Vicious Weapons and "Disruptive" Energy

[Greyline]

According to the DMG 3.5, p.226

"When a vicious weapon strikes an opponent, it creates a flash of disruptive energy that resonates between the opponent and the wielder. The energy deals an extra 2d6 points of damage to the opponent and 1d6 points of damage to the wielder. Only melee weapons can be vicious.
Moderate Necromancy; CL 9th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, enervation; Price +1 bonus." Emphasis mine.

So the question is, what is "disruptive energy?" Is this some new kind of energy to add to the list of acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic? Is resist elements effective against it? Or is it simply another name for negative energy (this would be my vote, with enervation as a prerequisite)? And if so, doesn't that make it ridiculous in the hands of undead?

Any ideas?

Greyline

 

[MichaelH]

I take it to mean, not a new type of energy such as acid or fire, but simply as a descriptive adjective describing the unnamed energy. It is not negative energy or it would say so (and be very beneficial to undead users). It simply causes a disruptive energy of some sort to damage both target and wielder.

 

[James McMurray]

Yep. Its just damage as far as the rules are concenred. That means there's no defense against it (apart from not getting hit of course).

 

[Deset Gled]

I also agree. The damage should be treated as unnamed. From a balance standpoint, it's pretty important to have the damage to the weilder be as unstoppable as possible.

 

[heliopolix]

The only way to sort of get around the vicious encantment is to appy the merciful enchantment to it. Then your weapon will do regular+3d6 non-lethal damage per hit and 1d6 non-lethal to you per hit. Not as deadly to your opponents(and SUCKs vs. undead/constructs/elementals), but also not as deadly to you. My favorite weapon to picture this particular combo on is a heavy flail or maul with a head the size of a cannon barrel(or some similarly ridiculously huge piece of iron). It just takes the wind out of you swininging that sucker around!

 

[Hypersmurf]

The only way to sort of get around the vicious encantment is to appy the merciful enchantment to it. Then your weapon will do regular+3d6 non-lethal damage per hit and 1d6 non-lethal to you per hit.

Arguable. Strictly, the weapon doesn't deal the Vicious damage - the flash of disruptive energy does.

Compare Merciful (the weapon deals an extra 1d6 damage) or Flaming (the weapon deals an extra 1d6 fire damage) to Vicious (this energy deals 2d6 damage...)

If I have a Merciful Spell-Storing weapon, and I hit someone and discharge a Magic Missile, do you consider the damage from the Magic Missile lethal or non-lethal?

-Hyp.