Can you stack Flaming and Frost weapon enhancements?

[was]

Really?

What about fire and lightning? Or fire and acid?
Those are fairly complementary, but it's really no different than fire and cold. Just picture it as a vortex around the blade (possibly forming clouds of steam once in a great while, based on local humidity).
Brad

Well, let me first qualify my explanation by explaining that I run a relatively low-powered campaign where magical weapons are rare. Usually around 3rd to 4th level the pc's acquire masterwork items made of rare materials. Magical weapons, all of which are named and unique with detailed physical descriptions of the item and materials used, start showing up around 7th or 8th level. Those weapons, assuming they have elemental powers on them, will usually have one elemental power and one non-elemental power on them. Let me also add that I don't handicap the pc's by sending monsters at them that they cannot hit without magical weapons before they acquire them and I do extensively tweak info in the MM.

 

[Darth K'Trava]

We have a DM who, like you was, ran a low-powered campaign until the most recent 2-3 levels. We got very little treasure off the bad guys and hardly any magic stuff. I felt lucky when my ranger had a set of magical blades, a +1 longsword and a +1 shortsword. More than most the rest of the party, except for the dwarf fighter who ended up with a vorpal blade (DM got confuzzled a bit with the magic stuff and monsters- I think a holdover from 2e or earlier... ::shrug:.

And then the 2 clerics we had at the time griped about the lack of magical maces/morningstars for them and that they had to go out and buy theirs.

 

[3.5newbie]

Here's a useful piece of information:

"Fiery, frosty flames" seems to me like the definition of twisting the rules to the point of a spinal fracture. You can't rapidly cool and rapidly heat an object at the same time; they're mutually exclusive.

If it were my campaign, I'd say you can have such a weapon but you can only use one of the opposed properties at a time. But that's just me; I like a little common sense with my fantasy.

 

[Fieari]

Just like when talking about how elementals can get sick (a fire elemental with a cold, for instance, works by the rules) I find that D&D makes more sense if you toss some of the more modern scientific knowledge, and focus more on the way things seem to be.

In D&D, cold is not the absense of molecular movement, so far as I can tell. Cold, in and of itself, is an energy type. It isn't the absense of heat, it is its own entity. Just as lightning and acid are their own energy types (and yes, acid is actually an energy in D&D, not merely a direction on the pH scale. Strong bases, for example, also count as acid) and can mix, fire and cold can mix because they aren't opposites on the same scale, they're two entirely different things. Both have their own "positive" scales. You can have positive cold, and positive fire. It can be "less cold" or "less hot", or "more cold" or "more hot".

 

[the Jester]

It could make sense for a true neutral character.

Or for a Rilmani. I could totally see one of their assasins carrying around a holy unholy anarchic axiomatic weapon of some kind. Do they have Rilmani in 3e?

This I like.

And rilmani are in the Fiend Folio.

 

[KarinsDad]

"Fiery, frosty flames" seems to me like the definition of twisting the rules to the point of a spinal fracture. You can't rapidly cool and rapidly heat an object at the same time; they're mutually exclusive.

Who said anything about the object begin cooled or heated at all?

"Flaming: Upon command, a flaming weapon is sheathed in fire."

"Frost: Upon command, a frost weapon is sheathed in icy cold"

If it were my campaign, I'd say you can have such a weapon but you can only use one of the opposed properties at a time. But that's just me; I like a little common sense with my fantasy.

Common sense is not so common. What doesn't make sense for one person could be a cool element (pun intended) in someone else's game.

 

[was]

We have a DM who, like you was, ran a low-powered campaign until the most recent 2-3 levels. We got very little treasure off the bad guys and hardly any magic stuff. I felt lucky when my ranger had a set of magical blades, a +1 longsword and a +1 shortsword. More than most the rest of the party, except for the dwarf fighter who ended up with a vorpal blade (DM got confuzzled a bit with the magic stuff and monsters- I think a holdover from 2e or earlier... ::shrug:.
And then the 2 clerics we had at the time griped about the lack of magical maces/morningstars for them and that they had to go out and buy theirs.

-I rarely use randomized treasure placement and customize treasures to the fit the pc's characters and tastes. IMC those clerics would eventually find magical weapons that suited them in an adventure. I'd make sure of it.
-I also start handing out other magical items (not weapons) varying in power between 4th and 6th levels. Usually one or two minor items at the end of an adventure.
-However, even with mundane treasures, such as gems or jewlery, I like to tailor them to fit the pcs. Such as an armband with a raised head shaped like a pc's favorite animal.
-It's not that I don't award them, I just slow down how quickly the characters get them. I also use other rewards such as property, titles and national medals to reward heroic pcs.

 

[irdeggman]

-I rarely use randomized treasure placement and customize treasures to the fit the pc's characters and tastes. IMC those clerics would eventually find magical weapons that suited them in an adventure. I'd make sure of it.
-I also start handing out other magical items (not weapons) varying in power between 4th and 6th levels. Usually one or two minor items at the end of an adventure.
-However, even with mundane treasures, such as gems or jewlery, I like to tailor them to fit the pcs. Such as an armband with a raised head shaped like a pc's favorite animal.
-It's not that I don't award them, I just slow down how quickly the characters get them. I also use other rewards such as property, titles and national medals to reward heroic pcs.

Sounds like a Birthright styled game.

 

[Aaron L]

"Fiery, frosty flames" seems to me like the definition of twisting the rules to the point of a spinal fracture. You can't rapidly cool and rapidly heat an object at the same time; they're mutually exclusive.

If it were my campaign, I'd say you can have such a weapon but you can only use one of the opposed properties at a time. But that's just me; I like a little common sense with my fantasy.

You can accept a magical fire, but not, say, a magical blue fire that burns and freezes at the same time? Or a sword covered in a twisting, writhing, conflicting series of whisps of flame and frozen patches?


I allow opposed elemental enhancements, as well as double elemental enhancements. Whats going to be broken by a double flaming superhot sword doing 2d6 extra fire danmage, as opposed to a flaming shocking sword doing 1d6 fire and 1d6 electricity, apart from the wielder being screwed if he runs into a fire resistant bad guy?

When theres no potential for abuse, theres not very much reason to limit peoples imaginations.

 

[billd91]

You can accept a magical fire, but not, say, a magical blue fire that burns and freezes at the same time? Or a sword covered in a twisting, writhing, conflicting series of whisps of flame and frozen patches?

.

It's the sword of Ben-Gay. It's an icy heat.

I dunno. I wouldn't allow simultaneous fire and frost to stack, personally. Non-oppositional energies - sure, but I would still strongly encourage players designing magic items to make coherent themes rather than just putting together interesting crunch.