A poor man's, low magic flaming blade...

[Jondor_Battlehammer]

Treat the flaming blade just like a posioned one, with concerns to dealing damage to yourself.

 

[Nyaricus]

Treat the flaming blade just like a posioned one, with concerns to dealing damage to yourself.

good idea! i'd call that a fair mechanic, and one with basis in D&D. Run with it man.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Nonmagical weapons should behave the same way in a low magic setting as in the default setting.

Not always, I'd say. I think the AGMG has some great rules for exceptional non-magical workmanship, materials and so on, just for one example. Particularly useful for low-magic campaigns, that kind of thing. In other words, some GMs decide that some form of 'compensation' for the lack of various forms of magic is a good idea. Others don't, granted. To each their own.

The original question reminds me of that 'warpriest' guy in ASoIaF. Can't remember what it was he used though. Some kind of napalm equivalent, perhaps. Whatever it was, it wrecked his swords pretty darn quickly. But it did the trick, and looked mighty cool in the bargain.

They couid always try drenching the troll with lantern oil, and using fire arrows or the like. Or the suggestion of pitch / tar above is a good one.

 

[Nyaricus]

They couid always try drenching the troll with lantern oil, and using fire arrows or the like. Or the suggestion of pitch / tar above is a good one.

heh heh, yeah . . or they could wait till daylight, when, after many hours of deliberating how they shall cook their assailents, they turn an unfortunate, and yes, permantent shade of stone.

Damn, gotta love Tolkien

 

[Drowbane]

3 hits
+1d6 Fire dmg.

Blade takes cumalative (spelling?) damage every round = to extra fire dmg dealt. (roll the fire dmg even if they miss...)

Basicly they risk ruining the weapon's temper... this will prevent them (in theory) from wanting to do this *every* fight for the extra dmg.

 

[Sravoff]

I wouldn't bother trying to damage the weapons. Just tell them that the weapon looks like it is slighty wearing more than normal, and if they continue the pitch technique for more than a couple of encounters, tell them the balde has become deformed. -1 atack rolls, -1 damage.

I always try not to mess wih players if they have good, although impractical, ideas. However, I wil step in if they begion to abuse such things.

That being said, you could do it any of numbers of ways. I would suggest using one of the following.

1d6 fire damage, -1 damage per turn, if fire damage is ever zero, flame goes out, requiring re pitching. (Cheiromancer)
1d6 fire damge, lasts three turns. (Drowbane)
1d6 fire damage, lasts 1d6 turns.

-Sravoff

 

[General Barron]

I think that 1d6 damage from some burning pitch is WAY too much. Would a few ounces of pitch on your skin be as damaging as a stab from a short sword? And what about the differences between a sword dipped in pitch vs a spear tip vs an arrow vs a club vs... Unless the PCs are spraying greek fire all over the troll, I think 1d6 is far, far too much.

My idea: simply turn the weapon damage into fire damage. Nothing extra beyond that.

Reasoning: when they sink the blade into the troll, the burning pitch goes with the blade into the same wound, cauterizing it and preventing it from regenerating. Any other little droplets splashing elsewhere are not enough to cause HP of damage.

Make the pitch last for 4d6 rounds or so, and take 1 extra round off it's lifespan from every attack made with it (swinging the blade should shake more pitch off than holding it still).

This also prevents them from using the pitch all the time, since it only benefits them against certain monsters.

EDIT

Re-read your original post, and saw that you thought this would be too easy. One solution: pitch lasts for 1 hit only, or 1d6 rounds otherwise. Result should be that the players can only get a few hits in with flaming weapons until they are stuck in melee with the troll. A possible tactic they could use is to rotate out of the fight to re-apply their weapons, but that would take like 2+ rounds each rotation (withdraw, reapply/relight, reengage), making it a long process, with lots of room for the unforseen. If you really want to gimp the fire, make it only last for a certain number of attacks, regardless of whether it hits or misses.

 

[Felnar]

sounds like everyone has decided on some mechanic they'll be using already, but here's my two cents

look in your PHB or SRD in the equipment section under torch

If a torch is used in combat, treat it as a one-handed improvised weapon that deals bludgeoning damage equal to that of a gauntlet of its size, plus 1 point of fire damage.

thats my idea, +1 damage (and no damage to the user)
how many rounds it lasts and if it stays burning after a hit are up to you

also
i remembered a similar effect in 2ed when you ignited a weapon coated in weaponblack
i checked my old Arms and Equipment Guide, but it didnt have it
so i googled weaponblack and fire, and found this
2ed Thieves Handbook - Weaponblack

 

[genshou]

Not always, I'd say. I think the AGMG has some great rules for exceptional non-magical workmanship, materials and so on, just for one example.

What is this AGMG you speak of?

 

[Storyteller01]

sounds like everyone has decided on some mechanic they'll be using already, but here's my two cents

look in your PHB or SRD in the equipment section under torch

thats my idea, +1 damage (and no damage to the user)
how many rounds it lasts and if it stays burning after a hit are up to you

Ditto, except I would figure for personal damage. Hot pitch, if it's anything like tar, will run down the blade onto a hand.

Also, I'd figure that the pitch is wiped off after the first hit, but it is stuck to the troll, still burning. figure it as a wounding weapon via fire damage (for three or four rounds??) unless the troll spends time to smother the flames.