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Well, with a PC with this power, I looked it over more closely. There are some questions I have. When you create the pillar or wall of flame, there is a range to how far away you can cast it, there is damage, duration, and length and width. That seems like a complete description. But my question is how close do you need to be to this fire to feel it/take damage from it? It seems like the damage is binary. If you're in or touching the wall/pillar of flame you take full damage, but if you're an angstrom outside of it, there is no effect. That doesn't seem like heat working in a normal way, but neither does creating flame from nowhere without a fuel source. So, is that how it works? You are either burned horribly, or suffer no effects? Is there some reduced damage if you're close to the fire, like an area of effect or blast radius?

Second, is there a strike roll associated with such a thing? It doesn't say so in the description, but just below it is the fireball ability. THAT power has a +2 to strike so it must require a strike roll. However, it has the same range as a wall of flame, does the same damage, and costs an additional 5 ISP. Plus, the fireball hits a target and is done while the wall stands for minutes. Why would anyone use fireball if not for the additional bonus to strike? Is fireball just an entirely inferior ability?

-Vek
"Never trust a mind mage."

1. Heat Damage from a radius effect is not part of the power, would probably depend on how hot the flame actually is. Looking at HU's APS: Fire (2E pg242) has an ability to radiate heat, but is limited to 140deg, said power also lists temperature effects (between 140-700+ deg F).

2. Strike Bonus I would say no, you really don't get a bonus to strike to drop a magical/elemental wall, though I can see requiring a Strike Roll in a hasty situation. HU's APS: Fire does have a similar ability to Create Pillar/Wall of Flame and it does grant a strike bonus giving some precedent for it to have a strike bonus, but every description for psionic pyrokinesis I have (Rifts/PF2E/Rifts-UE/HU2E) says it doesn't get a bonus to strike.

3. Fireball I think is intended to be used for precision attacks where Wall/Pillar of Flame is an area effect attack or area denial attack.

One benefit of fireball is that it lacks the text from wall/area ability about secondary effects. It isn't specified as setting fire to anything flammable in the radius. If you don't want to start a grass/brush/forest fire or burn down the wooden building you are in, then use fireball.

I think the effects of fire should be determined by the GM because the books do not depict the damage from fire very realistically. I think that is true of all the powers and abilities.

Looking at this as a GM...I would make the stat'ed area that of the visible flames. And the collateral damage heat exposer would be 4 or five times the stat'e radius, if unprotected. Those protected (could be a shield or cloak held up between the char and the fire, or magical/psionic fire/heat resistance) could skirt around the visible flames without the character getting hurt or injuring the status penalty, burn.

But this is just an off the cuff assessment given freely. Not play tested.
Also give as an example of how to properly format an opinion/GM ruling/or house rule.

Maybe the flame is actually a much smaller part of the stated area, but the area is what will take damage? Or, you just decide that is how it works. So many powers/abilities/spells etc. break down and don't fully make sense if you look at them too closely.