Cold Iron Brilliant Energy Longsword?

[Gort]

Okay, I play an 18th level fighter in a long-running 3.5 ed game, and I've recently commissioned a +1 Cold Iron Brilliant Energy Longsword with which to get around enemies who plate on the armour and shields.

My DM says to me, "It can't be cold iron AND brilliant energy! The blade's made of energy, not cold iron!"

Now, while that may be true from one viewpoint, I don't think it's the same one as the rules. After all, the weapon is not suddenly sunder-proof just because it's Brilliant Energy. AFAIK there are no special rules for stabbing someone through a solid steel wall just because it's a brilliant energy sword.

So surely, from a rules standpoint, I can have my Cold Iron Brilliant Energy Longsword, and hack angels down with it, too?

 

[Mouseferatu]

Nope. The blade (or other striking surface) is replaced by energy. There's no solid matter there, so it can't possibly be made of cold iron; after all, it's not made of anything.

And yes, it's sunder-proof, even though that's not spelled out. After all, the weapon "ignores nonliving matter." The attacking weapon would pass straight through it.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Yep, sorry.

This trick won't work, and your DM is correct in telling you so.

On the other hand, you *could* have a Cold Iron Brilliant Energy longsword, but the only part that would count as cold iron for purposes of damage reduction would be the hilt. In which case, I'd say it's basically an improvised brass knuckles: -4 to hit, 1d3 bludgeon, 20/x2

 

[Sejs]

Get it as a +1 Metaline Brilliant Energy Longsword instead. If I remember correctly, Metaline makes the weapon -act- as if it were the material it's set to without actually changing structure... so you should be able to pull off Cold Iron Energy that way. Don't have the book handy atm though so I can't confirm.

 

[rkanodia]

And yes, it's sunder-proof, even though that's not spelled out. After all, the weapon "ignores nonliving matter." The attacking weapon would pass straight through it.

[snarky]So a monk's hands aren't alive?[/snarky]

 

[Wolf72]

I think it would kinda work ... it would be cold iron normally, but once you activated brilliant energy, it becomes energy not cold iron ... until you turn it off.

 

[shilsen]

I think it would kinda work ... it would be cold iron normally, but once you activated brilliant energy, it becomes energy not cold iron ... until you turn it off.

There's no activation method for brilliant energy weapons (unlike, for example, flaming weapons), so you can't turn it on and off. Once it becomes a brilliant energy weapon, that's how it remains.

 

[Zoatebix]

Where's metaline from?

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

City of the Spider Queen, I think. Or the Underdark book for the FR.

 

[Chun-tzu]

It's from Underdark, and it won't work with Brilliant Energy.
"The wielder can alter the composition of a metalline weapon from one kind of metal to another as a standard action." The example describes a metalline sword changing to adamantine or iron.