Cold Iron Brilliant Energy Longsword?

[Gaiden]

Entire post is moot

IIRC, when making a touch attack, you ignore DR, so a brilliant energy weapon bypasses all forms of DR. Of course, the whole NA vs. Armor may come into play and then be argued that it is not a touch attack.

From 3.0 though, I could have sworn this conversation came up (or something very close to it) and the ruling was that making touch attacks (or in this case pseudo-touch attacks) ignored DR.

 

[Scion]

As natural armor is not bypassed I will argue that it is not a touch attack

 

[Lela]

When could DR affect, or be affected by, touch attacks anyway?

 

[Hypersmurf]

When could DR affect, or be affected by, touch attacks anyway?

It can't.

"Damage reduction does not negate touch attacks, energy damage dealt along with an attack, or energy drains."

But as Scion points out, Brilliant Energy does not a touch attack make.

-Hyp.

 

[Lela]

That's what I thought Hyper, thanks. I'm mainly trying to figure out why someone would think it would.

 

[Felix]

Hey Hyp, some folks have said that the description of Brilliant Energy where it says "it passes through non-living matter" is only descriptive text. That is, the only real actual mechanical effect this enhancement has is that it ignores Armor and Shield bonuses, as well as the enhancement bonuses on those kinds of armor.

If it is true that "ignore non-living matter" is descriptive text, then wouldn't Brilliant Energy harm undead and constructs? All it would do is ignore any armor or shield bonuses that either of them happened to have... Also it would be able to sunder and attack objects.

So, is "ignores non-living matter" fluff or crunch?

 

[Hypersmurf]

If it is true that "ignore non-living matter" is descriptive text, then wouldn't Brilliant Energy harm undead and constructs? All it would do is ignore any armor or shield bonuses that either of them happened to have... Also it would be able to sunder and attack objects.

Have you actually read the ability description?

Specifically, the line that says "A brilliant energy weapon cannot harm undead, constructs, and objects"?

-Hyp.

 

[UltimaGabe]

Is energy the same as cold iron? I would say no. But thats just me.

Does energy weigh anything? I would say no. But that's just me.

 

[Scion]

Does energy weigh anything? I would say no. But that's just me.

On the quantum level? I am about to look over an experiment dealing with quantum gravity and a photon device used to measure gravitational effects on the quantum level. Would you like a brief synopsis of their conclusion when I am done?

(Disclaimer: going by the general rules of d&d it seems unlikely that the d&d universe behaves any physical laws from this universe except in passing)

 

[reiella]

That's only because you're looking at the wrong rules.

In other words, if it's a Brilliant Energy weapon, the "significant portion" of the weapon is transformed into light.

Well, that significantly says you can't make a brilliant energy weapon into an adamantine weapon. But it doesn't say all too well that you can't enchant an adamantium weapon with brilliant energy.