Forest Fires the West

While I never have to face the threat of forest fires where I live, weather conditions in the western provinces of Canada have lead to massive blazes and the evacuation of some towns. Hopefully those who are affected by these fires are safe and we do not lose any fire fighters to the blaze, but it did make me consider forest fires in the context of RPGs. D&D has an entry for forest fires in the SRD section on wilderness.

Forest Fires (Cr 6)

Most campfire sparks ignite nothing, but if conditions are dry, winds are strong, or the forest floor is dried out and flammable, a forest fire can result. Lightning strikes often set trees afire and start forest fires in this way. Whatever the cause of the fire, travelers can get caught in the conflagration.

A forest fire can be spotted from as far away as 2d6×100 feet by a character who makes a Spot check, treating the fire as a Colossal creature (reducing the DC by 16). If all characters fail their Spot checks, the fire moves closer to them. They automatically see it when it closes to half the original distance.Characters who are blinded or otherwise unable to make Spot checks can feel the heat of the fire (and thus automatically “spot” it) when it is 100 feet away.The leading edge of a fire (the downwind side) can advance faster than a human can run (assume 120 feet per round for winds of moderate strength). Once a particular portion of the forest is ablaze, it remains so for 2d4×10 minutes before dying to a smoking smolder. Characters overtaken by a forest fire may find the leading edge of the fire advancing away from them faster than they can keep up, trapping them deeper and deeper in its grasp.

Heat Damage

Getting caught within a forest fire is even worse than being exposed to extreme heat (see Heat Dangers). Breathing the air causes a character to take 1d6 points of damage per round (no save). In addition, a character must make a Fortitude save every 5 rounds (DC 15, +1 per previous check) or take 1d4 points of nonlethal damage. A character who holds his breath can avoid the lethal damage, but not the nonlethal damage. Those wearing heavy clothing or any sort of armor take a -4 penalty on their saving throws. In addition, those wearing metal armor or coming into contact with very hot metal are affected as if by a heat metal spell.

Catching on Fire

Characters engulfed in a forest fire are at risk of catching on fire when the leading edge of the fire overtakes them, and are then at risk once per minute thereafter.

Smoke Inhalation

Forest fires naturally produce a great deal of smoke. A character who breathes heavy smoke must make a Fortitude save each round (DC 15, +1 per previous check) or spend that round choking and coughing. A character who chokes for 2 consecutive rounds takes 1d6 points of nonlethal damage. Also, smoke obscures vision, providing concealment to characters within it.

I do not think I would treat forest fires in this way, at least not for the larger ones. Current there are fires burning in the Northwest Territories that are causing breathing problems dozens of kilometers away and are changing the colour of the sky. Fires of this size would be more obvious, but they would also affect all life in the area, likely changing the encounter tables that the players face. Maybe the fires displace entire tribes of humanoids, bringing conflict with some of the settlements in the area for years to come.

Going back to World of Darkness again, Damnation City has a section on chase scenes in the city. I can see potential to modify this as a matrix for escaping a fire that is heading towards you. Perhaps the trail that you were following does not head directly away from the flames, do you follow the train or head into the brush? You come upon a thirty foot drop, do you run along its edge hoping for an easier way down or do you attempt to descend? By having a series of obstacles prepared where the players have to make a choice you can make the escape from the fire not just a matter of dice rolls but also a dramatic scene.