Brilliant Aura and natural weapons

[Palagast]

Brilliant Aura, from Complete Divine:
"You limn your allies in a glowing nimbus, transforming their attacks into brilliant energy. Each person affected by this aura gives off light as a torch (20 foot radius). Their weapon attacks (melee or ranged) function as if their weapons were brilliant energy weapons: they ignore nonliving matter, and armor and enhancement AC bonuses do not count against them. The attacks cannor harm undead, constructs, or objects. In addition, all attacks gain an enhancement bonus on damage eqyal to one-half the caster's level (maximum +10)."

I was wondering:
1) Does this spell work on natural weapons as well (not sure if 'melee weapon' counts in this context)?

2) If it doesn't work on natural weapons, does the enhancement bonus mentioned at the end count? It doesn't specify where it applies to.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Fieari]

#2 is definitely the case. All attacks gain the bonus, not all weapons. Furthermore, the bonus seems to apply to ranged attacks as well, and it looks like it works for ranged touch attacks too, for spells...

As for number 1, hm. I'm trying to find a quote in the SRD as to whether natural weapons are considered weapons or not... having difficulties at the moment, but my SRD search-fu is often weak.

 

[kjenks]

The Spell Compendium has a slightly different version of Brilliant Aura. If your campaign uses the most recently published version of each spell, feat, class, etc., you should check it out.

Tne SpC version is Cleric 8, Druid 8, Sorc/Wiz 7, no enhancement bonus, and by refering to Brilliant Blade, the spell description specifically includes natural weapons.

 

[vulcan_idic]

Were I to rule on this, my ruling would be firmly that natural weapons are certainly weapons by virtue of the name. Were they not considered weapons I would expect, given the attention in 3.x editions to the specificity and care in using words to avoid confusion that such things would be termed "natural attacks" rather than "natural weapons" or something along those lines.

That said this would seem to me to be certainly a judgement call for the DM, most likely heavily dependant on the world the story is set in and the sort of story they want to tell.

 

[Stormrunner]

Of course, then you get into weird stuff with monks. Are the monk's hands and feet now brilliant energy*? Since brilliant energy ignores non-living matter, does that mean the monk now sinks up to his ankles in the ground, and cannot pick up objects?

*- not to mention his elbows, knees, forehead, etc...

 

[Drowbane]

Well, considering that a Monk can attack with virtually any part of his body as a "Natural Weapon"... after Brilliant Aura we have a nekkid pseudo-asian guy who can walk through walls!