Well of course the Holy Avenger is cursed! It kills any Evil-aligned 1HD creatures that pick it up! :)
Killing a random innocent man because of inborn soul predisposition... isn't that evil? :)
Well of course the Holy Avenger is cursed! It kills any Evil-aligned 1HD creatures that pick it up! :)
Hmm...is it an evil act, then, I wonder, to pass a holy avenger to a 1st-level evil-aligned commoner?
Well, only a paladin could possibly know the commoner was evil, as normal detect spells cannot determine the alignment of low HD creatures.
I guess it depends on if the character knows it will kill that person.
A paladin would know the commoner's alignment, but has no way of knowing how many hit dice the commoner has. =)
Well of course the Holy Avenger is cursed! It kills any Evil-aligned 1HD creatures that pick it up! :)
Psshh It dosen't kill them. Just make them weak and ineffectual like a small baby. And even if it did kill them D.S.A.F.
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No hard reference in the rules, but you can have a sword that casts a spell upon command, which is a ability that works separately from the other abilities. Some weapons also have abilities that are activated under certain circumstances and work partially otherwise, like the Dwarven Thrower, Holy Avenger or Shatterspike. It isn't said that the weapons must be activated as a whole, so I take it that it's upon players to decide.Can I get a reference for that?
Actually items in Pathfinder can be part activated, part always working, so the sword could be a +5 keen normally and become brilliant energy upon command.
If you rule it that way, like other weapon properties such as flaming and frost, activation would require a standard action.
Here's a question for you...
If Brilliant energy weapons pass through non-living objects, shouldn't the blade fall off the hilt of the sword when activated?
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Well of course the Holy Avenger is cursed! It kills any Evil-aligned 1HD creatures that pick it up! :)Psshh It dosen't kill them. Just make them weak and ineffectual like a small baby. And even if it did kill them D.S.A.F.
Actually, it does. It gives one negative level, and when your negative levels equal your HD, you die. Doesn't matter that it goes away when you drop it, you're already dead. :)
That's some 'Freedom of Movement makes you fall through water like air' shiz right there!
Hmm reading the wording of it, you should fall to the bottom of the ocean with Freedom of Movement cast on you. Does that mean that you're armor falls off if it's restricting your movement? Or does it permit you to move as if you aren't hindered.
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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How about a brilliant construct bane weapon? Does it do the 2d6 to constructs? :-) Or a brilliant holy weapon, same issue.
How about a brilliant ghost touch weapon?
Personally for a 'lighsaber' I'd recommend a +x keen, flaming, shocking, hideaway adamantine sword.
Brilliant works great for the salvage minded PC.
"Dude! That Demon armor's worth a ton!"
*brief brilliant energy fight ensues.*
"Still is, just need to hose it out."
Actually, it does. It gives one negative level, and when your negative levels equal your HD, you die. Doesn't matter that it goes away when you drop it, you're already dead. :)Well of course the Holy Avenger is cursed! It kills any Evil-aligned 1HD creatures that pick it up! :)Psshh It dosen't kill them. Just make them weak and ineffectual like a small baby. And even if it did kill them D.S.A.F.
Ahh I just thought it applied penalties my bad, still... DSAF
Conversely, an unholy longsword is a Gygaxian way to weed out Good-aligned 1st level parties, no save allowed. >:)
As a neutral person I see this as a win win no raving psychos (well fewer stupid CN/CG) and fewer goody-goodies now i need an axiomatic and anarchic one and be all set.
If you rule it that way, like other weapon properties such as flaming and frost, activation would require a standard action.No hard reference in the rules, but you can have a sword that casts a spell upon command, which is a ability that works separately from the other abilities. Some weapons also have abilities that are activated under certain circumstances and work partially otherwise, like the Dwarven Thrower, Holy Avenger or Shatterspike. It isn't said that the weapons must be activated as a whole, so I take it that it's upon players to decide.Can I get a reference for that?
Actually items in Pathfinder can be part activated, part always working, so the sword could be a +5 keen normally and become brilliant energy upon command.
Yes, indeed. Still better than bare hands against a deathknight.
Ironically, they can be broken but not break something else. They're also only effective against humanoids (or things wearing lots of armor and shields).
How so? It clearly says it passes through non-living matter. That means only natural attacks have any hope of sundering it, and even then, only if they can somehow beat out the weapon's magical enhancement protection.
EDIT: Well, I suppose you could sunder the handle...
Ironically, they can be broken but not break something else. They're also only effective against humanoids (or things wearing lots of armor and shields).How so? It clearly says it passes through non-living matter. That means only natural attacks have any hope of sundering it, and even then, only if they can somehow beat out the weapon's magical enhancement protection.
EDIT: Well, I suppose you could sunder the handle...
A few monsters with natural attack do have improved sunder. I think the rule about needing a higher enhancement needs to be removed or those monsters need to be errata'd.
I think I FAQ'd it in another thread a while back, but it still has not been fixed yet.
Conversely, an unholy longsword is a Gygaxian way to weed out Good-aligned 1st level parties, no save allowed. >:)
Actually, no.
Remember, 1E and 2E had 0 level characters. Thus, you couldn't kill a first level PC with an unholy sword...he would just be reduced to level 0 and still alive.
If yer gonna invoke Gygax, you gotta invoke all of him!
==Aelryinth
"Only effective against humanoids" was meant to refer to the fact that only humanoids typically wear armor. Brilliant is only effective against creatures that use armor and shields...in all other cases, it's a waste of +5.
In short, the best use of Brilliant is in the hands of undead creatures hacking on PC's. It's useless against them, and horrendously effective against PC's. Effectively, its a Player-killer enchantment, or only useful in a humanocentric campaign.
Effectively, "Brilliant" should be 'Umbral', to reflect its power of effectively 'cutting souls'. Brilliant should be an enchantment that ignores Natural Armor...THAT would be a +5 enhancement.
==Aelryinth
Never faced a fully armoured black dragon anti-paladin or a barding-clad war rhino? :)
For the "turning it on and off" issue, perhaps treat it similarly to powerswords in Warhammer 40k: When innactive the weapon is merely a masterwork version of its type. When activated it then gains all the properties of a brilliant weapon.Actually items in Pathfinder can be part activated, part always working, so the sword could be a +5 keen normally and become brilliant energy upon command.
Never seen a true dragon wear armor outside the Draconomicon or Isle of Wyrms setting. Armor/Shield spells, sure, but those fall to dispel magic.
War Rhino, no, but War Elephant, Dire Tiger, Allosaurus, yes. Still an extremely niche case, and no different then a barded paladin's horse, in any event.
==Aelryinth
I can't imagine a dragon wearing armor unless he was planning on going to war.
Well, raiding a city or naval fleet with balistae and other such stuff would be a good opportunity as well IMO ;)
Never seen a true dragon wear armor outside the Draconomicon or Isle of Wyrms setting.When you have as much time on your hands and as much reason for (thugs) Adventurers to come to kill you and take your stuff, why not make some custom armor for yourself? Sure you'll have to replace it when you go up an age category, but that's going to take decades if not centuries. (Also I seem to remember magic armor re-sizing itself to the wearer)
"Chummer, I knew a Gillette that went on a little biz down in Aztaln. Easy the Johnson said, its always easy biz if you ask the Johnson. But you take the cred and take your chances. Anyhow, those bloodbos will wire anything. The poor slots that got out yak on about a chipped dragon with body armor and mounted panther cannons if ya believe that."
The hilt would not pass though. As long as the scabbed is made to cradle the hilt you are golden.
/\ This /\
Or, since you are high enough level to have a brilliant energy weapon and therefore a badass, just sheath it in your enemies and carry them around.
Of course, if you were a real badass, you could just go ahead and sheathe the brilliant energy weapon in yourself
"Doesn't that hurt?"
"Pain don't hurt! Chicks dig scars."
I can't imagine a dragon wearing armor unless he was planning on going to war.
How is fighting PC's not war?
I'd put armor on a dragon just to make it look even more badass!
I can't imagine a dragon wearing armor unless he was planning on going to war.How is fighting PC's not war?
I'd put armor on a dragon just to make it look even more badass!
Armor doesn't resize. It reshapes. It only resizes if you cast Enlarge Person, and Dragons don't qualify.
Also, armor would slow a dragon down, and restrict his flying ability/speed. They aren't fighters, and can't ignore the encumberance effect.
Dragons DISDAIN armor. Their nat AC outperforms any armor out there. if they need it, they can cast it and get some.
Note that as quadrupeds, they'd also have to have barding, not armor, and it would have to be specially constructed for them...and get pricier as they got bigger with age.
I'm not saying it's impossible, but I am saying it's very unlikely.
Which is why I don't see it in modules or anything outside Council of Wyrms.
===Aelryinth
Also, armor would slow a dragon down, and restrict his flying ability/speed. They aren't fighters, and can't ignore the encumberance effect.
That is a good argument for giving your armoured dragons fighter levels.
How do you sheathe a brilliant energy sword if it passes through non-living material?
Maybe it attaches to the handle which does not pass through non-living material?
How is fighting PC's not war?
In the same way that fighting four punks in an ally is not a war.
Your being too gamist in your thinking. Total megaming there. Most dragon's wouldn't look down upon four humanoids and think "superheroes." They would think "snacks" or "minor annoyances." It's not like the characters wear their character sheets on their shirts for the dragon to know they are actually a real threat.
Now, if the PCs did something frightening to the dragon, such as successfully driving it from its lair, than I can totally see it being a thing then.
I could also see the dragon taking such precautions if he saw a literal army walking up his mountain to his front door.
Never seen a true dragon wear armor outside the Draconomicon or Isle of Wyrms setting.
Dragonlance from 2E had them as well. Of course, that was because everyone had magical lances that ignored dragon's natural armor.
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 6
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Pretty simple from my perspective: weapon properties that can be turned off say it, or make it pretty obvious. Flaming? Switchable. Merciful? Switchable. The burst part of flaming burst? Not switchable. Vorpal? Not switchable. Holy? Not switchable.
Brilliant energy falls into the not switchable category.
I still thing they can be turned off or on at will, glow brightly with colour depending on wielder alignment, hum all the time while activated, and they really should damage non-living things too.
BZZZZZM!!!
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Plasma Blade
Aura: strong transmutation, moderate evocation; CL 16th
Slot: none; Price: 23,000 gp; Weight: 4 lbs.
Upon command, this keen adamantine longsword +2 activates the corrosive, flaming, shock, and brilliant energy weapon qualities. These abilities must all be activated together, the wielder cannot pick and choose to activate some abilities without activating others. Some variants exist with other swords or slashing/piercing weapons, but longswords are by far the most common.
Construction Requirements: Craft Magic Arms and Armor; call lightning/lightning bolt, keen edge, flame blade/flame strike/fireball, gaseous form, continual flame, and acid arrow; Cost: 11,500 gp
Never seen a true dragon wear armor outside the Draconomicon or Isle of Wyrms setting.Dragonlance from 2E had them as well. Of course, that was because everyone had magical lances that ignored dragon's natural armor.
I own the set :) Dragons weren't statted up as having armor.
The Dragonlances didn't ignore nat armor...such a thing didn't exist in 2E. They just did one hit kills when used by skilled fighters (dmg = user if footman, user+mount if mounted!)
==Aelryinth