Stacking fire and ice magical effects for weapons.

[Darklone]

Now you're just being greedy! Just use resist energy cast by an 11th lvl caster and even most burst weapons won't get through it. Or make all your villains half-fiendish

Hmm. Aasimar villains are much more fun.

 

[shilsen]

I'll see your aasimar villain and raise you an evil half-celestial PC Got one in my campaign last session. Had to TPK the party the session before to make it happen, but you know what they say about omelettes and eggs

 

[0-hr]

So in the end I see no reason to not allow the weapons all activate at once. Or simply make them activate on attack. Easy enough.

Yes, very easy - and of course you would then make it cost a +2 enchantment right?

 

[Scion]

Yes, very easy - and of course you would then make it cost a +2 enchantment right?

fire/ice that is a +2 enchantment? sure. But how is that any different than it is now?

It is incredibly 'not' unbalancing to allow them to activate at the same time, it merely puts them into the 'almost useful' range. That extra action to just get them going to begin with is a very, very serious cost.

 

[drnuncheon]

Completely seperate issue. If it was one item that had a spell that cast 2 magic missiles at once that is fine, it would also cost a great deal. A weapon with multiple of those enhancements on it costs a great deal, and should have a few perks for its limitations

One could say the same thing about lots of things - say, a rod of thunder and lightning.

Adamantine sheeth. hardness 20. Most elements damage are cut in half. How will it be destroyed or even damaged?

Well, just because the sheath isn't damaged doesn't mean it is completely unaffected. For instance, an adamantine sheath would probably conduct the electricity of a shocking weapon, a flaming weapon stored in one would eventually heat it up, etc.

If it were move equivelant actions to activate the properties, I wouldn't have any problem with it. But say you are wandering through the woods when the ranger spots Ogre-barbarian bandits ready to ambush you. He calls out and the encounter distance begins at, say 100'. The fighter draws his sword as he moves 30' (Thankfully he didn't get surprised by the ambush).

...and then he takes a standard action to activate the elemental property, before the ogres are anywhere near him. (Remember, you can draw your sword while you move if your BAB is +1 or higher).

And yes, you won't always be able to use both - or sometimes even one - of the special properties. That's generally true of all weapon properties, with the exception of enhancement bonuses - keen weapons are no good against creatures immune to crits, bane does nothing if the enemy isn't the right type, speed weapons are only useful if you full attack.

If you had, say, boots of speed and wings of flying, it would take you two rounds to activate them. Why should it only take one if you had boots of speed and flying?

J

 

[Darklone]

Ehem, because Boots of speed are a bad example since you activate them as a free action ?

 

[drnuncheon]

...and the edition change gets me again. The central point is the same, even if the example is flawed.

 

[Scion]

One could say the same thing about lots of things - say, a rod of thunder and lightning.

Yes it could, which proves my point why it isnt overpowered to let the weapons do it.

Well, just because the sheath isn't damaged doesn't mean it is completely unaffected. For instance, an adamantine sheath would probably conduct the electricity of a shocking weapon, a flaming weapon stored in one would eventually heat it up, etc.

Why would it conduct anything harmful? If you are submerged in water does your shocking weapon constantly zap everyone within some radius? The sheeth is unharmed, it is magic, no need to worry about things farther.


for the rest though, spending one standard action is already a 'huge' cost. Making it require several standard actions just seems very.. well.. bad. The weapon enhancements are not so overpowered that it would be horribly unbalanced, if anything it just makes different choices than straight +'s an option that is actually viable. That is good yes?

If it is so broken and/or unbalanced, how?

 

[Caliban]

Why would it conduct anything harmful?

Because that's the way things work. Metal conducts electricity, objects heat up or freeze even if they themselves are not harmed. If you put a flaming sword in your scabbard, it will heat up enough to burn you even if it doesn't take any damage itself.

If you are submerged in water does your shocking weapon constantly zap everyone within some radius?

If you aren't wielding it? Yes, I would have you take 1d6 damage as you grabbed it, or 1d6 per round if you were within the same square.

The sheeth is unharmed, it is magic, no need to worry about things farther.

The sheathe is not magic.

for the rest though, spending one standard action is already a 'huge' cost.

Oh please. Most of the time it's not a cost at all. If you know you are going somewhere dangerous, activate your weapon.

Making it require several standard actions just seems very.. well.. bad.

*shrug* I'm not sympathetic. Multiple energy enhancements are very powerful, and come with a drawback - it takes a few rounds to power them all up.

The weapon enhancements are not so overpowered that it would be horribly unbalanced, if anything it just makes different choices than straight +'s an option that is actually viable. That is good yes?

No, it makes it much better than a straight enhancement bonus. And that's not good.

If it is so broken and/or unbalanced, how?

Let me see, +3 to hit/dam or +3d6 to damage, all the time. +3 damage vs. an average of +10 damage. You do the math.

Anyway, the energy enhancements state that they are command word activated. That's a standard action for each command word. You can house rule it if you want, but I think it is unbalanced, as it completely removes the drawback of getting +1d6 damage vs. +1 damage.

 

[Scion]

Because that's the way things work.

In the real world? yes. In d&d? it is magic, it doesnt have to do so. Even if it does, adamantine as written doesnt really exist, so who can say how it reacts in a physical sense? Maybe it doesnt react like a metal at all, maybe it conducts all heat to its sharpest point always, who knows? So that isnt necissarily 'the way things work'.

If you aren't wielding it? Yes, I would have you take 1d6 damage as you grabbed it, or 1d6 per round if you were within the same square.

You can rule any way you wish in your games, you could even say that magic destroys the world and casting spells causes you a d6 damage per spell level. But that doesnt mean that it should be done, nor does it mean that is the way it works in the core.

The sheathe is not magic.

Luckily it doesnt have to be.

Oh please. Most of the time it's not a cost at all. If you know you are going somewhere dangerous, activate your weapon.

Ahh.. so since it isnt a cost 'sometimes' then the cost obviously isnt there. come on now

a weapon with these enhancements shouldnt be so obviously inferior to those weapons that dont require a standard action to activate dont you think?

Since there are a great deal of situations where the character will need to activate it, and the cost at that time is enormous, then they shouldnt be penalized more.

*shrug* I'm not sympathetic. Multiple energy enhancements are very powerful, and come with a drawback - it takes a few rounds to power them all up.

They are not anymore powerful than any other weapon enhancement. If you require them to be activated like that then they are quite a bit 'less' powerful. Incredibly so.

No, it makes it much better than a straight enhancement bonus. And that's not good.

No, it does not. It merely 'almost' puts them on equal footing, but still in a worse position for needing that extra standard action.

Let me see, +3 to hit/dam or +3d6 to damage, all the time. +3 damage vs. an average of +10 damage. You do the math.

I have, you do the math sometime. Being able to hit roughly 15% more often while doing extra damage and having a weapon with a ton more hp and hardness. vs the enhancements which are incredibly easy to negate by various energy resistances and, apparently, require several rounds to activate. So, with both on all of the time the weapons are somewhat equal, each are better in certain situations. With the restriction of a single standard action the pendulum swings very much in favor of the straight +'s, with multiple standard actions there isnt even a comparison anymore.

Anyway, the energy enhancements state that they are command word activated. That's a standard action for each command word. You can house rule it if you want, but I think it is unbalanced, as it completely removes the drawback of getting +1d6 damage vs. +1 damage.

so you think it is overpowered because you only look at the damage? not even the damage type, or any of the other problems? All right then, fair enough, if you wish to have such tunnel vision then yes indeed in that case you will be correct. However, looking at the bigger picture with the +'s granting extra to hit (which can be converted into damage with power attack btw), extra hardness and hp (making it harder to sunder), and not needing to be activated.... Well.. let me know what you think about those extra things tossed on there