So I'm setting up a small camp, guarded by a Draconian Mastermind, and wondered about having a bunch of hidden dynamite just outside the camp perimeter. Idea being, if they saw enemies & they came in range, the Draconian Mastermind could set off the dynamite, both causing damage to the characters and alerting the rest of the camp.
My question is, if they used their Noxious Breath, would that be sufficient to set the dynamite off?
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“And what would humans be without love?" RARE, said Death. Terry Pratchett, Sourcery
So I'm setting up a small camp, guarded by a Draconian Mastermind, and wondered about having a bunch of hidden dynamite just outside the camp perimeter. Idea being, if they saw enemies & they came in range, the Draconian Mastermind could set off the dynamite, both causing damage to the characters and alerting the rest of the camp.
My question is, if they used their Noxious Breath, would that be sufficient to set the dynamite off?
Probably not; objects are generally not going to be affected by either poison damage or exhaustion.
In addition to what others have said, spells and objects usually state if they can ignite/be ignited. A common example is people thinking Grease is flammable, but because it's not in the spell description it is not. This is with the obvious caveat of DMs making their own rulings.
I get where you're coming from, that the poison might sizzle objects (I distinctly remember Venomfang's breath in the Lost Mine of Phandelver adventure burns nearby structures and spider corpses), but I don't think that's quite the same as igniting dynamite. If Noxious Breath did ignite the dynamite I would expect a lot of it to also disentegrate or be otherwise ruined by the caustic nature of the breath attack.
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Zero is the most important number in D&D: Session Zero sets the boundaries and the tone; Rule Zero dictates the Dungeon Master (DM) is the final arbiter; and Zero D&D is better than Bad D&D.
"Let us speak plainly now, and in earnest, for words mean little without the weight of conviction."
Real world intrusion here - dynamite is set off with blasting caps fired by an electric circuit or burning fuse. A poison gas or acid is not going to set it off. It is the shock of the explosion that sets it off - so a magic missile or other force effect would work but not poison, acid or even heat or lightning. Heat, lightning ( plasma) , and acid would destroy the dynamite rather than ignite it, poison gas might also corrupt it ( especially chlorine gas) rendering it useless. HCl/Chlorine gas would degrade the nitroglycerin/TNT rendering it inert while the heat would vaporize it converting it into inert materials - welding flame @2000 C, surface of the sun (plasma low T) @ 6500 C, plasma high T ( lightning) @ 50,000 C. The Dragon anti mine technology works on just this principle - a jet of very hot gas is directed into the mine burning through the outer casing ( much like a HEAT round) and vaporizing and reducing the explosive to component atoms before it can explode.
So I'm setting up a small camp, guarded by a Draconian Mastermind, and wondered about having a bunch of hidden dynamite just outside the camp perimeter. Idea being, if they saw enemies & they came in range, the Draconian Mastermind could set off the dynamite, both causing damage to the characters and alerting the rest of the camp.
My question is, if they used their Noxious Breath, would that be sufficient to set the dynamite off?
“And what would humans be without love?"
RARE, said Death.
Terry Pratchett, Sourcery
Probably not; objects are generally not going to be affected by either poison damage or exhaustion.
No, Noxious Breath deals poison damage. How could that set off an explosive? It's also only a 15 foot cone. That's kind of close.
Maybe fire or force damage depending on how you think the explosive works. The draconian's Energy Ray attack sounds better.
If you want to get your players attention tell them the draconian lit a fuse. Everyone knows what comes next.
Objects are immune to poison and psychic
Thanks both, makes sense! I'll go with the "draconian lit the fuse" option.
“And what would humans be without love?"
RARE, said Death.
Terry Pratchett, Sourcery
In addition to what others have said, spells and objects usually state if they can ignite/be ignited. A common example is people thinking Grease is flammable, but because it's not in the spell description it is not. This is with the obvious caveat of DMs making their own rulings.
I get where you're coming from, that the poison might sizzle objects (I distinctly remember Venomfang's breath in the Lost Mine of Phandelver adventure burns nearby structures and spider corpses), but I don't think that's quite the same as igniting dynamite. If Noxious Breath did ignite the dynamite I would expect a lot of it to also disentegrate or be otherwise ruined by the caustic nature of the breath attack.
Zero is the most important number in D&D: Session Zero sets the boundaries and the tone; Rule Zero dictates the Dungeon Master (DM) is the final arbiter; and Zero D&D is better than Bad D&D.
"Let us speak plainly now, and in earnest, for words mean little without the weight of conviction."
- The Assemblage of Houses, World of Warcraft
Real world intrusion here - dynamite is set off with blasting caps fired by an electric circuit or burning fuse. A poison gas or acid is not going to set it off. It is the shock of the explosion that sets it off - so a magic missile or other force effect would work but not poison, acid or even heat or lightning. Heat, lightning ( plasma) , and acid would destroy the dynamite rather than ignite it, poison gas might also corrupt it ( especially chlorine gas) rendering it useless. HCl/Chlorine gas would degrade the nitroglycerin/TNT rendering it inert while the heat would vaporize it converting it into inert materials - welding flame @2000 C, surface of the sun (plasma low T) @ 6500 C, plasma high T ( lightning) @ 50,000 C. The Dragon anti mine technology works on just this principle - a jet of very hot gas is directed into the mine burning through the outer casing ( much like a HEAT round) and vaporizing and reducing the explosive to component atoms before it can explode.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
I'd probably rule against it, but I'd likely take a puerile pause to ponder a deep funky stank setting up the bomb.....
So like in game inspired by say the works of Rabelais by way of Benny Hill I could see it happening. But generally, no.
Still, felt the need to clear the air, so to speak.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.