The Warlock's spell "Cloud of Steam"

[darthauthor]

Is the Warlock who casts this spell immune to it?

As in they may be in the center of it when cast and walk through it unimpared in vision and damage.

[Soldier of Od]

I think the general consensus is that if a mage creates a physical effect such as some steam, a wall of clay, or a circle of flame, they are affected as much as anyone else (you can't walk through your wall of stone just because you created it), but if the conjured cloud (etc.) produces a magical effect, such as a cloud of slumber or swirling lights, then the caster is not affected. There is an argument that the caster is affected by these types of spell, too, but I believe the above is how most people judge it to be.

[darthauthor]

Thanks Soldier of Od,

Follow up.

Can cloud of steam be used to clean things (perhaps add soap)?

Or cook things?

The obvious use of the spell is as a weapon.
Someone wrote somewhere that it block thermo/Infra-red.
But I thought of a few ideas and spell combinations.

For Example, the spell Cloud of Steam then Freeze Water or such.
Would it encase people in the cloud in ice?
Like Han Solo carbonite.

[ShadowLogan]

While the spell in question doesn't say out right, in this case I do think it doesn't impact the caster based on a few factors:
1. "Anti-Magic Cloud" (BoM pg138, 11th Level Wizard Invocation) a "cloud" based magic that impacts others who enter, except the Caster and is explicitly called out as exempt. Now, one could argue this is only for AMC since it is cited and not apply to similar spells that lack this callout.
2. A Saving Throw is required to lessen the impact (and like AMC above doesn't say anything about the caster). Off hand I'm not sure if a Caster can even make a Saving Throw against their own magic.
3. they use the term victims in terms of penalties, which is also the case in AMC.

Can you use CoS to clean or cook. I'm going to say yes, but with the understanding that the time duration of the spell needs to be considered here which is based on level and how long it would actually take to do X (which can again vary by task, especially when cooking). Put into a(n appropriate) TW device and it would be a yes, since ideally, you'd need to adjust the size for the device.

As for the spell combo CoS and then Freeze Water. No, it wouldn't encase people in ice IMHO, you might get some frost on them but nothing approaching Han Solo in Carbonite (you'd need "Encase in Ice", pg86 BoM) more like Earth-origin travelers in StarGate (initially). The water/steam in the air being converted I would think would be very dispersed for the task. There is also the volume of the CoS vs the FW spells to consider (complicated by the need to know how much water is present in the 9.1m area from CoS), and how much water you'd need to freeze solid an actual person (113.6L per level from FW, assuming a 1.8m tall person put in a 2mx1mx0.5m ice block you'd need 1,000L (which equals 1cubic meter) MINUS the volume of the person inside the block of ice). Something else to consider is if FW will work on steam/water-vapor or if it has to be in a liquid state (text makes me think it does).

[darthauthor]

Just to be certain.

If someone has psionic or magical immuninity or resistance to heat are they protected against this spell S.D.C. damage wise?

Given it is a magic spell I'd presume magic based damage so unless the protection protects against magic I would not think that it would work.

When I was thinking of how Cloud of Steam could be used to clean, I thought:
Car wash
Wash clothes
Clean crime scene (blood, burn bacteria, fingerprints, trace evidence on body, etc.).

Could the Warlock "adjust" the damage to bring it down to a hot steam like the Elemental fusionist has for bathing?

[ShadowLogan]

heat resistance would offer protection. As would magic resistance.

Nothing indicates the Warlock can "adjust" the spell effects like a Techno-Wizard can when putting a spell into a device.

[Library Ogre]

Just to be certain.

If someone has psionic or magical immuninity or resistance to heat are they protected against this spell S.D.C. damage wise?

Given it is a magic spell I'd presume magic based damage so unless the protection protects against magic I would not think that it would work.

When I was thinking of how Cloud of Steam could be used to clean, I thought:
Car wash
Wash clothes
Clean crime scene (blood, burn bacteria, fingerprints, trace evidence on body, etc.).

Could the Warlock "adjust" the damage to bring it down to a hot steam like the Elemental fusionist has for bathing?

In PFRPG2, it is specific that immunity to heat or fire protects you from damage, and resistance to heat or fire halves the damage.

With that in mind, I don't see a problem using it to clean a car, clean clothes, or clean a crime scene. I'd be reluctant to let them use it to wash someone, unless that person had a body full of scales (you can use it to steam clean your lizard man, but the wolfen is going to boil in his fur)... but I also see someone doing that as such a non-issue that I'd say "Yeah, spend another PPE to fine-tune it" and let it go. "I can make a sauna with a 1st level spell" isn't going to cause some huge advantage unless you're being attacked by a bunch of Finns.