burst weapons

[npiccini]

when a pc uses a flaming burst or any burst weapon for that matter it says that it can be activated and deactivated with a command. Then it says that on a critical hit, it always deals the extra 1d10 (i think) for the burst. Does that mean that on a critical hit, even if the player has chosen to shut off the power, it will deal that damage?

 

[UltimaGabe]

Correct. If he chooses not to activate it, it won't do the extra +1d6 on every hit, but it WILL do the extra 1d10 on a crit, regardless of whether he's activated it or not.

 

[Darklone]

Kinda overload ?

 

[npiccini]

thanks, I kinda interpreted it that way. Perhaps the weapon is so powerful (effective +3) that on a critical you cant control the amount of damage it does. The player and I were having a discussion about this because he thought, what if you didnt want to do the extra damage (perhaps you were fighting something that healed from elecricity), but I thought the rules read that way and it sounds like im right.

 

[UltimaGabe]

Well, very few things are healed by elemental damage (in fact, I can only think of one or two, such as certain Golems), but in the event such a monster is encountered, it'd probably be best not to use your +2 Shocking Burst Greataxe against the Bronze Serpent. But if you absolutely had to, the damage is usually considerably less than the crit itself, and so it shouldn't be an issue.

 

[npiccini]

good point gabe, thats what i argued with him. it only applies to rrare occasions, and i think since the weapon is not intellegent, it does not know when doing that critical damage would hurt or help

Well, very few things are healed by elemental damage (in fact, I can only think of one or two, such as certain Golems), but in the event such a monster is encountered, it'd probably be best not to use your +2 Shocking Burst Greataxe against the Bronze Serpent. But if you absolutely had to, the damage is usually considerably less than the crit itself, and so it shouldn't be an issue.