Why would you ever get Burst weapons?

[Gwarok]

They are a +2 bonus and only deal extra damage on a crit, whereas there is always a +1 version that deals 1D6 on EVERY hit. This seems to me a no brainer, and perhaps a typo?

 

[ruleslawyer]

Not quite.

From the SRD:

Flaming Burst: A flaming burst weapon functions as a flaming weapon that also explodes with flame upon striking a successful critical hit.

So a burst weapon inflicts +1d6 damage all the time, and an additional +1d10/2d10/3d10 damage on a crit. I still don't think they're all that great compared to getting two different energy enhancements, but they're not as bad as you were thinking.

 

[JimAde]

They are a +2 bonus and only deal extra damage on a crit, whereas there is always a +1 version that deals 1D6 on EVERY hit. This seems to me a no brainer, and perhaps a typo?

If you look carefully, the burst enhancement includes the corresponding "regular" energy. So a "shocking burst" weapon always does an extraa 1d6 electricity, but then on a crit does even more. The exception is "thundering" which doesn't do damage on every hit, but does (I believe) a little extra on a crit, plus deafens the target.

EDIT: Gak! The RulesLawyer lives up to his name and out-fast-draws me to the rules question. Well done!

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Er, no.

Flaming Burst is Flaming ++.

Flaming does 1d6 fire damage on any successful hit.

Flaming Burst acts like a flaming weapon (1d6 on any successful hit) and on a critical hit does an additional 1d10 fire damage.

So, take a longsword: 1d8 + Str

Flaming Longsword: 1d8 + Str + 1d6 Fire
Flaming Longsword, Crit: 2d8 + 2xStr + 1d6 Fire

Flaming Burst Longsword: 1d8 + Str + 1d6 Fire
Flaming Burst Longsword, Crit: 2d8 + 2xStr + 1d6 Fire + 1d10 Fire

See the difference?

 

[PrinceZane]

Hmm, the way I took the bursts is it always does the 1d6, but when you crit you get the bonus which the regular doesn't give...

I play 3.5, maybe its different in 3.0 if that's what your playing, not sure...

 

[Plane Sailing]

Burst weapons still aren't worth it though. For the +2 price of flaming burst you could get flaming and shocking and get +2d6 damage all the time barring energy immunities. Or holy and get +2d6 against most of the things you are likely to be attacking!

Burst is never worth taking on a cost per average damage basis (although it might be worth having on a x4 crit weapon for the 'wow' factor )

Cheers

 

[nhl_1997]

Treasure tables

 

[UltimaGabe]

Flaming Burst Longsword, Crit: 2d8 + 2xStr + 1d6 Fire + 1d10 Fire

Actually, if I'm not mistaken, a flaming burst weapon doesn't deal the 1d6 on a crit, the 1d6 becomes 1d10 (or more).

 

[Orichin]

Plane Sailing has it right, if you run the numbers, burst abilities won't give as much bang for the buck as most others. They are fun though, and their usefulness improves considerably with keen weapons (another one that, while fun, is actually one of the worst ways to augment a magical weapon), though without a RP purpose, this combination makes for a sub-par weapon for the cost.

 

[Dr_Rictus]

Actually, if I'm not mistaken, a flaming burst weapon doesn't deal the 1d6 on a crit, the 1d6 becomes 1d10 (or more).

From the SRD, emphasis mine:

In addition to the extra fire damage from the flaming ability (see above), a flaming burst weapon deals an extra 1d10 points of fire damage on a successful critical hit.

If you want to believe that "in addition to" is merely rhetorical here, I could understand that, but it's hard to see how they could have made it any clearer.