The damage Type for Water Spells on page 348 A:RPG lists "Bludgeoning or Slashing" as the damage type for water spells. It is either or, not both. I don't see how a liquid can produce slashing damage. But a solid sure can. Therefore, can I flavor text a "Water Bolt" to be an "Ice Bolt" provided that the net effect of the spell is the same?

(Suddenly I think val Ossan kids have interesting snowball fights).

Follow up question.... What happens to the water from an Elemental Bolt. Does it instantly evaporate? Or does it hang around until it would naturally disperse? Although I am pretty sure that you can't create an Area Elemental Ice Bolt to create slick terrain. The reason is we already have a spell that does that - Black Ice.

My thoughts on the matter: A spell or effect or talent does exactly what it says it does an no more, in the sense of anything that would cause a mechanical advantage.

However, modules or Judges may adjudicate that differently, players may make suggestions but not bog down the game by continually make suggestions(aka dont try too hard)

I don't see why not, so long as it is just flavour. I would permit it as a GM.


Seeing as you have to have access to the element to cast the spell, I would say that you are actually hitting your target with a real piece of the element. Obviously fire and air would quickly dissipate, but I'd say that earth would leave dirt/rocks on the ground, and water would leave someone damp. Now, if that same player said they were throwing ice instead of water, I'd rule that the ice melts immediately upon contact.


This is getting out of the realm of flavour, and into the realm of 'trying to screw with the rules'. You could probably make an advanced spell out of elemental bolt and black ice, but that is it.

On the issue of slashing damage: thin streams of water water under pressure absolutely could do slashing damage. Leaks from hydraulic equipment can do this in industrial accidents. And it turns out one of my other big hobbies is blowing and fusing glass. I use/rent time on a water jet to cut curved pieces of glass (like dragon flies & sea horses for inclusion in my pieces.) the OMAX water jet has a crazy stick figure-like warning sign that shows a hand loosing three fingers. Yikes!

(I am happy to say I have all my fingers ... but I obviously treat that machine with wary respect).

It's all a matter of speed. Remember if you hit water (a fluid) at enough speed it's like hitting solid ground. Conversely it makes sense that water in a stream going fast enough could cut or slice. At least that's how I see it. Narrow stream would cut a torrent would bludgeon since the impact is spread out. Hence why they gave it two damage types. Seems logical to me.

Maybe it would help if I explained the end goal..... My Five-Year-Old has been brain washing me by putting "Let it go" from the Move Frozen on auto loop, and watching the movie or you-tubes of the movie at all walking hours. To save my sanity, I've turned to PC creation. I'm basically trying to recreate Elsa the Ice Queen in Arcanis.

Josh, now that you know the context would you be more comfortable with that creative license if I Elemental Empowered (Cold) all my water spells so that the ice and snow flavoring has a clearly defined and referenceable effect?

Huh one of our local pathfinder guys did something similar for the same reason.

it doesnt bother mas as long as the flavor is backed somewhat by the mechanics, OR if the flavor is unaffected by the mechanics

One of the most famous types of magical weapons concerning water is the waterwhip. If you ever watched Avatar: The Last Air Bender or Avatar: Legend of Korra, there are many instances of said whip. L5R RPG has referenced it a couple of times, as well as several other fantasy games.

Elemental Bolt is a generalized bolt of a certain element. It could be descripted as a sharp wave (slashing) of water thrown at someone (when using as a Water), or a more tightly condensed block of water (bludgeon) launched at the target. It's up to the imagination of the caster and what the GM allows.

Definitely a matter of speed, since most people think of glass as a solid, when it is technically a liquid. It's just that its a very slow liquid, to the point that for most common purposes it acts like a solid.