Weapon Enchantment Stacking

[rushlight]

I was curious, do you allow multiple elemental bonuses to damage to stack on a weapon? Like a +1 Flaming, Shocking, Thundering, Holy whatever sword? Or do you draw the line with one single elemental bonus? It seems to me that for a +1 enhancement, it gives back much more than just a flat +1 would. When several are added, it can get absurd.

Second, how do you interpret the line "Upon command, the weapon becomes sheathed in (whatever) energy..."? Is that a magic activation action, or just an odd choice of wording?

Thanks!

 

[kreynolds]

I was curious, do you allow multiple elemental bonuses to damage to stack on a weapon? Like a +1 Flaming, Shocking, Thundering, Holy whatever sword? Or do you draw the line with one single elemental bonus?

Yup. I don't think anyone in our group has actually done it though.

Second, how do you interpret the line "Upon command, the weapon becomes sheathed in (whatever) energy..."? Is that a magic activation action, or just an odd choice of wording?

It is magic activation, specifically command word activation (standard action). One standard action will activate only one of the enhancements.

 

[Skinwalker]

AFAIK, multiple enchantments of this type do work together. Logical exceptions could be made for putting Flaming and Frost on the same weapon, but there is nothing wrong with, say, a Corrosive Flaming sword.

Yes, it does get absurd. But, that's why we have Sunder and Disarm.

As far as the activation, I've seen this interpreted as it taking a Standard action to activate the elemental properties. I've also seen it interpreted that it takes a Standard action to activate *each* elemental property. I suppose the latter would be a good safeguard against the ol' Corrosive Flaming Burst Shocking Force sword.

 

[Spatzimaus]

These guys have it covered. You can stack as many different ones as you want, but it takes 1 standard action to activate each one.

There's been a bigger debate over whether they stack with THEMSELVES. That is, I can have a Flaming Frost weapon, but can I have double Flaming? (In theory yes, but it'd require two actions to get to full power)

***HOUSE RULE***
Frankly, I've just found it easier to create larger enchantments that combine the damage types together. For example, you could add an enchantment that adds 1d10 Fire and 1d10 cold for a +3 cost. It'd be balanced, damagewise, and you won't have to ever worry if the player rememberd to turn on all enchantments of his sword.
***/HOUSE RULE***

 

[Murrdox]

AFAIK, multiple enchantments of this type do work together. Logical exceptions could be made for putting Flaming and Frost on the same weapon, but there is nothing wrong with, say, a Corrosive Flaming sword.

There is no such rule prohibiting having the Flaming, Shocking, Frost, or any combination thereof on a weapon that I am aware of. You can have Flaming and Frost on a weapon without any problems. They don't interfere with each other. It's magic.

There's been a bigger debate over whether they stack with THEMSELVES.

Definitely not. You can't put Keen on a weapon twice, nor could you put Holy on a weapon twice, or Vorpal on a weapon twice. The only exception I can think of is that you could place Bane on a weapon more than once, as long as the two Bane enhancements applied to different creature types.

 

[Ravellion]

Definitely not. You can't put Keen on a weapon twice, nor could you put Holy on a weapon twice, or Vorpal on a weapon twice. The only exception I can think of is that you could place Bane on a weapon more than once, as long as the two Bane enhancements applied to different creature types.

Agreed.

A homebrewed "improvd flaming" weapon property would quickly get rid of that complaint though. (A use for the d12?)

Rav