D&D 3.x [3.5 Quick Question] Brilliant energy?

[kreynolds]

Of course, the easy way to fix that is not to wear pants.

But then it burns your quarterstaff, and nobody wants their quarterstaff burned.

 

[ThirdWizard]

Where are you getting that from? I'm looking at the writeup and it doesn't say anything about it not being able to bypass shield bonuses. What _does_ say, however, is that it bypasses inorganic material, such as armor, which is the same as a shield in 3.0. It lists what bonus types it _doesn't_ bypass, but shield isn't on this list either.

No doubt they simply forgot to update the text to include shields in armor. Basically, the new writeup doesn't change anything about the old, and neither does it add anything new. It simply clarifies, but it doesn't even touch on shields.

Eh... it says it bypasses armor bonuses and not shield bonuses. Somone forgot that sheilds now have their own bonus. Not an overly complicated fix, but one that needs to be done.

 

[kreynolds]

Eh... it says it bypasses armor bonuses and not shield bonuses.

No, it doesn't. Here's the writeup...

Brilliant Energy: A brilliant energy weapon has its significant portion—such as its blade, axe head, or arrowhead—transformed into light, although this does not modify the item's weight. It always gives off light as a torch (20-foot radius). A brilliant energy weapon ignores nonliving matter. Armor bonuses to AC (including any enhancement bonuses to that armor) do not count against it because the weapon passes through armor. (Dexterity, deflection, dodge, natural armor, and other such bonuses still apply.) A brilliant energy weapon cannot harm undead, constructs, and objects. This property can only be applied to melee weapons, thrown weapons, and ammunition.

...and no mention of shields at all.

 

[Archer]

I think the only time you would deactivate a weapon ability is when it healed the creature you were currently fighting. Elemental weapons only do extra damage on a hit, so sitting in your scabbard it can be on and not do anything. Too bad you can't turn off brilliant energy when you need to fight constructs.

3.5 hasn't even been out a month (week?) and it seems like its time for 3.6 already. As written BE doesn't bypass shields anymore but I'm sure that will be corrected in the first compilation of errata.

They should have added stuff like:

Greater Elemental (+2) Adds 1d8 damage, modified by critical

Mega-Elemental (+4) Adds 3d6 damage, modified by critical instead of having lame (+2) burst weapons. Its not like everyone hadn't figure out burst was not at all cost effective.

Greater Alignment (+4) Adds 3d6 bonus damage (modified by criticals)

Impaling (+1) Changes the multiplier on a piercing weapon to 20 (x4)

 

[Burne]

RE: Shields

In 3.0 shields granted an armor bonus to AC that had a special exception that allowed them to stack with physical armor.

In 3.5 Shield wisely grant a shield bonus to AC.

Hence, the confusion...

 

[kreynolds]

Re: RE: Shields

Hence, the confusion...

I really don't see the confusion, not if one really thinks about it. A shield is nonliving matter. Why would a brilliant energy weapon be able to bypass full-plate (which is nonliving matter) but not be able to bypass a buckler (which is nonliving matter)? Logically, it would bypass both. A shield meets all the requirements for being bypassed by a brilliant energy weapon: 1) its nonliving matter, 2) a shield bonus is not listed as a type of bonus that cannot be bypassed.

Could the text have been formulated more carefully? Sure, but I think the intent here is very clear anyways.

 

[ThirdWizard]

Didn't you just prove my point?

"Armor bonuses to AC (including any enhancement bonuses to that armor) do not count against it because the weapon passes through armor. (Dexterity, deflection, dodge, natural armor, and other such bonuses still apply.) "

IE ignore armor bonuses, but all others apply. I'm not saying that they meant for shield bonuses to apply, but that they failed to mention the new shield bonus when defining the ability. Strictly by the rules, shield bonuses are not ignored.

Irony, that's all it is.

 

[kreynolds]

Didn't you just prove my point?

Quite the opposite.

IE ignore armor bonuses, but all others apply.

I think that's just your interpreation. While my own point of view is also my interpretation, I happen to think that it's quite clearly the intent of the rules.

Strictly by the rules, shield bonuses are not ignored.

I just don't see any precedent for that at all.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Let's not forget cover bonuses for standing partially behind a wall.

Or, in theory, even entirely behind a wall...

-Hyp.

 

[kreynolds]

...entirely behind a wall...

Heh. I love brilliant energy whips.