Author Topic: Systems - Fires warding off creatures of the night  (Read 3727 times)

superman300038

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Systems - Fires warding off creatures of the night
« on: October 06, 2008, 11:54:36 AM »
    Someone told me this idea (Lyrithean) and I thought it was very fitting.

    Having a campfire at night has always seemed to have a 'keep the darkness at bay' feel to it; espcially in folklore.  A way to bring that feeling to more truth could be to have certain creatures not enter the light of a fire.  Or roll a save to enter it..

    Just sounded neat to me.  Thought it would be a nice addition.

Delphinidae

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Re: Systems - Fires warding off creatures of the night
« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2008, 12:00:30 PM »
It could keep some animals at bay, but monsters? If the hunger is strong enough, the weres will ignore it unless it's their allergen, some undead might avoid it, some might not...


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Wids

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Re: Systems - Fires warding off creatures of the night
« Reply #2 on: October 06, 2008, 12:02:08 PM »
Heck, I'd be happy if standing close to a fire gave you 10 or 15 points of Cold resist.  You can be standing right on top of the everburning Lady's Rest campfire and still take Cold damage.  Instead of Fire damage.  Which is kind of weird.  :?

So much for warming yourself up by the fire, though.  Tents and bedrolls aren't any help either, oddly enough, and I used to go backpacking in Montana.  You'd be surprised how warm a sleeping bag and a tent can get.  :?

Psyche

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Re: Systems - Fires warding off creatures of the night
« Reply #3 on: October 06, 2008, 02:26:30 PM »
I think the tent/bedroll/standing near a fire giving cold protection is a good idea, but i'm unsure how scriptable it is..

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Re: Systems - Fires warding off creatures of the night
« Reply #4 on: October 06, 2008, 02:29:17 PM »
Its actually SUPPOSED to be scripted, same as the helmet vs falling rock dmg should be scripted.. but it's not

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Lyrithean

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Re: Systems - Fires warding off creatures of the night
« Reply #5 on: October 06, 2008, 10:26:04 PM »
well thinking that torches and even campfires could be a more unreliable source of defense if such a thing was implemented.. high winds and like would put the fire out leaving someone defenseless.. only mindless types of monsters or those harmed by fire would be held at bay by such. Have other types that fear fire get a saving throw with a bonus added in for numbers (ie one werewolf might be held at bay, 5 on the other hand would be another matter)

Helaman

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Re: Systems - Fires warding off creatures of the night
« Reply #6 on: October 06, 2008, 11:12:11 PM »
Its actually SUPPOSED to be scripted, same as the helmet vs falling rock dmg should be scripted.. but it's not

Heh

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Maryn

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Re: Systems - Fires warding off creatures of the night
« Reply #7 on: October 08, 2008, 06:38:23 AM »
It's so sad when my poor little elf with 10 con dies right next to a fire. :(


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Re: Systems - Fires warding off creatures of the night
« Reply #8 on: October 08, 2008, 04:56:50 PM »
I don't see how a campfire would drive monsters away. If anything they'd be drawn to it like moths. Or if they're intelligent and looking for prey they'd know for sure they'd find a meal there.

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kenpen

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Re: Systems - Fires warding off creatures of the night
« Reply #9 on: October 08, 2008, 05:41:37 PM »
Normal animals might typically shun fire, but the monsters you're really worried about here would probably just think, "Oh, candlelight dinner."

Bad_Bud

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Re: Systems - Fires warding off creatures of the night
« Reply #10 on: October 08, 2008, 05:58:28 PM »
I don't see how a campfire would drive monsters away. If anything they'd be drawn to it like moths. Or if they're intelligent and looking for prey they'd know for sure they'd find a meal there.

Oh yay I hate the cold cuts anyway!

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Re: Systems - Fires warding off creatures of the night
« Reply #11 on: October 08, 2008, 06:36:45 PM »
Supposedly, one of the ways to avoid a Real-Life wolf attack in the wilderness is to linger near a fire and/or brandish fire in front of their toothy snouts; there's just something that wolves and their little lupine eyes just don't like about the brightness and erratic movement of fire, and it tends to keep them at bay or spook them off.  But I've never been attacked by famished wolves, so I wouldn't know firsthand.  But hey...it worked in Darklands, right?  :?

On the other hand, there are some stupid dogs around here who would roll around in an ember pit (and burn themselves quite badly) if those pesky humans would let them, and I doubt that felines would be deterred by fire at all.  I've burned rubbish and deadfall in our backyard after dusk, and the three cats who live under our house will walk right up to the bonfire and check it out.  So I definitely wouldn't code any crag cats to avoid campfires.

Zedrik

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Re: Systems - Fires warding off creatures of the night
« Reply #12 on: October 08, 2008, 06:59:45 PM »
Every dog that we've had would run away from any flashy lights. Including my lightpop (Basically a sucker on a little flashlight to make it look sorta like a lightsaber. It had different modes like on all the time, flashing mode, etc). Our siberian husky would go so far as to hide under the bed when a flashy light came around.

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failed.bard

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Re: Systems - Fires warding off creatures of the night
« Reply #13 on: October 09, 2008, 07:44:44 AM »
Supposedly, one of the ways to avoid a Real-Life wolf attack in the wilderness is to linger near a fire and/or brandish fire in front of their toothy snouts; there's just something that wolves and their little lupine eyes just don't like about the brightness and erratic movement of fire, and it tends to keep them at bay or spook them off.  But I've never been attacked by famished wolves, so I wouldn't know firsthand.  But hey...it worked in Darklands, right?  :?


  The best way to avoid wolf attacks, is to live in the real world, where only rabid or starving wolves would even consider going after a person.  Cougars, bears, badgers and the like will attack, sure, but wolves, never.

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Re: Systems - Fires warding off creatures of the night
« Reply #14 on: October 09, 2008, 09:08:58 AM »
Supposedly, one of the ways to avoid a Real-Life wolf attack in the wilderness is to linger near a fire and/or brandish fire in front of their toothy snouts; there's just something that wolves and their little lupine eyes just don't like about the brightness and erratic movement of fire, and it tends to keep them at bay or spook them off.  But I've never been attacked by famished wolves, so I wouldn't know firsthand.  But hey...it worked in Darklands, right?  :?


  The best way to avoid wolf attacks, is to live in the real world, where only rabid or starving wolves would even consider going after a person.
You didn't honestly think that I was referring to satiated, full-bellied wolves, did you?

So, yeah...thanks for the "live in the real world" condescension.  Right back at you.   :nonono:

failed.bard

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Re: Systems - Fires warding off creatures of the night
« Reply #15 on: October 09, 2008, 09:20:04 AM »
  You were saying wolves in the real world attack people.  They don't.

Rex

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Re: Systems - Fires warding off creatures of the night
« Reply #16 on: October 09, 2008, 10:34:07 AM »
  You were saying wolves in the real world attack people.  They don't.

They do, the Myth is that they Don't.  It's not just the starving or Rabid ones either.

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Re: Systems - Fires warding off creatures of the night
« Reply #17 on: October 09, 2008, 04:04:56 PM »
  You were saying wolves in the real world attack people.  They don't.

They do, the Myth is that they Don't.  It's not just the starving or Rabid ones either.
I'm inclined to agree with Rex, of course.  Nice myth, huh?  :|
« Last Edit: October 09, 2008, 04:10:57 PM by Wids »

tzaeru

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Re: Systems - Fires warding off creatures of the night
« Reply #18 on: October 09, 2008, 04:30:56 PM »
  You were saying wolves in the real world attack people.  They don't.

They do, the Myth is that they Don't.  It's not just the starving or Rabid ones either.

~Rex

Yeah. Like, in Finland, the last recorded wolf attack by a healthy wolf comes from 1800.  :)

They do, but extremely rarely anyway and almost never in modern times since we're just not out there that much anymore.

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Re: Systems - Fires warding off creatures of the night
« Reply #19 on: October 09, 2008, 04:47:43 PM »
Please stay on topic.


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hi-di-ho

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Re: Systems - Fires warding off creatures of the night
« Reply #20 on: October 09, 2008, 06:34:53 PM »
I don't see how a campfire would drive monsters away. If anything they'd be drawn to it like moths. Or if they're intelligent and looking for prey they'd know for sure they'd find a meal there.

So can we make them attracted to fire so we can laden it with traps so we can clear the roads easier?  :P

I can imagine putting a piece of mink on the fire and encircle it with holy and electric traps so they can drop dead like flies to a lamp

superman300038

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Re: Systems - Fires warding off creatures of the night
« Reply #21 on: October 10, 2008, 06:50:22 AM »
    Isn't fear of fire something very primal?  Therefore a monster w/ no intellegence and driven solely by instincts probably would not like it.  Or perhaps monsters espcially vulnerable to would wish to avoid it?  I think it would add a nice 'folklore' feel to things.