Blade Storm/Twin Blade Storm Question

Morrus · Apr 3, 2009

The damage types of these Stormwarden abilities are untyped and lightning, respectively.

Does a frost weapon's ability to turn damage dealt to cold damage apply to these powers? I.e. can it change them both to cold damage? The description of the ability indicates you are using your sword, but it's not a power with the weapon keyword.

Saeviomagy · Apr 3, 2009

No weapon keyword means no weapon properties.

Morrus · Apr 3, 2009

Saeviomagy said:
No weapon keyword means no weapon properties.

Could you explain a little more? "Weapon Properties" are defined as: Heavy Thrown, High Crit, Light Thrown, Load, Off-hand, Reach, Small and Versatile (p217 PHB). I can't see the relevance to the initial question, the cold conversion not being a Weapon Property.

The description says ".... all damage dealt by this weapon is cold damage". No mention of Weapon Properties as defined above.

The class feature descriptions both say "As long as you are armed with a melee weapon...."

I can certainly believe that it wouldn't apply (doesn't sound unreasonable), but I'd like to find out why exactly.

1of3 · Apr 3, 2009

RAW you can't use your Ice Weapon because your ice weapon has nothing to do with these features. Granted, the abilities are called "blade storm" and you have to weild a weapon, but the text doesn't say that the weapon does the damage.

Oompa · Apr 3, 2009

I would rule no..

Flavorwise i would say that your blades have those small storm clouds you always see above mad cartoon characters and they shoot lightning at bad guys when they are near..

Maybe you can tell your dm to change the flavor from lightning to cold..?

@Morrus: Do you still seek reviewers for war of the burning sky, i mailed but got no answer.. :'(

Oompa · Apr 3, 2009

Oh and for quick clarification:

You can hold your frost weapons with this ability, only the lightning damage would not be transferred to cold..

Eccles · Apr 3, 2009

Speaking as someone in the same party, I'm pretty sure Morrus' build has stretched the rules to splintering point without adding in another source of cold damage...

Nooo... I'm not jealous of his damage output at all... He doesn't deal more damage on a miss than I do on a critical...

In the meantime, the description in the Stormwarden Blade Storm things doesn't give any keyword, type or anything. It simply reads 'damage'. The weapons Morrus is wielding are set to 'all cold damage, all the time', so should the damage be cold (which instantly ups the amount he inflicts by 5, to my inevitable and immense disgust). I can see the logic he's trying to present here, but it horrifies me to see him cranking out 33 damage in a round in which he *misses*...

I think that he's stuffed on the higher level Blade Storm which specifically says lightning damage.

Oompa · Apr 3, 2009

But damage done by a frost weapon turns damage into cold..

This is not damage done by a frost weapon.. this is damage done by wielding a melee weapon..

I could hold a chair and still do the lightning damage..

The lightning damage is something that comes from holding a weapon, not using it..

Saeviomagy · Apr 4, 2009

Morrus said:
Could you explain a little more? "Weapon Properties" are defined as: Heavy Thrown, High Crit, Light Thrown, Load, Off-hand, Reach, Small and Versatile (p217 PHB). I can't see the relevance to the initial question, the cold conversion not being a Weapon Property.

Sorry for my scant reply. p225 - property is also something a magic item can have. In this case, we`re actually not talking about a property, but a power.

Under enhancement, there`s a bunch of verbiage covering what it takes for a power to be delivered through a weapon or implement, which is further covered on p55-56 in the power descriptions.

Now one could argue that your ability implies that it uses a weapon. If that is the case, then you also apply the enhancement bonus...

The description says ".... all damage dealt by this weapon is cold damage". No mention of Weapon Properties as defined above.

The class feature descriptions both say "As long as you are armed with a melee weapon...."

I can certainly believe that it wouldn't apply (doesn't sound unreasonable), but I'd like to find out why exactly.

Basically it doesn`t say it has the weapon keyword, so for rules purposes, it`s damage is not being caused by the weapon.