ALL THESE YEARS AND I NEVER KNEW...

[Arxa]

There are gas traps in this game. There I was, on my eleventy hundreth play through and I'm creeping through Stoney Creek cave. I always wondered why there was a 'heat ripple' effect right in the area of the side tunnel. I used a flame spell on the bandits and the whole tunnel blew up. Of course I'm now seeing them all over.

This time I was a mage. afore, I was ever and always a stealth archer. I guess the fire enchantment I 'd usually put on my bow didn't qualify as enough to ignite the gas.

And that's my story of still finding new things in the game.

[IsharaMeradin]

Fire enchantment wouldn't be enough but the exploding fire bolts would certainly trigger it.

[MFitz56]

There are gas traps in this game. There I was, on my eleventy hundreth play through and I'm creeping through Stoney Creek cave. I always wondered why there was a 'heat ripple' effect right in the area of the side tunnel. I used a flame spell on the bandits and the whole tunnel blew up. Of course I'm now seeing them all over.

This time I was a mage. afore, I was ever and always a stealth archer. I guess the fire enchantment I 'd usually put on my bow didn't qualify as enough to ignite the gas.

And that's my story of still finding new things in the game.

Seeing as how you only find these areas underground and how they can be used effectively against the denizens that live there (like the Giant Spiders in the Ebony Mine in Solstheim as well as the already mentioned bandits of Stony Creek) I've always thought that they were meant to be methane deposits (see Sondas in Darkwater Crossing sending for medicine for "foul air").

[Rethrain]

Yes, I do think they are natural methane fart clouds rather than purposefully placed traps that you can take advantage of to kill stuff in dungeons. I..learned about them really fast. Being a vampire battlemage with sword and spell...well, I used those things to both cook myself and my enemies, whenever I'm not paying attention.