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<blockquote data-quote="Lord Pendragon" data-source="post: 118507" data-attributes="member: 707">I wouldn't allow this weapon to be created under the normal item creation rules.&nbsp; It breaks too many of them to be applicable.Why?&nbsp; Well, a Javelin of Lightning transforms into a lightning bolt as per the arcane spell.&nbsp; This allows it to hit multiple enemies, (up to 20 if they're all standing in a straight line).&nbsp; While it grants a reflex save for half, this would still amount to a very powerful weapon.&nbsp; Assuming all targets make their saves, this weapon would still always hit and deal 2.5d6 damage to 1-20 enemies per attack.&nbsp; That sounds quite over-the-top to me. The reason the item works is because it's a single-use item that costs a decent amount of money to use.&nbsp; A high-level character could stock up on them and start chucking away if he so desired.&nbsp; But he'd be paying a price for it.&nbsp; Allowing a normal weapon to have the properties of a Javelin of Lightning is akin to giving the PC the ability to cast lightning bolt as a 5th-level sorcerer at will.&nbsp; Even better, because with a set of these and Quick Draw, he could fire off (at 20th-level, assuming a fighter-type character) four lightning bolts per round.The +3 weapon ability cost doesn't strike me as right either.&nbsp; Consider that currently the best you can do with a +3 ability cost is +3d6 (by adding three energy types).&nbsp; This ability is far greater than that, because it allows the weapon to affect many more targets, and (except for characters with evasion or improved evasion,) always hits for damage.I might allow this kind of weapon in my game as a minor artifact, but not as a weapon that could be bought or created.&nbsp; If a player in my game wanted a similar weapon, I'd suggest they start saving their money for a Returning Javelin of Shocking Burst.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Lord Pendragon, post: 118507, member: 707"] I wouldn't allow this weapon to be created under the normal item creation rules. It breaks too many of them to be applicable. Why? Well, a [i]Javelin of Lightning[/i] transforms into a lightning bolt as per the arcane spell. This allows it to hit multiple enemies, (up to 20 if they're all standing in a straight line). While it grants a reflex save for half, this would still amount to a [i]very[/i] powerful weapon. Assuming all targets make their saves, this weapon would still always hit and deal 2.5d6 damage to 1-20 enemies per attack. That sounds quite over-the-top to me. The reason the item works is because it's a single-use item that costs a decent amount of money to use. A high-level character could stock up on them and start chucking away if he so desired. But he'd be paying a price for it. Allowing a normal weapon to have the properties of a [i]Javelin of Lightning[/i] is akin to giving the PC the ability to cast [i]lightning bolt[/i] as a 5th-level sorcerer at will. Even better, because with a set of these and Quick Draw, he could fire off (at 20th-level, assuming a fighter-type character) four [i]lightning bolts[/i] per round. The +3 weapon ability cost doesn't strike me as right either. Consider that currently the best you can do with a +3 ability cost is +3d6 (by adding three energy types). This ability is far greater than that, because it allows the weapon to affect many more targets, and (except for characters with evasion or improved evasion,) [i]always hits for damage[/i]. I might allow this kind of weapon in my game as a minor artifact, but not as a weapon that could be bought or created. If a player in my game wanted a similar weapon, I'd suggest they start saving their money for a [i]Returning Javelin of Shocking Burst[/i]. [/QUOTE]

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