Fire Charge

The Fire Charge is an item which can be used as fireball ammunition for Dispensers, or as an inefficient substitute for Flint and Steel. When fired it acts exactly like a blaze's fireball. It can be useful if you're stuck in the Nether without any iron ingots or Flint and Steel, as all three of its components can be found within the Nether.

Crafting
Since Gunpowder, Blaze Powder and Coal are obtained from mobs and Charcoal from Wood, Fire Charges are renewable resources. In snapshot 12w36a, Coal is also renewable as it is a drop from wither skeletons.

Use
When used by a player, it instantly places Fire at the clicked location, like a Flint and Steel. Fire created with a Fire Charge will burn faster than a Flint and Steel fire. You get three from each one crafted as seen in the crafting picture.

When a Fire Charge is dispensed from a Dispenser, it acts like a Blaze fireball, flying in a straight line (though with the usual random aim of a Dispenser). When it hits a block, it will place Fire at that location. These fireballs have no explosive effect. When it hits a player, it does a total of 4 hearts damage in burning.

Fire charge can also be used to light a Nether Portal.

Trivia

 * The sprite for fire charges are the same as Blaze fireballs and Ghast fireballs.


 * Fire charges set fire on contact to players and flammable blocks.


 * When a dispenser with a fire charge is placed with a block directly in front of it, the charge shoots through it and creates a fire on the other side, which is useful for making self-lighting fireplaces and traps.


 * Using a fire charge will cause a block update (regardless of whether the block it is used on can actually burn). This makes it a useful tool for triggering BUD switches, and therefore can be used as a short-range wireless redstone transmitter.


 * A fire charge will fly infinitely far until it hits a block, even if the block is outside of the players render distance.


 * A fire charge will set TNT on fire, instead of automatically detonating it. It will detonate after a few seconds.


 * Since Wither Skeletons drop Coal, Blazes drop Blaze Rods to make Blaze Powder and Ghasts drop Gunpowder, the Fire Charge can be used as an emergency substitute to Flint and Steel while trapped in the Nether.

Bugs

 * When a mob is shot directly with a Fire Charge and dies, it does not drop cooked food as expected.
 * When you right click with the Fire Charge on a block, the fire created may not render properly according to the block, making it seem to be floating fire.
 * If it travels out of the render distance it eventually stops in mid air. If this accumulates it can cause major lag in the surrounding area (this can be removed by enclosing the fireball in a TNT-proof block such as obsidian and lighting a piece of TNT).