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<blockquote data-quote="Caliban" data-source="post: 211114" data-attributes="member: 284">Good.&nbsp; Now read the DMG page 184-185, Activation, last sentence: &quot;If a weapon has a special ability that the user needs to activate, then the user usually needs to utter the command word (a standard action).&quot;Since you have to command the flaming ability to activate,&nbsp; it obviously falls under the command word activation clause. Yes.&nbsp; And once charged up the magic sword stays fully effective until the wielder deactivates it.&nbsp;&nbsp; The fireball is only usefull for that one round. You may want it to be, but it is not. And some DM's think that having a weapon that does +2d6 or more in energy damage is silly and munchkin, but that doesn't change the fact that this is the way it works in the core rules. You can say the command words all you want, but actually activating an item with the command word requires a Standard Action.&nbsp;&nbsp; The way I run it, saying the command word is only part of it.&nbsp; You also have to &quot;will&quot; the item to activate as you do so, and that accounts for the extra time required.&nbsp; (This isn't the explanation they use in the core rules, but it's the only way I can logically rationalize the time required to activate an item when you are only saying a word or two.)</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Caliban, post: 211114, member: 284"] Good. Now read the DMG page 184-185, [b]Activation[/b], last sentence: "If a weapon has a special ability that the user needs to activate, then the user usually needs to utter the command word (a standard action)." Since you have to command the flaming ability to activate, it obviously falls under the command word activation clause. [b][/b] Yes. And once charged up the magic sword stays fully effective until the wielder deactivates it. The fireball is only usefull for that one round. [b][/b] You may want it to be, but it is not. [b][/b] And some DM's think that having a weapon that does +2d6 or more in energy damage is silly and munchkin, but that doesn't change the fact that this is the way it works in the core rules. [b][/B] You can say the command words all you want, but actually activating an item with the command word requires a Standard Action. The way I run it, saying the command word is only part of it. You also have to "will" the item to activate as you do so, and that accounts for the extra time required. (This isn't the explanation they use in the core rules, but it's the only way I can logically rationalize the time required to activate an item when you are only saying a word or two.) [/QUOTE]

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