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Inspired by this question while figuring out potential ways of circumventing this with an adequately equipped and intelligent enemy.

The thought occurred to me that, whereas you could not send burning pitch through the hut the spell alludes to the temperature within only being comfortable regardless of weather.

The atmosphere inside the space is comfortable and dry, regardless of the weather outside.

So assume the following: The rogues from the referenced question are besieged by their former comrades in their bandit clan and the bandits take cover to negate their sneak attacks. All the while the bandit leader orders wood to be thrown at the hut eventually making, in essence, a bonfire around the hut or something similar like burning pitch etc.

The hut's intention seems to be to keep you safe from the elements so you don't die from exposure and to protect you at least a little bit from being attacked in your sleep. However, if the heat and oxygen depletion were to occur not from weather, but from an external source, could such an act like, say, a catapult of burning pitch cook them alive in their little castle?

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2 Answers2

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The magic most likely protects the occupants

Bringing real-world physics into the discussion of magic is always risky, and your quote above specifically tells you about what's happening inside the hut: it's comfortable and dry...because magic. The likely intent of Tiny Hut is to create a safe place to spend 8 hours.

As Speedkat says below in comments, if we go by the adage of spells do what they say and no more, then there are no circumstances in which the atmosphere is anything but comfortable and dry because the spell doesn't state that there are.

The idea of ways to make it unsafe by introducing real-world physics into the equation is risky and makes the magical spell seem less powerful. This isn't a physical structure that's created that works within the physical world, it's magic. Let the magic be magical.

This doesn't mean that a DM may rule otherwise, but in general that line states that the interior is a safe place to be no matter what's happening outside of it.

In addition, the easiest counter to Tiny Hut is simply having someone able to come in to Dispel Magic on it.

Commentary: Does this make Leomund's Tiny Hut overpowered?

I do not think it does, mostly because it is very situational. In a typical combat, having at least a minute to cast the spell is highly unlikely. In a scenario where you've got time to prepare, the enemy does as well and there are several obvious ways to counter the tiny hut from a simple cast of dispel magic to treating the hut as a fortress under siege to simply ignoring it and waiting out the time. If your enemy is all camped in one location, there may be multiple other targets that are now vulnerable. Don't take the situational factor of when Tiny Hut does it's job as judgement that it's overpowered.

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NotArch
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  • True enough, but I like to have reasons and as stated on a number of posts "spells do what they say they do and nothing more", which to me indicates weather conditions as being atmospheric. I suppose that is more RAI. Also how many CR 3 and 4 monsters have Dispel Magic? I suppose dragon's breath would pass right through though since it is neither magical nor an object. – Slagmoth Sep 14 '17 at 13:57
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    @Slagmoth The weather clause is in addition to the primary statement in the sentence of "It's comfortable and dry". The intent seems to be that the space is safe/comfortable place to be. And the difficulty(?) of finding someone to cast Dispel Magic is probably equal to that of hauling enough of pitch/materials to do what you're suggesting in your question. – NotArch Sep 14 '17 at 14:02
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    Consider the case of lava outside the hut, cave-in, or a flood; are the occupants protected? If so, then a fire should be ignored as well, but if not... – Chemus Sep 14 '17 at 14:17
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    @Chemus Yes, I'd say that the Hut's force protection keeps the occupants protected. That's kind of the point. – NotArch Sep 14 '17 at 14:20
  • @NautArch, Doesn't this make it a semi-spherical 8 hour duration Wall of Force at 3rd level? Actually, even better since it provides concealment as well. – Slagmoth Sep 14 '17 at 15:15
  • @Slagmoth No, Tiny Hut doesn't state that it also goes through the Ethereal Plane and it does have the clauses for concealment and comfort. They both are force, but Tiny Hut isn't a semi-spherical 8 hour duration Wall of Force. – NotArch Sep 14 '17 at 15:24
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    @Slagmoth If we're thinking about spells doing what they say and nothing more, then we are forced to conclude that the atmosphere is comfortable and dry - the spell does not say there are any circumstances where the Tiny Hut would -not- be comfortable and dry, so there aren't. – Speedkat Sep 14 '17 at 16:57
  • @NautArch I would be inclined to accept this as a strictly RAW answer if I were clear on how you don't think this interpretation is overpowered. Other than susceptibility to Dispel Magic and not Disintegrate and WoF extending to the Ethereal and of course casting time it does all of what WoF does and more by not requiring concentration with a longer duration and providing concealment. – Slagmoth Sep 17 '17 at 19:44
  • @Slagmoth A judgement on power is not tied to a correct answer, but I did attempt to provide some commentary on why I don't think it's OP. Happy to discuss in chat. – NotArch Sep 18 '17 at 13:11
  • @NautArch: Minor quibble on "waiting out the time" being an option. The implication to including "the time" is that in eight hours they can launch their attack. But Tiny Hut is a ritual spell; it could be recast, with no resource usage, 12 minutes before it expires, and a new one replaces the old one a minute before the old one disappears. If there's a Druid inside with Goodberry (or a caster with Create Food and Water), they don't even need to worry about provisions; they can stay indefinitely. Waiting them out will never be much of an option, unless the sole goal is to keep them penned in. – ShadowRanger Jan 27 '23 at 01:41
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No, the hut wouldn't protect you from non-weather atmospheric effects.

It really depends on if you feel the designers add useless text in the descriptions for no reason, or, if you think that everything written down has a purpose.

Consider the simpler version:

The atmosphere inside the space is comfortable and dry.

This text is completely clear and unambiguous. 100% of the time, comfortable and dry. No questions asked. I think basically everyone would agree with that.

So then OPs question is really: Does the extra text have any meaning, at all? Did they add that clause purely for flavor? Or does it have mechanical impact?

Unless it is impossible to reconcile, I tend towards believing that everything written down has a purpose. If that is the case, then no, the hut wouldn't protect you from non-weather atmospheric effects.

We also have to consider that according to Jeremy Crawford, a dragon's breath weapon would not be stopped by the hut. So why would a dragon's flames not be stopped while flame from a bonfire would?

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