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Dark_Juggernaut
2010-10-08, 07:01 PM
Couldn't find an answer with my search fu.
What kind of damage does a Vitriolic Hellfire Blast do?

Because Eldritch Blast would normally go from untyped to acidic, does it go from hellfire to purely acidic damage?

Because Hellfire damage is fire but ignores fire resistance, would it do an acidic form of hellfire and thus ignore acid resistance?

Because it replaces Eldritch Blast damage as a whole does Hellfire Blast do hellfire damage no matter what?

What about Utterdark?

Urpriest
2010-10-08, 07:24 PM
Hellfire doesn't replace, utterdark doesn't (IIRC) change the damage type. Vitriolic Hellfire Blast would deal your bonus dice in Hellfire damage and the rest in acid damage.

Dark_Juggernaut
2010-10-08, 07:31 PM
I have seen in several places, including this forum, that Hellfire Blast replaces your Eldritch Blast damage with a Hellfire damage as well as adding additional damage dice.

Utterdark Blast deals negative energy damage and causes a fort save or two negative levels.

Urpriest
2010-10-08, 07:37 PM
Hmm...the text itself seems ambiguous as to whether Hellfire Blast replaces your damage. Since it isn't an eldritch essence, saying that it's bonus damage on top of your normal blast damage would still be your most consistent option.

Checking Utterdark Blast, I apparently misremembered. If you are of the opinion that a Hellfire Blast deals all hellfire damage, then I would probably rule that a Hellfire Vitriolic Blast would deal either Acid or Hellfire, caster's choice at time of casting, since that seems to be 3.5's general design philosophy for these sorts of situations.

Zaydos
2010-10-08, 07:39 PM
Hellfire doesn't replace it adds Xd6 of hellfire damage; eldritch blast remains untyped. Vitriolic Hellfire Blast would deal your normal eldritch blast damage in acid damage and the Xd6 hellfire damage. Utterdark would be your normal in negative energy damage and the Xd6 hellfire damage.

Zhalath
2010-10-08, 07:57 PM
I believe that using hellfire blast overrides the other essences you use, and makes it all hellfire damage.
However, it doesn't make a difference whether you have hellfire or hellacid, as there is nothing on the planet that is explicitly resistant or immune to hellfire (except maybe the hellfire engine or Mephistopheles himself).

Urpriest
2010-10-08, 08:04 PM
I believe that using hellfire blast overrides the other essences you use, and makes it all hellfire damage.
However, it doesn't make a difference whether you have hellfire or hellacid, as there is nothing on the planet that is explicitly resistant or immune to hellfire (except maybe the hellfire engine or Mephistopheles himself).

There may be things vulnerable to acid, though. And what if you want to heal your undead friends with Utterdark?

Newbieshoes
2010-10-08, 08:07 PM
Then you don't waste the con making it a hellfire blast.

Diarmuid
2010-10-08, 11:52 PM
Hellfire doesnt change the dmg type. It doesnt actually do Fire dmg. Hellfire EB deals untyped dmg. Hellfire Vitriolic deals acid.

Eloel
2010-10-09, 12:51 AM
And what if you want to heal your undead friends with Utterdark?

Brings a question. Can you target yourself with Eldritch Blast?

Zaydos
2010-10-09, 12:58 AM
Brings a question. Can you target yourself with Eldritch Blast?

RAW? No clue. Would I allow it? Yeah if you want; Dread Necromancers have been able to heal themselves infinitely since Lv 1, you can at Lv 16 I'm fine with that.

KillianHawkeye
2010-10-09, 07:00 AM
It may not be RAW, but I prefer Hellfire Blast to operate like an eldritch essence, which would preclude the use of Vitriolic Blast. It's just simpler that way.

true_shinken
2010-10-09, 07:06 AM
Hellfire doesnt change the dmg type. It doesnt actually do Fire dmg. Hellfire EB deals untyped dmg. Hellfire Vitriolic deals acid.

It actually deals hellfire damage (see page 119).

Dark_Juggernaut
2010-10-09, 10:02 AM
I find the previous mention, about Hell-Acid damage, to be both fun and sensible...even even pretty funny. Making it an essence is just a nerf in my opinion...I hope players are compensated for never being able to use an essence for their Hellfire damage investment.