the caster to cause the fire to cease until the 5th round after casting — whereupon the fire will begin to spread past its boundaries naturally.

The table below is based on the rate of spread based on monthly rainfall and wind speed, for a wildfire where fuel is at a maximum potential for burn:

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The DM must assess the amount of fuel in the area depending upon the vegetation present:

• Heavy: jungle (B), rainforest (S, SE), woodland (D, E, M, N), savanna (DG, GD) or grassland (G)
• Moderate: various scrublands (Bs, Ds, DsG, SsG, DBs, Ss), notably Mediterranean & mosaic habitats (where fuel is reduced due to human habitation)
• Light: scrubland where growth occurs singly or in patches (Bsp, Ep, Gp, GBp, GDp, GDsp, GSp), notably chaparral, chaco or puna
• Desert: areas where fuel is widely scattered or stunted (Bzi, Bz, Dsi, Dsp, Dzp, Szp)

Note that some areas will also have no fuel at all, such as dunes, scattered rock, high alpine above the treeline and snowfield, where create wildfire will last only for the duration of the spell. As well, a wildfire will not spread in frozen conditions, where virtually all surfaces are covered in a sheen of water or humidity is at a maximum.

The following table indicates the reduction in rate of spread for fuel availability:

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To determine rate of spread, then, multiply the fuel availability against the number of hexes the fire would normally spread per round.

In areas where fire occurs in the center of towns or buildings, reduce wind speed by two. Where town structures of made of stone or mud, treat as desert fuel. Fires will not spread during rainfall.

Note that wildfires will tend to get out of control and — depending upon the lightness of pre-existing conditions, produce their own wind, making them very dangerous to everyone. Fires burning wildly will continue until they run out of fuel or precipitation occurs.