Is the grease in the spell "Grease" flammable?


Rules Questions


1 person marked this as FAQ candidate.

As the topic states, is the grease created by the spell "Grease" flammable?

The question because a Elementalist (Fire) Sorcerer in my group wants to be able to cast 'Grease' in an area and then follow it up with a 'Ray of Frost' modified to the fire energy type to ignite the grease. Would this work, or would this ultimately be up to DM discretion?

Shadow Lodge

I'm not sure if a previous version did burn or what but I've seen this mentioned before. There is nothing in the spell which implies the summoned grease is particularly flammable.

This question seems to pop up in every version since the spell first appeared.

Liberty's Edge

DeathCon 00 wrote:
As the topic states, is the grease created by the spell "Grease" flammable?

The rules do not explicitly state that the grease is flammable, so I think it's really up to the DM.

I have had this conversation at my own game table and while it's not stated that Grease can be flammable, the name and the spell component imply a possibility. In defense of flammable Grease, the description of rope doesn't state that it can be turned into a lasso to choke someone, but it's possible. However, it was argued that butter/solid grease is actually more difficult to set on fire than commonly believed (one of my player's assured me of this, I don't actually have first hand knowledge myself).

I made a house rule that it could be lit and it would be treated as a normal flash fire for one round: 1d6 damage for all in the area that failed a DC 15 Ref save, but no chance of the victim catching on fire. After the initial burn the grease would be consumed and the spell would end prematurely. I wanted to encourage this kind of creative thinking but also didn't want to overpower the spell. In effect it became a Burning Hands spell sacrificing area of effect for increased damage.


Yeah setting room temp grease on fire -- not an easy thing. Once it's up in the couple of hundred degree range? Well duh of course it burns.

As it stands nothing in the grease spell suggests that it should burn any better or worse than anything else. Considering that the burning hands spell already specifically talks about setting stuff on fire (including clothing) I don't see why you would need (or want) to grease them up before you do so.

RPG Superstar 2009 Top 16

1 person marked this as a favorite.

In 3.5 it isn't. This was made explicit by the creation of the 2nd level spell Flammable Grease.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

6 people marked this as FAQ candidate. Staff response: no reply required. 7 people marked this as a favorite.
DeathCon 00 wrote:

As the topic states, is the grease created by the spell "Grease" flammable?

The question because a Elementalist (Fire) Sorcerer in my group wants to be able to cast 'Grease' in an area and then follow it up with a 'Ray of Frost' modified to the fire energy type to ignite the grease. Would this work, or would this ultimately be up to DM discretion?

Nope.

It's a 1st level spell, and a really good one at that. Allowing it to explode into fire at the slightest spark makes it too bad-ass.

Sovereign Court

James Jacobs wrote:
DeathCon 00 wrote:

As the topic states, is the grease created by the spell "Grease" flammable?

The question because a Elementalist (Fire) Sorcerer in my group wants to be able to cast 'Grease' in an area and then follow it up with a 'Ray of Frost' modified to the fire energy type to ignite the grease. Would this work, or would this ultimately be up to DM discretion?

Nope.

It's a 1st level spell, and a really good one at that. Allowing it to explode into fire at the slightest spark makes it too bad-ass.

Excellent. I'm glad I shut down that group at Gen Con who tried to tell me it was flammable. Having mummies slip and fall is quite enough for one spell. They have very fragile hips.


Alright so I will say - no. Thanks for the responses!


Warforged Gardener wrote:


Excellent. I'm glad I shut down that group at Gen Con who tried to tell me it was flammable. Having mummies slip and fall is quite enough for one spell. They have very fragile hips.

lol... Thanks for the laugh. I needed one.

Scarab Sages

Since there didn't seem to be any indication one way or the other in the spell, so I gave my group the choice of how they wanted it to play in our game. After thinking about it, and how often they used it to help party members escape grapples, etc. they opted for the non-flammable version. :)


I too had been under the impression for some reason or another that grease was flammable. Dunno where it came from, but it isnt the case in pathfinder, or 3.5 core for that matter. Just one of those things i guess.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

There is a 3rd level spell created specifically for this purpose in 3.5 - "Incendiary Slime." Identical to Grease except it's, well, incendiary.

Silver Crusade

Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

I also would agree that most forms of grease at room temperature are not overly flammable, and would take quite a bit of effort to ignite. When I think of "grease" I think of the thick stuff you get in the bottom of your pan after you fry up some bacon. Most liquid and flammable forms of "grease" are actually an oil.

Liberty's Edge

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
DeathCon 00 wrote:

As the topic states, is the grease created by the spell "Grease" flammable?

The question because a Elementalist (Fire) Sorcerer in my group wants to be able to cast 'Grease' in an area and then follow it up with a 'Ray of Frost' modified to the fire energy type to ignite the grease. Would this work, or would this ultimately be up to DM discretion?

Ask your player if they've been reading Planescape Survival Guide (see the last three panels), and if so remind them that PSG is 2nd Edition.


Hmmm. Flammable grease, 2nd level?


Web was flammable but grease never was.

For more imprtant questions
1. Is the grease in grease edible?
2. Can you cook with the grease in grease?
3. If you do get it lit does it burn off or remain greased or some hybrid?
4. Will grease prevent sovregn glue from working?

5. This is really a druid spell (commonly cast on pigs)!
Only look at the spoiler if you thought this was funny!

Spoiler:

And cast on lightning at high levels!

I warned you!

Liberty's Edge

What this really gets down to is semantics (the word "grease") and a misunderstanding of exactly what it means. Grease is a semi-solid lubricant, nothing more. While some greases are flammable this is not a universal property of all of them and thus there is no reason to assume the substance produced by the spell should be.

Assuming the material produced by the Grease spell must be flammable is like asking what kind of warhead is on a Magic Missile. It also smacks of trying to "game the game".


Sulaco wrote:
It also smacks of trying to "game the game".

True words, indeed...

However, this begets one more question...
Is Thread necromancy evil?

*scnr*


Pathfinder Maps Subscriber

Might also be crossover from "Dragon Age" players, IIRC the "grease" equivalent spell in that game would ignite nicely if someone lobbed a fireball.


"Thread necromancy!" Two years and two months dead, Is the grease in the spell "Grease" flammable? rises up from beyond the digital graveyard archives to haunt the innocent forumites...

'Cause this is Thriller!


Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
SlimGauge wrote:
Might also be crossover from "Dragon Age" players, IIRC the "grease" equivalent spell in that game would ignite nicely if someone lobbed a fireball.

DDO grease does it now, too...


1 person marked this as a favorite.
Abyssian wrote:
'Cause this is Thriller!

Step 1: Grease the Zombies.

Step 2: Cast Irresistable Dance.
Step 3: Cast Spark.


Midnight_Angel wrote:


However, this begets one more question...
Is Thread necromancy evil?

It's less evil than opening another thread about the same topic.


Darkness falls across the land

The midnight hour is close at hand

Creatures crawl in search of blood

To terrorize y'all's neighborhood

And whosoever shall be found

Without the soul for getting down

Must stand and face the hounds of hell

And rot inside a corpse's shell

The foulest stench is in the air

The funk of forty thousand years

And grizzly ghouls from every tomb

Are closing in to seal your doom

And though you fight to stay alive

Your body starts to shiver

For no mere mortal can resist

The evil of the thriller!

(cue maniacal laughter)

Back on topic, honestly I've always thought it was flammable. Especially since as others have noted, it always has been in most D&D video games.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

how about if you have a -10 to profession (cook) then you might be able to set water on fire.


Perhaps if you tried MYTHIC GREASE!


From my perspective - making the grease spell flammable doesn't do much.
- It is no thicker than burning oil (does 1d3 and burns out in 1 or 2 mr)
- It doesn't burn as well as flaming oil (so does 1d3-1 instead) SO

IF you want to end your grease spell may rounds early to get a very minor fire effect (or to get rid of it quickly cos your on the wrong side of it)
Go ahead - it isn't going to imbalance anything much.

Even against multi-square swarms, it will do (1d3-1)*1.5 per square.
For a 4 square swarm, this maxes out at 12 damage IF you roll 4 3's)
and 4 damage total with average rolls.

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / Rules Questions / Is the grease in the spell "Grease" flammable? All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.