Yep. Damage normally done x 2 (vulnerable) x 0.5 (incorporeal) = damage normally done. The real question is, are they auto-killed if they fail their Reflex save?
I don't think Sunburst is a corporeal spell, it's just light energy.
(FYI, the sun of the solar system is a mega nexus of positive energy in golarion canon, relevant to parallel between sunlight/(+)energy)
So they would suffer full damage X 2 (vulnerable).
I don't think Sunburst is a corporeal spell, it's just light energy.
(FYI, the sun of the solar system is a mega nexus of positive energy in golarion canon, relevant to parallel between sunlight/(+)energy)
So they would suffer full damage X 2 (vulnerable).
The spell doesn't say it's positive energy, it simply does more damage to undead and things that don't like the sun. Positive and negative energy are the only things, aside from force effects or other incorporeal attackers, that aren't halved against an incorporeal target. Sunburst damage would be halved by incorporeal targets the same way a laser from the robots in the Inner Sea Beastiary would.
I wasn't stating that Sunburst was positive energy damage, but just giving canon background for why it is not surprising that sunlight may work similarly to positive energy in this or some cases.
Positive and negative energy are the only things, aside from force effects or other incorporeal attackers, that aren't halved against an incorporeal target.Not quite:
Incorporeal creatures take full damage from other incorporeal creatures and effects, as well as all force effects.
You can see from that wording that incorporeal effects are considered as distinct from force effects.
There is no game term definition of corporeal/incorporeal effect AFAIK, which just leaves the standard English definition, by which light would not be a corporeal effect.Further, the situation on positive/negative energy isn't as clear cut as you make it out:
Even when hit by spells or magic weapons, it takes only half damage from a corporeal source (except for channel energy). ... Corporeal spells and effects that do not cause damage only have a 50% chance of affecting an incorporeal creature.
Firstly, by the specific wording there it seems to be including Channel Energy as a corporeal effect, although I'm not sure if that's truly intended/valid, or just an imprecise usage of grammar. At face value, that leads to a very strange situation: channel energy damage is NOT halved vs. incorporeal creatures, but if channel energy is used for non-damage effect then it only works 50% of the time. The 'full damage from channel energy' part also only speaks about damage, so HEALING from channel energy is left up to the general rule.
Regardless, the exception only applies to Channel Energy, not positive/negative energy per se (which applies to many things, e.g. Cure/Inflict spells).
There seems to be some controversy about this, and the wording in the CRB Glossary is slightly different than in the Bestiary.
I plan on summarizing all the info and controversial implications in a FAQ post for Paizo Dev's attention soon, though.
I wasn't stating that Sunburst was positive energy damage, but just giving canon background for why it is not surprising that sunlight may work similarly to positive energy in this or some cases.
I could see that in some cases. However, as you pointed out, stars in Pathfinder's prime material plane are gigantic, flaming conduits of positive energy. Sunburst does not create such a portal or channel such force, it simply evokes a burst of visible and UV spectrum light strong enough to harm anything, with added effect against those not used to / specifically harmed by natural sunlight. In essence, it is high level magic that mimics some of what stars naturally do, not a brief portal to the positive energy plane itself. If that were the case, it'd likely be Conjuration magic, not Evocation.
You can see from that wording that incorporeal effects are considered as distinct from force effects.
There is no game term definition of corporeal/incorporeal effect AFAIK, which just leaves the standard English definition, by which light would not be a corporeal effect.
There are force effects and incorporeal creatures, not vice-versa (yet anyways). If you want to hit something like a wraith for full damage with a spell, you need to use something that has the force descriptor or be incorporeal yourself. Those really are your only options.
Further, the situation on positive/negative energy isn't as clear cut as you make it out
That's because I mistakenly forgot to add the word "channeled" before the word "positive" in that sentence. My bad.
Regardless, the exception only applies to Channel Energy, not positive/negative energy per se (which applies to many things, e.g. Cure/Inflict spells).
There seems to be some controversy about this, and the wording in the CRB Glossary is slightly different than in the Bestiary.
I plan on summarizing all the info and controversial implications in a FAQ post for Paizo Dev's attention soon, though.
Not sure I've seen any such controversy, and probably for good reason. Channeled energy is essentially a god or other similarly-powerful being pushing divine force of will directly through a mortal conduit. Also, it's flooding an entire area rather than just one target. Lastly, it's a divine, supernatural force, not something bound together by the limited strength and understanding of mere mortals. Thematically, I can see a Cure spell from an alchemist or bard failing to penetrate the thin barriers that separate corporeal from incorporeal critters precisely for those reasons, which is probably why the powers and descriptors you've mentioned work the way they do as per the current rules.
But hey, post it, ask for an FAQ. I'd be interested to see just what they decide otherwise if I'm proven wrong.